Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Mar del Plata Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Mar del Plata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $838 in Mar del Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,425 in Mar del Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,011 in Mar del Plata.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 72% more expensive than Mar del Plata, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Mar del Plata is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$9.87 ARS 13.8K

-63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$36.84 ARS 51.4K

-11.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$8.28 ARS 11.5K

-38.77%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.42 ARS 3,371

16.94%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$2.20 ARS 3,069

-39.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$2.05 ARS 2,865

-66.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$3.20 ARS 4,462

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.31 ARS 4,622

16.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.11 ARS 1,545

56.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.42 ARS 1,982

78.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$2.08 ARS 2,909

-42.79%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.49 ARS 2,085

63.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$6.73 ARS 9,388

117.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$5.33 ARS 7,438

-21.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$7.45 ARS 10.4K

60.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.72 ARS 3,794

35.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$2.12 ARS 2,959

-24.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.51 ARS 2,102

78.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$2.52 ARS 3,519

-7.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.29 ARS 1,793

48.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.00 ARS 1,389

119.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.63 ARS 873

68.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$1.20 ARS 1,681

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$3.54 ARS 4,941

-11.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$4.94 ARS 6,896

375.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.34 ARS 1,874

104.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.95 ARS 2,722

47.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.76 ARS 1,060

-61.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$9.90 ARS 13.8K

-17.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.53 ARS 2,139

-70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.77 ARS 1,069

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$7.91 ARS 11.0K

-22.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.13 ARS 1,580

-25.66%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$27.9K ARS 38.9M

-5.83%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$40.2K ARS 56.0M

-19.14%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$83.7 ARS 116.8K

-6.30%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$10.36 ARS 14.5K

-61.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$25.20 ARS 35.2K

-3.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$17.02 ARS 23.8K

467.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$7.93 ARS 11.1K

-19.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$3.89 ARS 5,431

3.86%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$159 ARS 221.8K

90.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$3,227 ARS 4.5M

102.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$55.5 ARS 77.4K

-2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$61.7 ARS 86.1K

-38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$63.9 ARS 89.1K

35.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$63.6 ARS 88.7K

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$281 ARS 391.5K

260.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$206 ARS 287.4K

227.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$734 ARS 1.0M

361.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$575 ARS 802.1K

264.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$2,203 ARS 3.1M

35.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$604 ARS 842.6K

-71.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

58.5

-77.30%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $281 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 249% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $37.00 in Mar del Plata. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $197, with Mar del Plata cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ubud, Bali vs Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Ubud, Bali. 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 249% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $281 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $838 in Mar del Plata – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mar del Plata runs roughly 21% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $838 in Mar del Plata versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Mar del Plata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mar del Plata delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $838 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mar del Plata hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali 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 72% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.