Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Argentina and Uruguay

For one person, living is cheaper in Argentina: $1,341 a month against $1,637 in Uruguay, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,341
/mo nomad
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,637
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Argentina and in Uruguay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Argentina versus $1,637 in Uruguay.

  • Argentina $1,341
  • Uruguay $1,637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,176 in Argentina versus $2,486 in Uruguay.

  • Argentina $2,176
  • Uruguay $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Argentina versus $3,335 in Uruguay.

  • Argentina $3,011
  • Uruguay $3,335

Internal cost variation is higher in Uruguay: monthly costs span $47.00 to $1,997, compared to $894–$1,657 in Argentina. City choice carries more weight in Uruguay.

Living in Argentina costs about 18% less than in Uruguay on average.

Argentina (1% below) and Uruguay (21% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.53 ARS 22.0K
$17.11 UYU 687
-15.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.3 ARS 82.4K
$54.1 UYU 2,169
0.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.12 ARS 19.9K
$12.35 UYU 496
6.23%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ARS 5,421
$4.29 UYU 172
-16.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 ARS 3,179
$2.31 UYU 92.6
-9.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 ARS 2,487
$1.83 UYU 73.5
-10.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.61 ARS 5,476
$3.76 UYU 151
-3.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 ARS 5,984
$3.80 UYU 153
3.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,160
$1.21 UYU 48.76
17.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 ARS 3,512
$2.56 UYU 103
-9.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 ARS 2,688
$1.66 UYU 66.8
6.63%
Eggs
$2.68 ARS 4,062
$4.21 UYU 169
-36.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.20 ARS 15.5K
$12.98 UYU 521
-21.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.59 ARS 13.0K
$10.58 UYU 424
-18.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 ARS 18.1K
$11.39 UYU 457
4.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.54 ARS 3,849
$2.76 UYU 111
-7.97%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 ARS 3,172
$2.56 UYU 103
-18.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 ARS 2,209
$1.55 UYU 62.2
-5.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.46 ARS 3,732
$3.07 UYU 123
-19.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 ARS 1,713
$1.82 UYU 73.1
-37.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 ARS 1,606
$2.13 UYU 85.6
-50.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 ARS 2,296
$1.32 UYU 52.8
14.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 ARS 2,497
$1.81 UYU 72.7
-8.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.90 ARS 5,922
$5.45 UYU 219
-28.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.97 ARS 7,539
$7.36 UYU 295
-32.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 ARS 2,836
$2.16 UYU 86.6
-13.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 ARS 4,453
$2.79 UYU 112
5.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.03 ARS 1,556
$1.38 UYU 55.4
-25.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.71 ARS 43.6K
$76.0 UYU 3,051
-62.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.56 ARS 2,373
$1.82 UYU 73.2
-14.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 ARS 1,478
$1.67 UYU 67.1
-41.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 ARS 11.8K
$10.49 UYU 421
-26.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 ARS 1,926
$2.12 UYU 85.0
-40.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K ARS 37.5M
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
-7.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K ARS 48.5M
$37.2K UYU 1.5M
-14.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$133 ARS 202.5K
$150 UYU 6,028
-11.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.14 ARS 26.0K
$20.75 UYU 833
-17.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.94 ARS 39.4K
$40.71 UYU 1,634
-36.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.07 ARS 53.2K
$46.61 UYU 1,871
-24.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 ARS 28.4K
$19.19 UYU 770
-2.66%
Cinema Ticket
$10.16 ARS 15.4K
$11.11 UYU 446
-8.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$331 ARS 502.9K
$575 UYU 23.1K
-42.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,282 ARS 9.5M
$9,169 UYU 368.0K
-31.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 ARS 168.2K
$85.5 UYU 3,431
29.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$85.2 ARS 129.3K
$49.89 UYU 2,003
70.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 ARS 184.4K
$120 UYU 4,820
1.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 ARS 182.2K
$110 UYU 4,432
8.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$553 ARS 839.1K
$663 UYU 26.6K
-16.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$370 ARS 560.7K
$526 UYU 21.1K
-29.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,077 ARS 1.6M
$1,079 UYU 43.3K
-0.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$807 ARS 1.2M
$871 UYU 34.9K
-7.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,231 ARS 3.4M
$3,313 UYU 133.0K
-32.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,418 ARS 2.2M
$1,807 UYU 72.5K
-21.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Argentina
Uruguay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$792 ARS 1.2M
$1,067 UYU 42.8K
-25.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
58.21
5.81
901.89%

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

Last update for Argentina: October 17, 2026

Last update for Uruguay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Argentina
$370
Uruguay
$526 42.3% $156
Groceries & Markets
Argentina
$264
Uruguay
$306 15.7% $41
Eating Out
Argentina
$239
Uruguay
$268 12.1% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Argentina
$197
Uruguay
$165 16.4% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Argentina
$177
Uruguay
$212 19.9% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Argentina
$55
Uruguay
$69 24.2% $13
Getting Around
Argentina
$39
Uruguay
$92 134% $52

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $514 in Argentina, $337 in Uruguay. Capital cities: $750 in Buenos Aires vs $713 in Montevideo.

National salary averages: $796 in Argentina, $864 in Uruguay. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 53% higher in Argentina.

Dining out costs 15% more in Argentina.

Public transport is 225% more expensive in Uruguay.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇺🇾 Uruguay
🕒 Local time
20:13 8:13 PM
20:13 8:13 PM
Same time as Argentina
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,327,407
3,444,263
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Argentina Uruguay 210 km
From you
  • Argentina
  • Uruguay

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
Argentina vs Uruguay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Argentina and Uruguay?
At $1,341 per month in Argentina and $1,637 in Uruguay, there's a 22% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Argentina is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Argentina or in Uruguay?
In Argentina, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Uruguay it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Argentina or to Uruguay?
It depends on what you're after: Argentina wins on affordability; Uruguay may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Argentina vs other spots: cost of living compared

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