Comparación del coste de vida entre San Rafael y Mar del Plata Comparación del coste de vida entre San Rafael y Mar del Plata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $879 in San Rafael versus $838 in Mar del Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,436 in San Rafael versus $1,425 in Mar del Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,993 in San Rafael versus $2,011 in Mar del Plata.

Living in San Rafael is roughly 5% more expensive than Mar del Plata, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Rafael 34% lower, Mar del Plata 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.17 ARS 14.3K

$9.87 ARS 13.9K

3.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.39 ARS 28.7K

$36.84 ARS 51.9K

-44.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 ARS 8,380

$8.28 ARS 11.7K

-28.14%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ARS 2,509

$2.42 ARS 3,402

-26.45%

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

$1.02 ARS 1,439

$2.20 ARS 3,097

-53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ARS 1,427

$2.05 ARS 2,891

-50.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ARS 1,448

$3.20 ARS 4,503

-67.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ARS 2,150

$3.31 ARS 4,664

-53.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 ARS 1,470

$1.11 ARS 1,560

-6.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ARS 2,107

$1.42 ARS 2,000

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ARS 1,992

$2.08 ARS 2,936

-32.21%

Eggs

$1.57 ARS 2,217

$1.49 ARS 2,104

5.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 ARS 7,549

$6.73 ARS 9,475

-20.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 ARS 10.8K

$5.33 ARS 7,507

43.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.43 ARS 9,052

$7.45 ARS 10.5K

-13.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ARS 2,517

$2.72 ARS 3,829

-34.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ARS 2,050

$2.12 ARS 2,987

-31.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ARS 2,175

$1.51 ARS 2,121

1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ARS 1,300

$2.52 ARS 3,551

-63.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ARS 1,002

$1.29 ARS 1,810

-44.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ARS 1,024

$1.00 ARS 1,401

-27.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ARS 910

$0.63 ARS 881

3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ARS 1,725

$1.20 ARS 1,696

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.75 ARS 2,468

$3.54 ARS 4,987

-50.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 ARS 7,217

$4.94 ARS 6,960

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ARS 1,571

$1.34 ARS 1,892

-16.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ARS 2,231

$1.95 ARS 2,747

-18.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ARS 1,091

$0.76 ARS 1,069

1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.90 ARS 13.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 ARS 625

$1.53 ARS 2,158

-71.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,447

$0.77 ARS 1,079

33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 ARS 7,056

$7.91 ARS 11.1K

-36.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ARS 1,179

$1.13 ARS 1,595

-25.66%

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

$31.7K ARS 44.7M

$27.9K ARS 39.2M

13.90%

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

$33.2K ARS 46.7M

$40.2K ARS 56.6M

-17.44%

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

$76.5 ARS 107.7K

$83.7 ARS 117.8K

-8.58%

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

$6.61 ARS 9,312

$10.36 ARS 14.6K

-36.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.28 ARS 21.5K

$25.20 ARS 35.5K

-39.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.84 ARS 36.4K

$17.02 ARS 24.0K

51.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.92 ARS 19.6K

$7.93 ARS 11.2K

75.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ARS 8,485

$3.89 ARS 5,481

55.01%

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

$104 ARS 146.3K

$159 ARS 223.8K

-34.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,131 ARS 3.0M

$3,227 ARS 4.5M

-33.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 ARS 116.9K

$55.5 ARS 78.1K

49.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.0 ARS 109.9K

$61.7 ARS 86.9K

26.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 ARS 209.4K

$63.9 ARS 89.9K

132.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ARS 164.6K

$63.6 ARS 89.6K

83.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ARS 472.5K

$281 ARS 395.1K

19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ARS 329.2K

$206 ARS 290.0K

13.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ARS 976.0K

$734 ARS 1.0M

-5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ARS 746.4K

$575 ARS 809.5K

-7.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,882 ARS 2.6M

$2,203 ARS 3.1M

-14.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 ARS 641.6K

$604 ARS 850.3K

-24.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

35.04%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para San Rafael: April 26, 2026

Última actualización para Mar del Plata: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in San Rafael and $281 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in San Rafael vs $37.00 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $197 per month, with San Rafael cheaper across the board.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

San Rafael vs Mar del Plata: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in San Rafael. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mar del Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mar del Plata earns 33% less. 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: $336 in San Rafael versus $281 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in San Rafael pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $879 per month in San Rafael versus $838 in Mar del Plata – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Mar del Plata 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, San Rafael 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 5% less than in San Rafael. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.