Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,232 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Calgary $2,232
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Calgary $3,363
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Calgary $4,493
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Calgary is roughly 23% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 67% above, Montevideo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.49

$15.26 UYU 613

12.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$67.4 UYU 2,707

5.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.02

$14.37 UYU 577

-26.51%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.37

$4.64 UYU 186

-18.75%

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

$1.91 CA$2.72

$2.73 UYU 110

-30.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.62

$2.09 UYU 83.9

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.92

$4.75 UYU 191

2.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.90

$3.67 UYU 147

51.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.67

$1.38 UYU 55.4

36.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.88

$2.77 UYU 111

-1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.60

$1.69 UYU 67.7

215.98%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.36

$4.52 UYU 182

-16.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.06

$14.17 UYU 569

-20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.30

$12.07 UYU 485

-5.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$25.97

$12.16 UYU 488

50.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.60

$2.87 UYU 115

61.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$2.75 UYU 110

-47.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.01

$1.73 UYU 69.4

143.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.49

$3.24 UYU 130

19.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.73

$2.07 UYU 83.0

26.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.78

$2.07 UYU 83.0

28.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.68

$1.38 UYU 55.4

87.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.18

$1.85 UYU 74.4

-17.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.28

$5.57 UYU 224

156.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.71

$8.89 UYU 357

71.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.43

$2.29 UYU 92.1

5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.40

$2.70 UYU 108

14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$1.52 UYU 61.2

89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$73.7 UYU 2,958

20.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.60

$1.82 UYU 73.3

77.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$0.40 UYU 16.02

245.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.67

$10.66 UYU 428

148.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$2.22 UYU 89.0

-46.85%

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

$28.3K CA$40.2K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

5.71%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-43.59%

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

$159 CA$227

$191 UYU 7,662

-16.55%

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

$37.61 CA$53.5

$20.40 UYU 819

84.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.7

$44.14 UYU 1,772

12.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.7

$54.1 UYU 2,174

-1.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.04

$19.68 UYU 790

-6.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.02

$12.33 UYU 495

14.19%

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

$809 CA$1,151

$613 UYU 24.6K

32.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.5K

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

43.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.6

$103 UYU 4,128

-42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.2

$56.1 UYU 2,251

-30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$124 UYU 4,993

-26.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$130 UYU 5,207

-15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,760

$705 UYU 28.3K

75.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,417

$575 UYU 23.1K

73.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,714

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

67.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,377

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

64.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,022

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

5.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,745

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

71.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,452

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

154.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.74

-21.43%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 42.2% $421

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 14.2% $55

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 2.3% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 3.6% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 38.5% $52

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 24.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 3.2% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 155% 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 Calgary vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $332 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

00:31 12:31 AM

3 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Calgary Montevideo 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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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

Calgary vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 155% higher in Calgary, 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: $1,237 in Calgary versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montevideo – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $71.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,232 per month in Calgary versus $1,813 in Montevideo – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,232 in Calgary, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Calgary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Calgary 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 23% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.