Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salta and Mar del Plata

For one person, living costs are similar in Salta and in Mar del Plata: $1,149 and $1,161 a month, rent and utilities included.

55

Cost of Living Index in Salta
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Salta Living Index
55

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

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Salta

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,149

/mo nomad

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Salta versus $1,161 in Mar del Plata.

Salta $1,149
Mar del Plata $1,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,934 in Salta versus $2,072 in Mar del Plata.

Salta $1,934
Mar del Plata $2,072

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Salta versus $2,983 in Mar del Plata.

Salta $2,719
Mar del Plata $2,983

Monthly costs are close between Salta and Mar del Plata; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salta 15% lower, Mar del Plata 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.43 ARS 11.5K

$19.87 ARS 30.7K

-62.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 ARS 88.6K

$80.5 ARS 124.3K

-28.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 ARS 20.4K

$11.63 ARS 18.0K

13.24%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ARS 3,986

$3.28 ARS 5,066

-21.34%

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

$1.54 ARS 2,377

$2.47 ARS 3,817

-37.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ARS 2,892

$2.02 ARS 3,125

-7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 ARS 2,482

$3.58 ARS 5,538

-55.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ARS 4,899

$3.43 ARS 5,298

-7.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ARS 2,110

$1.22 ARS 1,885

12.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ARS 2,627

$2.27 ARS 3,500

-25.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 3,126

$2.76 ARS 4,270

-26.81%

Eggs

$2.86 ARS 4,413

$3.95 ARS 6,099

-27.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 ARS 18.2K

$12.52 ARS 19.3K

-5.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 ARS 12.0K

$8.35 ARS 12.9K

-7.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.36 ARS 17.5K

$11.47 ARS 17.7K

-0.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 ARS 3,821

$3.03 ARS 4,684

-18.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ARS 2,597

$2.34 ARS 3,623

-28.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,418

$1.94 ARS 2,992

-19.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 ARS 3,259

$2.58 ARS 3,979

-18.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 ARS 1,702

$0.73 ARS 1,133

50.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ARS 1,483

$0.73 ARS 1,131

31.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ARS 2,370

$0.69 ARS 1,065

121.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ARS 5,101

Wine (Bottle)

$4.92 ARS 7,605

$4.25 ARS 6,569

15.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 ARS 2,186

$2.33 ARS 3,604

-39.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 ARS 6,146

$5.17 ARS 7,983

-23.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ARS 1,489

$1.35 ARS 2,089

-28.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ARS 2,368

$1.49 ARS 2,302

2.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ARS 1,219

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 ARS 9,769

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ARS 1,843

$1.46 ARS 2,254

-18.49%

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

$25.4K ARS 39.2M

$31.9K ARS 49.3M

-20.36%

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

$32.3K ARS 49.8M

$45.2K ARS 69.9M

-28.65%

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

$126 ARS 195.3K

$106 ARS 164.1K

19.03%

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

$16.68 ARS 25.8K

$10.59 ARS 16.4K

57.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.88 ARS 36.9K

$23.56 ARS 36.4K

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.29 ARS 45.2K

$31.16 ARS 48.1K

-6.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.39 ARS 31.5K

$32.29 ARS 49.9K

-36.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 ARS 14.2K

$9.84 ARS 15.2K

-6.40%

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

$239 ARS 369.1K

$257 ARS 396.7K

-6.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,175 ARS 6.4M

$5,698 ARS 8.8M

-26.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 ARS 173.3K

$125 ARS 192.8K

-10.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.4 ARS 125.7K

$70.8 ARS 109.4K

14.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 ARS 173.8K

$108 ARS 167.0K

4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ARS 181.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 ARS 792.3K

$492 ARS 760.4K

4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ARS 516.8K

$279 ARS 430.7K

20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 ARS 1.6M

$932 ARS 1.4M

12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ARS 1.3M

$777 ARS 1.2M

5.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 ARS 3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,292 ARS 2.0M

$1,006 ARS 1.6M

28.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$861 ARS 1.3M

$1,336 ARS 2.1M

-35.56%

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

Last update for Salta: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salta

$335 29.1%

Mar del Plata

$279 24% 16.7% $56

Groceries & Markets

Salta

$246 * 21.4%

Mar del Plata

$268 * 23.1% 8.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Salta

$190 16.6%

Mar del Plata

$137 * 11.8% 28.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salta

$167 14.5%

Mar del Plata

$140 12.1% 16% $27

Eating Out

Salta

$158 13.7%

Mar del Plata

$276 23.8% 74.7% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Salta

$48 4.2%

Mar del Plata

$51 4.4% 6.6% $3.1

Getting Around

Salta

$5.4 * 0.5%

Mar del Plata

$11 * 0.9% 101% $5.5

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 $513 in Salta and $492 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 55% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $57 in Salta vs $80 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $268 per month, with Salta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Salta

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

Same time as Salta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

535,303

593,337

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.78 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Salta Mar del Plata 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Salta
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

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

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Salta. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $513 in Salta versus $492 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Mar del Plata. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Salta – a meal for two runs $57 versus $80 in Mar del Plata. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Salta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Salta and Mar del Plata are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Salta wins on affordability, Mar del Plata on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.