Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Austin, TX $2,704
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Austin, TX $4,133
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Austin, TX $5,562
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 49% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Montevideo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$15.26 UYU 613

32.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$67.4 UYU 2,707

26.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$14.37 UYU 577

-14.06%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.64 UYU 186

17.89%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.73 UYU 110

39.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.09 UYU 83.9

19.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.75 UYU 191

69.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.67 UYU 147

144.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.38 UYU 55.4

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.77 UYU 111

36.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.69 UYU 67.7

92.31%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.52 UYU 182

-8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$14.17 UYU 569

-7.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$12.07 UYU 485

18.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$12.16 UYU 488

31.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.87 UYU 115

52.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.75 UYU 110

-47.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.73 UYU 69.4

162.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.24 UYU 130

29.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.07 UYU 83.0

27.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.07 UYU 83.0

14.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.38 UYU 55.4

27.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.85 UYU 74.4

16.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$5.57 UYU 224

76.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.89 UYU 357

65.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.29 UYU 92.1

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.70 UYU 108

28.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.52 UYU 61.2

-1.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$73.7 UYU 2,958

-45.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.82 UYU 73.3

46.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.40 UYU 16.02

295.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$10.66 UYU 428

231.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.22 UYU 89.0

-55.41%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

33.87%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-26.04%

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

$219 $219

$191 UYU 7,662

14.90%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$20.40 UYU 819

184.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$44.14 UYU 1,772

54.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$54.1 UYU 2,174

6.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$19.68 UYU 790

-24.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$12.33 UYU 495

14.60%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$613 UYU 24.6K

146.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

94.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$103 UYU 4,128

-49.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$56.1 UYU 2,251

-21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$124 UYU 4,993

-31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$130 UYU 5,207

-18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$705 UYU 28.3K

173.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$575 UYU 23.1K

121.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

222.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

148.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

127.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

64.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

315.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.74

18.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 54.8% $697

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 17.5% $70

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 22.1% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 26.1% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 44.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 8.5% $7.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 46.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 315% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $332 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

21:28 9:28 PM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

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 = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Montevideo 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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, TX vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montevideo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 315% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,813 in Montevideo – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montevideo runs roughly 82% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montevideo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,813 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montevideo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX 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 49% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.