Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Uruguay

For one person, living is cheaper in Uruguay: $1,637 a month against $2,317 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇨🇦 Canada
$2,317
/mo nomad
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,637
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Uruguay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Canada and in Uruguay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,317 per month in Canada vs $1,637 in Uruguay, rent included.

  • Canada $2,317
  • Uruguay $1,637

A couple spends around $3,358 per month in Canada vs $2,486 in Uruguay, rent included.

  • Canada $3,358
  • Uruguay $2,486

A family of three spends $4,399 per month in Canada vs $3,335 in Uruguay, rent included.

  • Canada $4,399
  • Uruguay $3,335

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($884–$3,722) than in Uruguay ($47.00–$1,997), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 42% higher than in Uruguay on average.

Both Canada and Uruguay are pricier than the global median – Canada by 71%, Uruguay by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.00 CA$25.44
$17.11 UYU 687
5.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.6 CA$99.8
$54.1 UYU 2,169
30.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.78 CA$15.24
$12.35 UYU 496
-12.71%
Cappuccino
$3.74 CA$5.29
$4.29 UYU 172
-12.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 CA$2.86
$2.31 UYU 92.6
-12.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.42
$1.83 UYU 73.5
-6.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.56 CA$7.87
$3.76 UYU 151
47.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 CA$7.98
$3.80 UYU 153
48.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 CA$3.19
$1.21 UYU 48.76
86.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$2.56 UYU 103
3.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.50 CA$4.94
$1.66 UYU 66.8
110.84%
Eggs
$3.64 CA$5.14
$4.21 UYU 169
-13.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.82 CA$15.29
$12.98 UYU 521
-16.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.82 CA$16.71
$10.58 UYU 424
11.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.48 CA$21.88
$11.39 UYU 457
35.91%
Apples (1kg)
$4.14 CA$5.85
$2.76 UYU 111
50.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 CA$2.02
$2.56 UYU 103
-44.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.84 CA$5.43
$1.55 UYU 62.2
147.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.11 CA$5.81
$3.07 UYU 123
33.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.60 CA$3.67
$1.82 UYU 73.1
42.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.44 CA$3.45
$2.13 UYU 85.6
14.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.54 CA$3.60
$1.32 UYU 52.8
92.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.42
$1.81 UYU 72.7
-5.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.03 CA$19.83
$5.45 UYU 219
157.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.34 CA$18.85
$7.36 UYU 295
81.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 CA$4.13
$2.16 UYU 86.6
35.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 CA$4.50
$2.79 UYU 112
13.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 CA$3.43
$1.38 UYU 55.4
75.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.1 CA$103
$76.0 UYU 3,051
-3.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 CA$4.49
$1.82 UYU 73.2
74.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.45 CA$2.05
$1.67 UYU 67.1
-13.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.76 CA$37.83
$10.49 UYU 421
155.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 CA$1.74
$2.12 UYU 85.0
-41.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K CA$38.9K
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
2.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K CA$29.9K
$37.2K UYU 1.5M
-43.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 CA$207
$150 UYU 6,028
-2.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.95 CA$60.7
$20.75 UYU 833
106.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.3 CA$82.4
$40.71 UYU 1,634
43.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.50 CA$57.3
$46.61 UYU 1,871
-13.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.38 CA$27.40
$19.19 UYU 770
0.99%
Cinema Ticket
$11.17 CA$15.79
$11.11 UYU 446
0.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$771 CA$1,090
$575 UYU 23.1K
34.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.5K CA$20.5K
$9,169 UYU 368.0K
57.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 CA$76.2
$85.5 UYU 3,431
-36.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.89 CA$55.0
$49.89 UYU 2,003
-22.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.3 CA$125
$120 UYU 4,820
-26.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$143
$110 UYU 4,432
-8.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,262 CA$1,784
$663 UYU 26.6K
90.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 CA$1,610
$526 UYU 21.1K
116.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,060 CA$2,913
$1,079 UYU 43.3K
90.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,730 CA$2,445
$871 UYU 34.9K
98.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,554 CA$6,438
$3,313 UYU 133.0K
37.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,933 CA$5,560
$1,807 UYU 72.5K
117.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Uruguay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,050 CA$4,312
$1,067 UYU 42.8K
185.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
5.81
-16.18%

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

Last update for Canada: October 20, 2026

Last update for Uruguay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Uruguay
$526 53.8% $613
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$372
Uruguay
$306 17.8% $66
Eating Out
Canada
$275
Uruguay
$268 2.5% $7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$248
Uruguay
$212 14.5% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Uruguay
$165 29.6% $38
Getting Around
Canada
$93
Uruguay
$92 1.6% $1.5
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$63
Uruguay
$69 9.5% $6

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,207 in Canada vs $337 in Uruguay. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,437 in Ottawa and $713 in Montevideo.

Average salary: $2,936 in Canada vs $864 in Uruguay. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 258% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 39% more in Canada.

Public transport is 354% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 240% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇺🇾 Uruguay
🕒 Local time
10:20 10:20 AM
11:20 11:20 AM
1 h ahead of Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
3,444,263
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Uruguay 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • Uruguay

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
Canada vs Uruguay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Uruguay?
Uruguay is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 42% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,207 versus $337 in Uruguay.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Uruguay, adding to the overall 42% price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Canada or in Uruguay?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Uruguay, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Uruguay?
Uruguay is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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