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: $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $1,632 in Montevideo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,197 in Buenos Aires versus $2,480 in Montevideo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,982 in Buenos Aires versus $3,329 in Montevideo.

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 13% less than in Montevideo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 5% above, Montevideo 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 ARS 21.7K

$15.85 UYU 640

-4.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 ARS 87.2K

$54.6 UYU 2,202

11.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 ARS 17.1K

$12.12 UYU 489

-1.90%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ARS 5,760

$4.23 UYU 171

-5.20%

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

$2.09 ARS 2,997

$2.19 UYU 88.3

-4.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,129

$1.69 UYU 68.4

-12.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ARS 5,147

$4.52 UYU 183

-20.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,857

$3.60 UYU 145

13.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,292

$1.27 UYU 51.4

25.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,629

$2.77 UYU 112

-8.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,282

$1.58 UYU 64.0

44.30%

Eggs

$3.32 ARS 4,772

$4.79 UYU 193

-30.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 ARS 17.5K

$13.41 UYU 541

-9.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ARS 11.3K

$10.67 UYU 431

-26.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ARS 13.9K

$11.24 UYU 453

-14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,573

$3.00 UYU 121

-17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 2,958

$2.43 UYU 98.2

-15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,817

$1.54 UYU 62.4

-17.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ARS 3,657

$3.66 UYU 148

-30.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,141

$2.11 UYU 85.0

-29.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,108

$1.89 UYU 76.1

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 ARS 2,646

$1.37 UYU 55.2

34.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,073

$1.71 UYU 69.1

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ARS 4,703

$5.10 UYU 206

-35.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,257

$10.05 UYU 406

-42.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ARS 3,224

$2.36 UYU 95.1

-5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,597

$2.92 UYU 118

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,033

$1.29 UYU 52.2

-44.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 ARS 23.2K

$55.8 UYU 2,253

-71.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ARS 2,363

$1.60 UYU 64.4

3.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,303

$3.63 UYU 147

-74.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,520

$12.43 UYU 502

-52.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,595

$1.81 UYU 73.1

-38.67%

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

$24.6K ARS 35.3M

$34.5K UYU 1.4M

-28.80%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.4M

$36.0K UYU 1.5M

-19.88%

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

$109 ARS 156.7K

$170 UYU 6,880

-36.01%

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

$21.60 ARS 31.0K

$16.51 UYU 666

30.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 ARS 41.7K

$49.77 UYU 2,009

-41.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 ARS 61.5K

$61.8 UYU 2,494

-30.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 ARS 16.9K

$17.67 UYU 713

-33.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

$10.45 UYU 422

-13.78%

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

$324 ARS 465.4K

$482 UYU 19.5K

-32.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

$8,873 UYU 358.1K

-41.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 156.0K

$94.9 UYU 3,830

14.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 ARS 124.6K

$47.22 UYU 1,906

83.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 177.6K

$112 UYU 4,512

10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 190.7K

$123 UYU 4,975

7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ARS 945.6K

$628 UYU 25.3K

4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ARS 642.7K

$492 UYU 19.8K

-9.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ARS 1.7M

$1,112 UYU 44.9K

3.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 ARS 1.2M

$801 UYU 32.3K

1.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,627 ARS 3.8M

$3,582 UYU 144.6K

-26.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

$2,272 UYU 91.7K

-19.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ARS 1.2M

$1,334 UYU 53.9K

-38.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

5.68

827.99%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 1, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Buenos Aires and $628 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 63% 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: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $55.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $321, 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 16% in total monthly costs ($1,412 vs $1,632 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Montevideo earns 63% less. 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: $658 in Buenos Aires versus $628 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Buenos Aires versus $482 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $1,632 in Montevideo, a $2,000 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 16% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.