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: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 7% less than in Montevideo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Montevideo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.5K

$15.26 UYU 612

22.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 98.0K

$67.4 UYU 2,704

-4.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.6K

$14.37 UYU 576

-10.37%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,044

$4.64 UYU 186

-14.22%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,111

$2.73 UYU 110

-24.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,355

$2.09 UYU 83.7

-25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,844

$4.75 UYU 190

-19.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,988

$3.67 UYU 147

25.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,186

$1.38 UYU 55.3

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,747

$2.77 UYU 111

-11.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,473

$1.69 UYU 67.6

-3.55%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,396

$4.52 UYU 181

-36.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.2K

$14.17 UYU 568

-24.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$12.07 UYU 484

-17.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.9K

$12.16 UYU 487

12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,176

$2.87 UYU 115

-4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,308

$2.75 UYU 110

-20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,211

$1.73 UYU 69.3

-16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,021

$3.24 UYU 130

-38.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,890

$2.07 UYU 82.9

-40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,925

$2.07 UYU 82.9

-38.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,582

$1.38 UYU 55.3

23.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,623

$1.85 UYU 74.3

-6.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,353

$5.57 UYU 224

-24.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,812

$8.89 UYU 356

-34.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,171

$2.29 UYU 91.9

-8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,209

$2.70 UYU 108

2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,134

$1.52 UYU 61.1

-50.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.3K

$73.7 UYU 2,953

-63.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,457

$1.82 UYU 73.1

-10.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,485

$0.40 UYU 16.00

145.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$10.66 UYU 428

-27.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,063

$2.22 UYU 88.9

-38.74%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.6M

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

4.73%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.5M

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-6.02%

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

$216 ARS 327.7K

$191 UYU 7,651

12.96%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.9K

$20.40 UYU 818

25.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.7K

$44.14 UYU 1,770

-28.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.7K

$54.1 UYU 2,171

-7.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$19.68 UYU 789

-13.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.9K

$12.33 UYU 494

-15.41%

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

$466 ARS 708.5K

$613 UYU 24.6K

-23.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.8M

$11.0K UYU 443.0K

-18.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.6K

$103 UYU 4,122

18.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 148.1K

$56.1 UYU 2,248

73.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.8K

$124 UYU 4,985

-5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 212.4K

$130 UYU 5,199

7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$705 UYU 28.3K

8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 767.9K

$575 UYU 23.1K

-12.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,139 UYU 45.6K

40.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,016 UYU 40.7K

16.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$3,349 UYU 134.3K

-20.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,942 UYU 77.9K

-4.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.5M

$1,229 UYU 49.3K

-22.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

5.74

897.39%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 29% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $332 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,813 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $613 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,813 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 8% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.