Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Montevideo Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Montevideo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,632 in Buenos Aires versus $1,806 in Montevideo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,712 in Buenos Aires versus $2,668 in Montevideo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,793 in Buenos Aires versus $3,530 in Montevideo.

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 10% less than in Montevideo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 19% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 ARS 29.2K

$15.05 UYU 605

28.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 ARS 106.9K

$63.1 UYU 2,540

12.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 ARS 19.3K

$13.11 UYU 527

-2.29%

Cappuccino

$4.00 ARS 6,027

$4.56 UYU 183

-12.28%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,106

$2.69 UYU 108

-23.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ARS 2,493

$1.96 UYU 78.7

-15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ARS 5,531

$4.63 UYU 186

-20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ARS 6,686

$3.65 UYU 147

21.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ARS 2,164

$1.34 UYU 54.0

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 ARS 3,778

$2.87 UYU 115

-12.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,277

$1.75 UYU 70.6

-13.71%

Eggs

$2.71 ARS 4,091

$4.79 UYU 193

-43.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

$14.40 UYU 579

-29.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ARS 15.1K

$11.94 UYU 480

-16.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 ARS 20.9K

$11.57 UYU 465

19.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ARS 4,133

$2.83 UYU 114

-3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,032

$2.78 UYU 112

-27.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ARS 2,055

$1.76 UYU 71.0

-22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 ARS 3,188

$3.00 UYU 121

-29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ARS 1,727

$2.14 UYU 86.1

-46.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ARS 1,745

$2.17 UYU 87.4

-46.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 ARS 2,637

$1.46 UYU 58.6

19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ARS 2,620

$1.98 UYU 79.6

-12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ARS 6,573

$5.55 UYU 223

-21.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 ARS 8,556

$8.31 UYU 334

-31.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ARS 3,160

$2.24 UYU 90.2

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ARS 4,045

$2.89 UYU 116

-7.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,124

$1.55 UYU 62.3

-51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.38 ARS 41.3K

$75.6 UYU 3,042

-63.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ARS 2,352

$1.81 UYU 72.7

-13.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,483

$0.41 UYU 16.34

139.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 ARS 11.4K

$10.35 UYU 417

-26.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,035

$2.09 UYU 84.2

-35.41%

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

$28.8K ARS 43.5M

$27.2K UYU 1.1M

6.14%

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

$33.2K ARS 50.0M

$37.6K UYU 1.5M

-11.88%

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

$208 ARS 313.5K

$188 UYU 7,548

10.80%

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

$24.04 ARS 36.3K

$16.86 UYU 678

42.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 ARS 46.3K

$45.26 UYU 1,821

-32.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 76.7K

$48.88 UYU 1,967

4.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.96 ARS 25.6K

$18.99 UYU 764

-10.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.94 ARS 16.5K

$12.33 UYU 496

-11.27%

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

$461 ARS 695.0K

$640 UYU 25.8K

-28.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,744 ARS 13.2M

$10.8K UYU 433.7K

-18.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 ARS 171.3K

$94.5 UYU 3,804

20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.6 ARS 141.2K

$56.7 UYU 2,281

65.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ARS 177.4K

$123 UYU 4,952

-4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 ARS 205.6K

$132 UYU 5,296

3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ARS 1.1M

$760 UYU 30.6K

-3.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 774.8K

$602 UYU 24.2K

-14.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 ARS 2.5M

$1,193 UYU 48.0K

40.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 ARS 2.0M

$980 UYU 39.4K

32.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,679 ARS 4.0M

$3,484 UYU 140.2K

-23.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,895 ARS 2.9M

$1,865 UYU 75.0K

1.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$901 ARS 1.4M

$1,211 UYU 48.7K

-25.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

5.49

930.24%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: August 30, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Buenos Aires and $760 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 34% 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: $71.0 in Buenos Aires vs $63.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $333, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

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

Buenos Aires vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Montevideo differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,632 vs $1,806 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $735 in Buenos Aires versus $760 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $461 in Buenos Aires versus $640 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,632 in Buenos Aires versus $1,806 in Montevideo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.