Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany, NY and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,757 in Albany, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,757

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albany, NY and in Montevideo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Albany, NY and in Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,757 in Albany, NY versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Albany, NY $2,757
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,365 in Albany, NY versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Albany, NY $4,365
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,973 in Albany, NY versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Albany, NY $5,973
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Albany, NY is roughly 52% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany, NY 106% above, Montevideo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.86 $27.86

$15.26 UYU 613

82.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$67.4 UYU 2,711

47.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$14.37 UYU 578

4.80%

Cappuccino

$6.64 $6.64

$4.64 UYU 187

43.10%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.73 UYU 110

-5.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.75 UYU 191

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.44 $10.44

$3.67 UYU 147

184.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.38 UYU 55.5

-22.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.77 UYU 112

14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.85 $6.85

$1.69 UYU 67.8

305.33%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$4.52 UYU 182

18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$14.17 UYU 570

17.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.92 $15.92

$12.07 UYU 485

31.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.36 $18.36

$12.16 UYU 489

50.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.87 UYU 116

63.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.75 UYU 110

-48.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$1.73 UYU 69.5

220.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.24 UYU 130

47.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.07 UYU 83.1

57.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.07 UYU 83.1

71.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.38 UYU 55.4

63.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.85 UYU 74.5

11.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 $15.45

$5.57 UYU 224

177.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 $13.88

$8.89 UYU 357

56.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-13.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.70 UYU 109

42.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.52 UYU 61.3

-0.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 $64.0

$73.7 UYU 2,962

-13.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.82 UYU 73.4

168.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.40 UYU 16.05

242.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 $29.92

$10.66 UYU 429

180.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-50.45%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

34.18%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-29.82%

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

$210 $210

$191 UYU 7,674

9.98%

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

$70.5 $70.5

$20.40 UYU 820

245.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.8 $89.8

$44.14 UYU 1,775

103.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 $37.59

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-30.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.05 $39.05

$19.68 UYU 791

98.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$12.33 UYU 496

19.87%

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

$1,497 $1,497

$613 UYU 24.7K

144.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

52.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$103 UYU 4,134

-47.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 $39.18

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$124 UYU 5,000

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$130 UYU 5,214

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$705 UYU 28.4K

105.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 $1,291

$575 UYU 23.1K

124.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,910 $2,910

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

155.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 $2,575

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

153.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,436 $2,436

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-27.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,443 $2,443

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

25.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 $4,228

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

243.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

5.74

16.03%

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

Last update for Albany, NY: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.8%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 55.4% $716

Groceries & Markets

Albany, NY

$450 16%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 26.1% $117

Eating Out

Albany, NY

$417 14.8%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 34.9% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany, NY

$370 13.1%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 31% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Albany, NY

$141 5%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 32% $45

Getting Around

Albany, NY

$82 2.9%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 2.2% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Albany, NY

$67 2.4%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 17.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,447 in Albany, NY and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany, NY pays 244% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Albany, NY vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $332 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

23:42 11:42 PM

1 h ahead of Albany, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,228

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Albany, NY Montevideo 8,810 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Albany, NY
Montevideo

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

Albany, NY vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Albany, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montevideo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 244% higher in Albany, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,447 in Albany, NY versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montevideo – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $100 in Albany, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,757 per month in Albany, NY versus $1,813 in Montevideo – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,757 in Albany, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Albany, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montevideo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,813 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montevideo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Albany, NY and Montevideo 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 Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Albany, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.