Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Belize City: $1,218 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Belize City
🇧🇿 Belize
$1,218
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Belize City versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

  • Belize City $1,218
  • Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,805 in Belize City versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

  • Belize City $1,805
  • Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,391 in Belize City versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

  • Belize City $2,391
  • Montevideo $3,750

Living in Belize City costs roughly 33% less than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belize City is 9% below, Montevideo is 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.34 BZD 12.67
$15.26 UYU 613
-58.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.01 BZD 98.0
$67.4 UYU 2,711
-27.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.56 BZD 19.12
$14.37 UYU 578
-33.47%
Cappuccino
$3.52 BZD 7.04
$4.64 UYU 187
-24.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 BZD 3.33
$2.73 UYU 110
-38.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 BZD 2.80
$2.09 UYU 84.0
-33.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 BZD 5.05
$4.75 UYU 191
-46.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 BZD 5.92
$3.67 UYU 147
-19.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.71 BZD 7.43
$1.38 UYU 55.5
168.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.49 BZD 4.98
$2.77 UYU 112
-10.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.39 BZD 6.79
$1.69 UYU 67.8
100.59%
Eggs
$3.54 BZD 7.08
$4.52 UYU 182
-21.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.61 BZD 13.23
$14.17 UYU 570
-53.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.69 BZD 19.38
$12.07 UYU 485
-19.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 BZD 18.04
$12.16 UYU 489
-25.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.79 BZD 5.58
$2.87 UYU 116
-2.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 BZD 3.66
$2.75 UYU 110
-33.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 BZD 5.57
$1.73 UYU 69.5
61.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.95 BZD 5.90
$3.24 UYU 130
-8.95%
Potato (1kg)
$4.14 BZD 8.28
$2.07 UYU 83.1
100.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.82 BZD 5.65
$2.07 UYU 83.1
36.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.32 BZD 4.64
$1.38 UYU 55.4
68.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 BZD 3.05
$1.85 UYU 74.5
-17.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.56 BZD 9.11
$5.57 UYU 224
-18.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.72 BZD 19.44
$8.89 UYU 357
9.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 BZD 4.81
$2.29 UYU 92.2
4.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 BZD 4.25
$2.70 UYU 109
-21.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.04 BZD 8.07
$1.52 UYU 61.3
165.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.7 UYU 2,962
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.06 BZD 10.12
$1.82 UYU 73.4
178.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.40 UYU 16.05
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$10.66 UYU 429
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.50 BZD 4.99
$2.22 UYU 89.2
12.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$10.5K BZD 21.0K
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
-60.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$367 BZD 734
$191 UYU 7,674
92.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.86 BZD 99.7
$20.40 UYU 820
144.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.07 BZD 54.2
$44.14 UYU 1,775
-38.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.19 BZD 50.4
$54.1 UYU 2,177
-53.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$2.42 BZD 4.83
$19.68 UYU 791
-87.70%
Cinema Ticket
$4.88 BZD 9.76
$12.33 UYU 496
-60.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$65.3 BZD 131
$613 UYU 24.7K
-89.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$666 BZD 1,332
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
-93.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.73 BZD 65.5
$103 UYU 4,134
-68.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.42 BZD 48.84
$56.1 UYU 2,255
-56.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.85 BZD 73.7
$124 UYU 5,000
-70.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$37.54 BZD 75.1
$130 UYU 5,214
-71.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$349 BZD 697
$705 UYU 28.4K
-50.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$191 BZD 382
$575 UYU 23.1K
-66.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$575 BZD 1,150
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
-49.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$326 BZD 653
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
-67.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belize City
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$845 BZD 1,691
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
-31.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
5.74
100.35%

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

Last update for Belize City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belize City
$444
Montevideo
$255 42.4% $188
Groceries & Markets
Belize City
$317
Montevideo
$332 4.8% $15
Accommodation & Living
Belize City
$191
Montevideo
$575 202% $385
Eating Out
Belize City
$152
Montevideo
$271 77.9% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Belize City
$59
Montevideo
$186 214% $127
Sport & Entertainment
Belize City
$35
Montevideo
$79 126% $44
Getting Around
Belize City
$21 *
Montevideo
$84 294% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Belize City and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 45% 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: $49.00 in Belize City vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $332 per month, with Belize City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇿 Belize City
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
02:34 2:34 AM
05:34 5:34 AM
3 h ahead of Belize City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,999
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BZD (1 BZD = 0.446 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belize City Montevideo 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Belize City
  • 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
Belize City vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Belize City or Montevideo?
Belize City wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Belize City or in Montevideo?
On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Montevideo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Belize City compared to Montevideo?
Rent for a central apartment: $349 in Belize City versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Belize City or in Montevideo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Belize City compared to Montevideo?
All in, you'll spend $1,218 per month in Belize City versus $1,813 in Montevideo – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Belize City or in Montevideo?
At $1,218 in Belize City versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Belize City but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Belize City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Belize City or Montevideo?
Both work as nomad bases, but Belize City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,218 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Belize City hard to pass up.
How safe is Belize City compared to Montevideo?
Safety-wise, Belize City 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Belize City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Belize City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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