Budva vs Mar del Plata
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Mar del Plata edges it, 67 to 64, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Budva is stronger on nothing outright; Mar del Plata on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Montenegro's beach resort town on the Adriatic
Full Budva profile →Where to stay in Budva →Argentina's big seaside city, packed in January and quiet in winter
Full Mar del Plata profile →Where to stay in Mar del Plata →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Budva | Mar del Plata |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 52 | 55 ✓ |
| Safety | 70 ✓ | 61 |
| Healthcare | 67 | 73 ✓ |
| Internet | 68 | 69 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 71 | 71 |
| Getting there & around | 51 | 58 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 86 | 91 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 72 | 79 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Budva | Mar del Plata |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,230 | $1,150 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Budva | Mar del Plata |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.51 ✓ | 3.94 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 73.5 ✓ | 68.4 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 70 | 80 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 74.7 yrs ✓ | 74.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Budva | Mar del Plata |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 42.5 Mbps ✓ | 38.7 Mbps |
| Upload | 6 Mbps | 11.4 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Budva | Mar del Plata |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad temporary residence permit | Digital nomad transitory residence |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Budva | Mar del Plata |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 39 | 44 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Budva | Mar del Plata |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.1 µg/m³ | 9.2 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Budva or Mar del Plata?
- Mar del Plata is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,230 for one person.
- Is Budva or Mar del Plata safer?
- Budva scores higher on safety (70 vs 61), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Budva or Mar del Plata?
- Budva: a measured median of 42.5 Mbps versus 38.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); OpenFlights airports and routes; Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.