Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustenburg and Mar del Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustenburg: $799 a month against $1,081 in Mar del Plata, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Rustenburg
Learn more

Rustenburg Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
Learn more

Mar del Plata Living Index

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Rustenburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$799

/mo nomad

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg and in Mar del Plata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $799 in Rustenburg versus $1,081 in Mar del Plata.

Rustenburg $799
Mar del Plata $1,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,318 in Rustenburg versus $2,026 in Mar del Plata.

Rustenburg $1,318
Mar del Plata $2,026

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,837 in Rustenburg versus $2,971 in Mar del Plata.

Rustenburg $1,837
Mar del Plata $2,971

Living in Rustenburg costs roughly 26% less than in Mar del Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rustenburg 41% lower, Mar del Plata 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 R 101

$20.07 ARS 30.5K

-69.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.66 R 719

$79.4 ARS 120.5K

-45.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 R 103

$11.55 ARS 17.5K

-45.63%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.47

$3.26 ARS 4,947

-37.73%

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

$0.96 R 15.75

$2.60 ARS 3,939

-63.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 R 8.26

$1.95 ARS 2,955

-74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 R 24.37

$3.47 ARS 5,265

-57.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 R 34.40

$3.43 ARS 5,202

-39.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.38

$1.22 ARS 1,853

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 16.36

$2.15 ARS 3,257

-53.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.20

$2.79 ARS 4,231

-36.56%

Eggs

$2.70 R 44.53

$3.16 ARS 4,796

-14.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 R 121

$7.75 ARS 11.8K

-5.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 R 82.6

$7.50 ARS 11.4K

-33.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.44 R 106

$11.62 ARS 17.6K

-44.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.00

$2.96 ARS 4,491

-40.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.27

$2.39 ARS 3,624

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.47

$1.94 ARS 2,950

-7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.78

$2.66 ARS 4,043

-57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 R 21.96

$0.74 ARS 1,128

79.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R 17.89

$0.80 ARS 1,211

36.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R 21.15

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.48

$0.63 ARS 962

49.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 R 51.5

$3.52 ARS 5,342

-11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.96 R 98.2

$4.20 ARS 6,375

41.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R 9.55

$2.36 ARS 3,582

-75.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.61

$5.23 ARS 7,944

-81.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ARS 2,062

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 R 13.48

$1.44 ARS 2,188

-43.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.42

$0.87 ARS 1,318

1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 R 242

$6.43 ARS 9,764

128.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.55

$1.29 ARS 1,963

10.85%

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

$28.4K R 468.3K

$31.4K ARS 47.6M

-9.35%

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

$27.6K R 455.5K

$45.8K ARS 69.4M

-39.58%

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

$74.9 R 1,233

$106 ARS 160.4K

-29.19%

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

$13.66 R 225

$6.49 ARS 9,850

110.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.01 R 593

$23.16 ARS 35.1K

55.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.21 R 349

$31.15 ARS 47.3K

-31.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.21 R 102

$32.91 ARS 49.9K

-81.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 R 81.5

$9.83 ARS 14.9K

-49.75%

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

$112 R 1,841

$252 ARS 382.3K

-55.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,493 R 90.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.05 R 709

$90.2 ARS 136.9K

-52.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.85 R 772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,798

$107 ARS 162.6K

1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 R 901

$54.5 ARS 82.8K

0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 R 5,537

$337 ARS 510.8K

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 R 3,937

$248 ARS 375.9K

-3.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$798 ARS 1.2M

-10.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,559

$882 ARS 1.3M

-41.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,043 ARS 1.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,085 R 17.9K

$1,058 ARS 1.6M

2.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.9

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

Last update for Rustenburg: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rustenburg

$239 29.9%

Mar del Plata

$248 22.9% 3.7% $8.7

Groceries & Markets

Rustenburg

$176 22%

Mar del Plata

$245 * 22.7% 39.5% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rustenburg

$125 15.6%

Mar del Plata

$135 12.5% 8.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Rustenburg

$114 14.3%

Mar del Plata

$113 * 10.5% 0.7% $0.8

Eating Out

Rustenburg

$110 13.7%

Mar del Plata

$277 25.6% 153% $167

Sport & Entertainment

Rustenburg

$31 3.9%

Mar del Plata

$51 4.7% 63.4% $20

Getting Around

Rustenburg

$5.2 * 0.7%

Mar del Plata

$11 * 1% 116% $6

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 $336 in Rustenburg and $337 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Rustenburg vs $79.0 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $245 per month, with Rustenburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Rustenburg

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

07:47 7:47 AM

5 h behind Rustenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

549,575

593,337

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rustenburg Mar del Plata 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rustenburg
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

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

Rustenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Mar del Plata. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rustenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Rustenburg, 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: $336 in Rustenburg versus $337 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Mar del Plata. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $799 per month in Rustenburg versus $1,081 in Mar del Plata – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $799 in Rustenburg versus $1,081 in Mar del Plata, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rustenburg but tight or insufficient in Mar del Plata. The gap between the two cities makes Rustenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Mar del Plata. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.