Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alert and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,200 in Alert, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alert outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Alert
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,200
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alert 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 Alert and in Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,200 per month in Alert vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Alert $2,200
  • Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $3,177 per month in Alert vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Alert $3,177
  • Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $4,153 per month in Alert vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Alert $4,153
  • Montevideo $3,708

Alert costs about 24% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Alert and Montevideo sit above the global median – Alert by 63%, Montevideo by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.71 CA$28.02
$15.16 UYU 609
30.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$100.0
$69.2 UYU 2,779
1.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.35 CA$13.29
$14.65 UYU 589
-36.18%
Cappuccino
$3.76 CA$5.35
$4.46 UYU 179
-15.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 CA$2.57
$2.67 UYU 107
-32.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 CA$2.57
$2.00 UYU 80.5
-9.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.04 CA$7.17
$4.83 UYU 194
4.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.71 CA$8.12
$3.80 UYU 153
50.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 CA$2.58
$1.36 UYU 54.8
33.09%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 CA$3.80
$2.87 UYU 115
-6.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.27 CA$4.64
$1.75 UYU 70.3
86.86%
Eggs
$3.36 CA$4.77
$4.68 UYU 188
-28.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.60 CA$13.65
$13.88 UYU 558
-30.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.93 CA$14.12
$11.98 UYU 481
-17.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.03 CA$21.36
$11.97 UYU 481
25.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.50 CA$4.98
$2.78 UYU 112
25.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.11 CA$1.57
$2.74 UYU 110
-59.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.70 CA$5.26
$1.77 UYU 71.3
109.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 CA$5.23
$3.24 UYU 130
13.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 CA$3.59
$1.97 UYU 79.3
28.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.12 CA$3.01
$2.07 UYU 83.2
2.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.35 CA$3.35
$1.37 UYU 55.2
71.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 CA$2.31
$1.88 UYU 75.4
-13.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.52 CA$17.80
$5.59 UYU 225
123.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.15 CA$20.12
$8.78 UYU 353
61.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 CA$3.24
$2.26 UYU 91.0
0.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 CA$4.38
$2.75 UYU 110
12.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.58 CA$3.66
$1.53 UYU 61.5
68.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.7 CA$90.6
$74.3 UYU 2,984
-14.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.57 CA$3.66
$1.91 UYU 76.8
34.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 CA$1.86
$0.40 UYU 16.20
227.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.92 CA$32.59
$10.33 UYU 415
121.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.67
$2.13 UYU 85.7
-45.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.4K CA$36.1K
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
-6.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K CA$31.0K
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
-39.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$126 CA$179
$188 UYU 7,567
-33.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$43.61 CA$62.0
$20.54 UYU 825
112.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.6 CA$72.0
$44.81 UYU 1,801
12.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.47 CA$51.9
$54.0 UYU 2,169
-32.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.78 CA$26.71
$19.75 UYU 794
-4.91%
Cinema Ticket
$11.71 CA$16.65
$11.95 UYU 480
-2.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$637 CA$905
$634 UYU 25.5K
0.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.2K CA$16.0K
$11.1K UYU 444.1K
1.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.27 CA$68.6
$102 UYU 4,104
-52.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.59 CA$54.9
$57.5 UYU 2,312
-32.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.7 CA$123
$127 UYU 5,086
-31.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.4 CA$129
$128 UYU 5,137
-29.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,097 CA$1,560
$719 UYU 28.9K
52.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,097 CA$1,560
$568 UYU 22.8K
93.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,981 CA$2,816
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
72.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,616 CA$2,298
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
57.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,460 CA$6,341
$3,392 UYU 136.3K
31.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,454 CA$4,911
$1,949 UYU 78.3K
77.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alert
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.66
5.74
-18.82%

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

Last update for Alert: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alert
$1.1K
Montevideo
$568 48.3% $530
Groceries & Markets
Alert
$339
Montevideo
$332 2.1% $7.2
Eating Out
Alert
$282
Montevideo
$269 4.5% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alert
$220
Montevideo
$254 15.2% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Alert
$119
Montevideo
$186 56.8% $68
Getting Around
Alert
$83
Montevideo
$84 1.4% $1.2
Sport & Entertainment
Alert
$60
Montevideo
$78 30% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,097 in Alert versus $719 in Montevideo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Alert versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Alert
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
18:22 6:22 PM
19:22 7:22 PM
1 h ahead of Alert
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
60
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 40.18 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.99 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alert Montevideo 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Alert
  • 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
Alert vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Alert and in Montevideo compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,200 in Alert, $1,771 in Montevideo – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Alert compared to Montevideo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,300 per month in Alert and $2,656 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Alert and Montevideo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 2% more in Alert, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Alert and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Alert at $2,200. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alert it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Alert and Montevideo?
It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,771 in Montevideo to $2,200 in Alert. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Alert or Montevideo safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Alert and Montevideo?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alert makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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