Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Mar del Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe: $1,077 a month against $1,137 in Mar del Plata, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. The total is higher in Mar del Plata despite lower rent and utilities.

52

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe
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Santa Fe Living Index
55

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

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Santa Fe

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,077

/mo nomad

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,077 in Santa Fe versus $1,137 in Mar del Plata.

Santa Fe $1,077
Mar del Plata $1,137

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,662 in Santa Fe versus $2,096 in Mar del Plata.

Santa Fe $1,662
Mar del Plata $2,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,247 in Santa Fe versus $3,055 in Mar del Plata.

Santa Fe $2,247
Mar del Plata $3,055

Living in Santa Fe costs roughly 5% less than in Mar del Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Fe 21% lower, Mar del Plata 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.16 ARS 15.6K

$19.64 ARS 30.2K

-48.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.08 ARS 58.6K

$78.1 ARS 120.1K

-51.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 ARS 19.0K

$11.58 ARS 17.8K

6.65%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ARS 2,644

$3.26 ARS 5,010

-47.24%

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

$1.48 ARS 2,274

$2.60 ARS 3,999

-43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ARS 2,054

$2.03 ARS 3,117

-33.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 ARS 5,337

$3.41 ARS 5,251

1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 ARS 7,738

$3.60 ARS 5,531

39.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 ARS 1,561

$1.23 ARS 1,888

-17.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ARS 2,399

$2.22 ARS 3,419

-29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ARS 1,575

$2.84 ARS 4,374

-64.08%

Eggs

$1.54 ARS 2,375

$3.25 ARS 5,007

-52.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.17 ARS 12.6K

$12.40 ARS 19.1K

-34.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 ARS 9,287

$7.72 ARS 11.9K

-21.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 ARS 15.9K

$11.60 ARS 17.8K

-11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,073

$3.08 ARS 4,738

-35.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,325

$2.41 ARS 3,708

-37.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ARS 1,344

$1.92 ARS 2,955

-54.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ARS 3,854

$2.60 ARS 4,005

-3.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ARS 895

$0.74 ARS 1,138

-21.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ARS 1,047

$0.78 ARS 1,197

-12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ARS 1,631

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ARS 1,644

$0.69 ARS 1,059

55.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ARS 4,875

$3.55 ARS 5,468

-10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 ARS 7,440

$4.16 ARS 6,400

16.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ARS 1,940

$2.28 ARS 3,505

-44.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ARS 3,280

$5.23 ARS 8,042

-59.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ARS 1,640

$1.31 ARS 2,010

-18.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 ARS 1,505

$1.42 ARS 2,180

-30.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,509

$0.80 ARS 1,235

22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 ARS 9,631

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ARS 1,770

$1.38 ARS 2,124

-16.67%

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

$19.8K ARS 30.5M

$31.2K ARS 48.0M

-36.50%

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

$29.7K ARS 45.7M

$45.7K ARS 70.3M

-34.97%

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

$59.6 ARS 91.7K

$107 ARS 165.3K

-44.56%

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

$19.80 ARS 30.5K

$10.60 ARS 16.3K

86.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.28 ARS 32.7K

$23.56 ARS 36.2K

-9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 ARS 52.2K

$31.49 ARS 48.4K

7.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.38 ARS 29.8K

$32.32 ARS 49.7K

-40.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 ARS 7,550

$9.82 ARS 15.1K

-50.00%

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

$260 ARS 400.2K

$254 ARS 390.4K

2.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,522 ARS 7.0M

$5,832 ARS 9.0M

-22.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 ARS 133.6K

$91.2 ARS 140.3K

-4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 ARS 93.7K

$69.9 ARS 107.6K

-12.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ARS 176.2K

$109 ARS 168.4K

4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 ARS 218.3K

$55.3 ARS 85.1K

156.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 776.9K

$489 ARS 752.5K

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ARS 561.9K

$251 ARS 385.6K

45.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 ARS 1.4M

$823 ARS 1.3M

13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 ARS 915.2K

$857 ARS 1.3M

-30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,271 ARS 2.0M

$1,039 ARS 1.6M

22.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$854 ARS 1.3M

$1,056 ARS 1.6M

-19.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

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

Last update for Santa Fe: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Fe

$365 33.9%

Mar del Plata

$251 22.1% 31.4% $115

Groceries & Markets

Santa Fe

$197 18.3%

Mar del Plata

$262 * 23.1% 33% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Fe

$182 16.9%

Mar del Plata

$147 12.9% 19.4% $35

Eating Out

Santa Fe

$178 16.5%

Mar del Plata

$274 24.1% 54.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Fe

$101 9.4%

Mar del Plata

$142 12.5% 40.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Fe

$44 4.1%

Mar del Plata

$51 4.5% 16.9% $7.4

Getting Around

Santa Fe

$10 * 0.9%

Mar del Plata

$11 * 0.9% 5% $0.5

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 $505 in Santa Fe and $489 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Santa Fe vs $78 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $262 per month, with Santa Fe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Santa Fe

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

Same time as Santa Fe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

391,164

593,337

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Fe Mar del Plata 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Fe
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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Santa Fe. 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: $505 in Santa Fe versus $489 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Mar del Plata. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,077 per month in Santa Fe versus $1,137 in Mar del Plata – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Santa Fe 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, Santa Fe 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.

It comes down to priorities – Santa Fe 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.