Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis and Mar del Plata

For one person, living costs are similar in San Luis and in Mar del Plata: $1,158 and $1,161 a month, rent and utilities included.

San Luis, Argentina
Mar del Plata, Argentina
San Luis
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,158
/mo nomad
Mar del Plata
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,161
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,158 in San Luis versus $1,161 in Mar del Plata.

  • San Luis $1,158
  • Mar del Plata $1,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in San Luis versus $2,072 in Mar del Plata.

  • San Luis $1,982
  • Mar del Plata $2,072

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,806 in San Luis versus $2,983 in Mar del Plata.

  • San Luis $2,806
  • Mar del Plata $2,983

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.58 ARS 13.3K
$19.87 ARS 30.7K
-56.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.1 ARS 77.4K
$80.5 ARS 124.3K
-37.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.69 ARS 13.4K
$11.63 ARS 18.0K
-25.28%
Cappuccino
$2.11 ARS 3,261
$3.28 ARS 5,064
-35.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 ARS 3,613
$2.47 ARS 3,816
-5.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 ARS 3,066
$2.02 ARS 3,124
-1.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 ARS 5,140
$3.58 ARS 5,536
-6.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.62 ARS 7,129
$3.43 ARS 5,297
34.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ARS 1,874
$1.22 ARS 1,884
-0.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.03 ARS 3,135
$2.27 ARS 3,499
-10.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.06 ARS 1,635
$2.76 ARS 4,269
-61.59%
Eggs
$3.01 ARS 4,652
$3.95 ARS 6,097
-23.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.55 ARS 22.5K
$12.52 ARS 19.3K
16.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.37 ARS 9,839
$8.35 ARS 12.9K
-23.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.12 ARS 17.2K
$11.47 ARS 17.7K
-3.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ARS 3,581
$3.03 ARS 4,682
-23.43%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 ARS 3,331
$2.34 ARS 3,622
-7.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 ARS 2,112
$1.94 ARS 2,991
-29.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.17 ARS 4,902
$2.58 ARS 3,978
22.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 ARS 1,588
$0.73 ARS 1,133
41.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 ARS 2,334
$0.73 ARS 1,131
106.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.00 ARS 3,085
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 ARS 3,829
$0.69 ARS 1,064
259.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.70 ARS 4,162
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$5.04 ARS 7,791
$4.25 ARS 6,567
18.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ARS 2,633
$2.33 ARS 3,603
-26.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 ARS 4,764
$5.17 ARS 7,980
-40.43%
🚌 Getting Around
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 ARS 962
$1.35 ARS 2,088
-54.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.65 ARS 1,006
$1.49 ARS 2,302
-56.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 ARS 1,522
$0.79 ARS 1,219
25.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.86 ARS 7,505
$6.32 ARS 9,765
-23.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 ARS 1,966
$1.46 ARS 2,253
-13.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K ARS 41.7M
$31.9K ARS 49.2M
-15.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7K ARS 50.5M
$45.2K ARS 69.8M
-27.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.88 ARS 61.6K
$106 ARS 164.0K
-62.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.80 ARS 26.0K
$10.59 ARS 16.4K
58.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.86 ARS 36.8K
$23.56 ARS 36.4K
1.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.50 ARS 48.6K
$31.16 ARS 48.1K
1.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.86 ARS 32.2K
$32.29 ARS 49.9K
-35.40%
Cinema Ticket
$5.53 ARS 8,541
$9.84 ARS 15.2K
-43.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$177 ARS 272.6K
$257 ARS 396.5K
-31.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,156 ARS 6.4M
$5,698 ARS 8.8M
-27.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$128 ARS 197.8K
$125 ARS 192.7K
2.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$142 ARS 219.0K
$70.8 ARS 109.4K
100.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$141 ARS 217.8K
$108 ARS 166.9K
30.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 ARS 246.1K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$522 ARS 806.8K
$492 ARS 760.1K
6.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$335 ARS 517.7K
$279 ARS 430.5K
20.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ARS 1.6M
$932 ARS 1.4M
13.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$819 ARS 1.3M
$777 ARS 1.2M
5.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,264 ARS 2.0M
$1,006 ARS 1.6M
25.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Luis
Mar del Plata
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,336 ARS 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
59
0
-

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

Last update for San Luis: 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
San Luis
$335
Mar del Plata
$279 16.8% $56
Groceries & Markets
San Luis
$272
Mar del Plata
$268 * 1.6% $4.4
Clothing & Footwear
San Luis
$257
Mar del Plata
$137 * 46.7% $120
Eating Out
San Luis
$163
Mar del Plata
$276 69.1% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Luis
$81
Mar del Plata
$140 74.3% $60
Sport & Entertainment
San Luis
$43
Mar del Plata
$51 19.5% $8.3
Getting Around
San Luis
$8.1 *
Mar del Plata
$11 * 34.3% $2.8

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 $522 in San Luis and $492 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in San Luis vs $80 in Mar del Plata. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $268, with Mar del Plata cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇷 San Luis
🇦🇷 Mar del Plata
🕒 Local time
03:55 3:55 AM
03:55 3:55 AM
Same time as San Luis
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
204,019
593,337
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,544 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,734 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Luis Mar del Plata 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • San Luis
  • 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
San Luis vs Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in San Luis and in Mar del Plata?
You’d need roughly $1,737 in San Luis and $1,742 in Mar del Plata to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in San Luis compared to Mar del Plata?
Rent for a central apartment: $522 in San Luis versus $492 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in San Luis and in Mar del Plata?
Childcare runs $177 in San Luis versus $257 in Mar del Plata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in San Luis and in Mar del Plata?
Dining out is cheaper in San Luis – a meal for two runs $50 versus $80 in Mar del Plata. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in San Luis or in Mar del Plata?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though San Luis gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: San Luis or Mar del Plata?
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.
How safe is San Luis compared to Mar del Plata?
Safety-wise, San Luis and Mar del Plata are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

San Luis vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?