Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ann Arbor, MI and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Ann Arbor, MI
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Ann Arbor, MI Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

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Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Ann Arbor, MI $2,756
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,150 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Ann Arbor, MI $4,150
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,545 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Ann Arbor, MI $5,545
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Ann Arbor, MI is roughly 52% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ann Arbor, MI 106% above, Montevideo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$15.26 UYU 613

19.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 $58.8

$67.4 UYU 2,711

-12.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$14.37 UYU 578

-17.61%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$4.64 UYU 187

11.64%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$2.73 UYU 110

5.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.09 UYU 84.0

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 $6.53

$4.75 UYU 191

37.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$3.67 UYU 147

114.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.38 UYU 55.5

-29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.77 UYU 112

40.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.69 UYU 67.8

182.84%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$4.52 UYU 182

-18.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.79 $19.79

$14.17 UYU 570

39.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$12.07 UYU 485

10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.16 UYU 489

22.12%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$2.87 UYU 116

134.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.75 UYU 110

-29.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.73 UYU 69.5

119.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.24 UYU 130

38.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.07 UYU 83.1

14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.07 UYU 83.1

37.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.38 UYU 55.4

74.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.85 UYU 74.5

9.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$5.57 UYU 224

78.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$8.89 UYU 357

66.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.70 UYU 109

35.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.52 UYU 61.3

11.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 $45.56

$73.7 UYU 2,962

-38.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.82 UYU 73.4

67.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.40 UYU 16.05

285.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.38 $26.38

$10.66 UYU 429

147.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-51.80%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

37.41%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-30.90%

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

$201 $201

$191 UYU 7,674

5.47%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$20.40 UYU 820

187.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$44.14 UYU 1,775

65.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 $63.3

$54.1 UYU 2,177

16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 $19.46

$19.68 UYU 791

-1.12%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 $13.21

$12.33 UYU 496

7.14%

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

$2,030 $2,030

$613 UYU 24.7K

231.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K $20.2K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

83.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$103 UYU 4,134

-45.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 $44.26

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-21.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$124 UYU 5,000

-7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$130 UYU 5,214

-19.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 $2,062

$705 UYU 28.4K

192.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 $1,382

$575 UYU 23.1K

140.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,822 $3,822

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

235.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,745 $2,745

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

170.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,514 $5,514

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

64.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,539 $2,539

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

30.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,686 $4,686

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

281.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

5.74

14.98%

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

Last update for Ann Arbor, MI: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ann Arbor, MI

$1.4K 50.2%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 58.4% $807

Groceries & Markets

Ann Arbor, MI

$431 15.6%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 22.9% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ann Arbor, MI

$333 12.1%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 23.3% $78

Eating Out

Ann Arbor, MI

$312 11.3%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 13% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Ann Arbor, MI

$144 5.2%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 29.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Ann Arbor, MI

$90 3.3%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 12.2% $11

Getting Around

Ann Arbor, MI

$63 2.3%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 32.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,062 in Ann Arbor, MI and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ann Arbor, MI pays 281% 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: $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI vs $67.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $431 vs $332, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

1 h ahead of Ann Arbor, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,851

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 = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ann Arbor, MI Montevideo 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ann Arbor, MI
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

Ann Arbor, MI vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ann Arbor, MI and Montevideo differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,756 vs $1,813 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 281% higher in Ann Arbor, MI, 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: $2,062 in Ann Arbor, MI 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 $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,756 per month in Ann Arbor, MI 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 $2,756 in Ann Arbor, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Ann Arbor, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Ann Arbor, MI 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 Ann Arbor, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.