Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, MN and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,462 in Austin, MN, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, MN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Austin, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,462
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,462 per month in Austin, MN vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Austin, MN $2,462
  • Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $3,691 per month in Austin, MN vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Austin, MN $3,691
  • Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $4,921 per month in Austin, MN vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Austin, MN $4,921
  • Montevideo $3,708

Austin, MN costs about 39% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Austin, MN and Montevideo sit above the global median – Austin, MN by 82%, Montevideo by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.05 $20.05
$15.16 UYU 609
32.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.6 $99.6
$69.2 UYU 2,776
44.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.22 $12.22
$14.65 UYU 588
-16.59%
Cappuccino
$5.04 $5.04
$4.46 UYU 179
13.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 $2.95
$2.67 UYU 107
10.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.00 UYU 80.4
-0.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.11 $5.11
$4.83 UYU 194
5.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.80 $5.80
$3.80 UYU 152
52.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.36 UYU 54.8
-38.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.88 $2.88
$2.87 UYU 115
0.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.75 UYU 70.2
9.14%
Eggs
$2.66 $2.66
$4.68 UYU 188
-43.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.65 $9.65
$13.88 UYU 557
-30.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.48 $6.48
$11.98 UYU 481
-45.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.15 $19.15
$11.97 UYU 480
59.98%
Apples (1kg)
$5.19 $5.19
$2.78 UYU 111
86.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$2.74 UYU 110
-54.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.59 $3.59
$1.77 UYU 71.2
102.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 $1.74
$3.24 UYU 130
-46.30%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 $2.55
$1.97 UYU 79.2
29.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$2.07 UYU 83.1
7.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.37 UYU 55.1
10.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.88 UYU 75.3
5.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.71 $8.71
$5.59 UYU 224
55.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.03 $3.03
$8.78 UYU 352
-65.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$2.26 UYU 90.9
-21.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 $3.02
$2.75 UYU 110
9.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.53 UYU 61.5
28.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$74.3 UYU 2,980
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.91 UYU 76.7
5.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.27 $1.27
$0.40 UYU 16.18
217.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.06 $20.06
$10.33 UYU 415
94.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$2.13 UYU 85.6
-55.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K $35.4K
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
30.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
-32.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 $187
$188 UYU 7,557
-0.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.3 $52.3
$20.54 UYU 824
154.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.3 $79.3
$44.81 UYU 1,798
76.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.93 $35.93
$54.0 UYU 2,166
-33.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.75 UYU 793
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.30 $15.30
$11.95 UYU 480
28.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,361 $1,361
$634 UYU 25.5K
114.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K $11.6K
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
5.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.5 $77.5
$102 UYU 4,099
-24.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.0 $54.0
$57.5 UYU 2,309
-6.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 $102
$127 UYU 5,079
-19.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$165 $165
$128 UYU 5,131
28.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,433 $1,433
$719 UYU 28.8K
99.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$568 UYU 22.8K
124.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,528 $2,528
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
120.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,157 $2,157
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
110.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,481 $2,481
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
-26.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,593 $2,593
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
33.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, MN
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
5.74
14.46%

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

Last update for Austin, MN: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, MN
$1.3K
Montevideo
$568 55.4% $706
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, MN
$318
Montevideo
$254 20.3% $65
Eating Out
Austin, MN
$314
Montevideo
$269 14.4% $45
Groceries & Markets
Austin, MN
$293
Montevideo
$332 13% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, MN
$179
Montevideo
$186 4.1% $7.3
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, MN
$67
Montevideo
$78 17.1% $11
Getting Around
Austin, MN
$16 *
Montevideo
$84 420% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,433 in Austin, MN 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 $100 in Austin, MN versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Austin, MN vs $332 in Montevideo – so Austin, MN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, MN
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
15:20 3:20 PM
17:20 5:20 PM
2 h ahead of Austin, MN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Austin, MN Montevideo 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, MN
  • 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
Austin, MN vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montevideo cheaper than Austin, MN?
Yes – Austin, MN is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,692 per month in Austin, MN and $2,656 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Austin, MN and in Montevideo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,462 in Austin, MN and $1,771 in Montevideo. That's a gap of about 39%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,361 per month in Austin, MN and $634 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Austin, MN or in Montevideo?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Austin, MN at $2,462. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Austin, MN or Montevideo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Montevideo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Austin, MN or Montevideo?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Austin, MN vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?