Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Mar del Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,038 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Mar del Plata

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Reykjavik and in Mar del Plata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,037 in Reykjavik versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata.

Reykjavik $4,037
Mar del Plata $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,666 in Reykjavik versus $1,787 in Mar del Plata.

Reykjavik $5,666
Mar del Plata $1,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Reykjavik versus $2,536 in Mar del Plata.

Reykjavik $7,295
Mar del Plata $2,536

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 289% more expensive than in Mar del Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 201% above, Mar del Plata is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$19.74 ARS 29.9K

54.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$60.3 ARS 91.4K

124.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

116.29%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$3.13 ARS 4,743

114.70%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ISK 399

$2.51 ARS 3,813

30.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$2.03 ARS 3,071

55.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$4.06 ARS 6,151

242.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$3.02 ARS 4,585

299.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.08 ARS 1,634

88.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$2.20 ARS 3,330

96.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$3.16 ARS 4,785

16.14%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$2.36 ARS 3,575

197.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$5.86 ARS 8,885

275.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$6.65 ARS 10.1K

271.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

240.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$3.32 ARS 5,030

1.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$2.43 ARS 3,687

17.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$1.48 ARS 2,242

114.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$2.05 ARS 3,115

211.71%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.01 ARS 1,532

62.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$3.60 ARS 5,463

283.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$2.94 ARS 4,457

695.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$1.29 ARS 1,954

347.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$1.63 ARS 2,468

306.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$0.64 ARS 967

335.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

$6.40 ARS 9,707

1171.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.36 ARS 2,064

55.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$79.0 ARS 119.8K

12.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$8.23 ARS 12.5K

283.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$30.10 ARS 45.6K

181.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$31.31 ARS 47.5K

220.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

97.32%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$304 ARS 460.4K

320.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$87.7 ARS 133.1K

83.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$121 ARS 184.2K

50.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

363.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$328 ARS 497.2K

662.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$253 ARS 383.9K

690.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$801 ARS 1.2M

330.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$654 ARS 992.3K

319.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

$610 ARS 925.5K

668.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Mar del Plata

$253 24.7% 87.3% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Mar del Plata

$198 * 19.3% 68.3% $427

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Mar del Plata

$278 27% 47.2% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Mar del Plata

$119 * 11.6% 60.1% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Mar del Plata

$117 11.4% 42.7% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Mar del Plata

$51 5% 63.3% $89

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Mar del Plata

$10 * 1% 92.8% $129

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,499 in Reykjavik and $328 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 669% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $136 in Reykjavik vs $60.0 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $625 vs $198 per month, with Mar del Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

593,337

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Mar del Plata 11,780 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Mar del Plata

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Reykjavik vs Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 289% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mar del Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 669% higher in Reykjavik, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $328 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 215% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,037 per month in Reykjavik versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata – a 289% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Mar del Plata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mar del Plata delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,038 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mar del Plata hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Mar del Plata are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mar del Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 289% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.