Cost of Living Comparison Between Argentina and Uruguay Cost of Living Comparison Between Argentina and Uruguay

Name: Uruguay
Address: UY

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,172 in Argentina versus $1,154 in Uruguay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,948 in Argentina versus $1,755 in Uruguay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,724 in Argentina versus $2,355 in Uruguay.

Living in Argentina is roughly 2% more expensive than in Uruguay on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Argentina 15% lower, Uruguay 16% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Uruguay: monthly costs span $47.00 to $1,956, compared to $868–$1,636 in Argentina. City choice carries more weight in Uruguay.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.68 ARS 22.2K

$16.22 UYU 652

-9.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 ARS 84.5K

$53.2 UYU 2,139

5.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 ARS 19.9K

$12.34 UYU 496

6.48%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ARS 5,440

$4.28 UYU 172

-15.89%

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

$2.15 ARS 3,249

$2.38 UYU 95.6

-9.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ARS 2,464

$1.80 UYU 72.2

-9.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 ARS 5,251

$4.03 UYU 162

-13.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 ARS 6,014

$3.64 UYU 146

9.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ARS 2,075

$1.18 UYU 47.39

16.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 ARS 3,569

$2.51 UYU 101

-5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ARS 2,712

$1.68 UYU 67.5

6.55%

Eggs

$2.59 ARS 3,915

$4.34 UYU 175

-40.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 ARS 14.9K

$13.27 UYU 534

-25.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 ARS 12.4K

$10.52 UYU 423

-21.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 ARS 18.2K

$11.42 UYU 459

5.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ARS 3,838

$2.64 UYU 106

-3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ARS 3,271

$2.48 UYU 99.7

-12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 2,160

$1.61 UYU 64.6

-11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 ARS 3,687

$3.20 UYU 129

-23.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 ARS 1,713

$1.89 UYU 76.0

-40.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ARS 1,645

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-47.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 ARS 2,294

$1.32 UYU 53.2

15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ARS 2,431

$1.78 UYU 71.6

-9.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 ARS 6,063

$5.38 UYU 216

-25.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 ARS 7,497

$7.55 UYU 304

-34.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ARS 2,879

$2.19 UYU 88.0

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ARS 4,336

$2.69 UYU 108

6.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ARS 1,538

$1.37 UYU 55.2

-25.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.16 ARS 42.6K

$73.7 UYU 2,966

-61.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,447

$1.90 UYU 76.4

-14.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,553

$1.71 UYU 68.9

-39.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ARS 11.6K

$10.66 UYU 429

-28.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ARS 1,829

$2.03 UYU 81.8

-40.39%

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

$27.3K ARS 41.2M

$27.2K UYU 1.1M

0.26%

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

$33.4K ARS 50.5M

$37.5K UYU 1.5M

-10.97%

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

$136 ARS 205.2K

$152 UYU 6,099

-10.47%

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

$17.43 ARS 26.3K

$19.76 UYU 795

-11.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.38 ARS 39.9K

$39.60 UYU 1,593

-33.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.69 ARS 50.9K

$46.15 UYU 1,856

-27.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 ARS 28.8K

$19.44 UYU 782

-1.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 ARS 14.8K

$11.13 UYU 448

-11.86%

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

$336 ARS 508.4K

$582 UYU 23.4K

-42.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,330 ARS 9.6M

$9,004 UYU 362.2K

-29.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ARS 156.5K

$85.6 UYU 3,444

20.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.5 ARS 121.6K

$51.1 UYU 2,053

57.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 186.7K

$121 UYU 4,855

2.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ARS 180.3K

$111 UYU 4,471

7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 776.7K

$664 UYU 26.7K

-22.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ARS 554.4K

$528 UYU 21.2K

-30.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 ARS 1.6M

$1,072 UYU 43.1K

-1.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 ARS 1.2M

$850 UYU 34.2K

-5.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,231 ARS 3.4M

$3,370 UYU 135.5K

-33.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,443 ARS 2.2M

$1,879 UYU 75.6K

-23.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$762 ARS 1.2M

$1,058 UYU 42.5K

-27.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

59.9

5.75

941.74%

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

Last update for Argentina: September 5, 2026

Last update for Uruguay: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $478 in Argentina, $338 in Uruguay. Capital cities: $714 in Buenos Aires vs $762 in Montevideo.

National salary averages: $763 in Argentina, $865 in Uruguay. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 41% higher in Argentina.

Dining out costs 21% more in Argentina.

Public transport is 225% more expensive in Uruguay.

Salaries are 13% higher in Uruguay.

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

At $1,252 per month in Argentina and $1,002 in Uruguay, there's a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Uruguay: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Argentina is consistently higher than in Uruguay across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Uruguay, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Argentina it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Uruguay wins on affordability; Argentina may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.