Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canelones and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,784 a month against $1,997 in Canelones, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Canelones outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Canelones
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Canelones Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Canelones

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,997

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Canelones vs $1,784 in Montevideo, rent included.

Canelones $1,997
Montevideo $1,784

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Canelones vs $2,756 in Montevideo, rent included.

Canelones $2,195
Montevideo $2,756

A family of three spends $2,394 per month in Canelones vs $3,728 in Montevideo, rent included.

Canelones $2,394
Montevideo $3,728

Canelones costs about 12% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Canelones and Montevideo sit above the global median – Canelones by 47%, Montevideo by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 UYU 601

$14.82 UYU 595

1.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 UYU 2,018

$69.7 UYU 2,797

-27.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.33 UYU 575

$14.68 UYU 589

-2.38%

Cappuccino

$4.05 UYU 163

$4.65 UYU 186

-12.90%

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

$2.72 UYU 109

$2.74 UYU 110

-0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.07 UYU 82.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 UYU 185

$4.79 UYU 192

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 UYU 119

$3.63 UYU 146

-18.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.6

$1.39 UYU 55.8

-0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 UYU 114

$2.89 UYU 116

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 UYU 68.9

$1.70 UYU 68.1

1.18%

Eggs

$4.44 UYU 178

$4.62 UYU 185

-3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 UYU 561

$14.22 UYU 571

-1.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.55 UYU 464

$11.62 UYU 466

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 UYU 479

$12.23 UYU 491

-2.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 UYU 111

$2.77 UYU 111

-0.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 UYU 111

$2.85 UYU 114

-3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 UYU 69.6

$1.81 UYU 72.5

-3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 128

$3.20 UYU 129

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 UYU 76.5

$1.94 UYU 77.8

-1.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.3

$2.16 UYU 86.5

-4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$1.43 UYU 57.3

-3.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 UYU 76.6

$1.94 UYU 77.9

-1.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 UYU 220

$5.47 UYU 219

0.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.55 UYU 343

$8.95 UYU 359

-4.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 UYU 94.7

$2.26 UYU 90.8

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 UYU 113

$2.81 UYU 113

0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.6

$1.90 UYU 76.2

0.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.04

$0.43 UYU 17.36

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 UYU 426

$10.59 UYU 425

0.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$2.12 UYU 85.2

-9.91%

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

$26.0K UYU 1.0M

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

-3.03%

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

$35.7K UYU 1.4M

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-3.47%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$193 UYU 7,727

-0.68%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$20.91 UYU 839

-1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.11 UYU 1,810

$44.89 UYU 1,802

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 UYU 2,747

$50.8 UYU 2,038

34.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 UYU 500

$12.30 UYU 494

1.22%

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

$627 UYU 25.2K

$629 UYU 25.2K

-0.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 443.0K

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,090

$104 UYU 4,166

-1.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.03 UYU 1,968

$57.4 UYU 2,305

-14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 UYU 4,453

$125 UYU 5,010

-11.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,303

$132 UYU 5,315

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 UYU 35.2K

$575 UYU 23.1K

52.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,960 UYU 158.9K

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

15.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 UYU 35.0K

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

-29.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

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

Last update for Canelones: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canelones

$878 44%

Montevideo

$575 32.2% 34.5% $302

Groceries & Markets

Canelones

$328 16.4%

Montevideo

$334 18.7% 1.6% $5.2

Eating Out

Canelones

$260 13%

Montevideo

$269 15.1% 3.6% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canelones

$257 12.9%

Montevideo

$258 14.5% 0.6% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Canelones

$177 8.9%

Montevideo

$188 10.6% 6.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Canelones

$93 4.7%

Montevideo

$75 4.2% 19.3% $18

Getting Around

Canelones

$3.9 * 0.2%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 2051% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 43% higher in Montevideo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Canelones versus $70.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $334 – making Canelones the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Canelones

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

Same time as Canelones

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,865

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Canelones Montevideo 43 km

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Canelones
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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

Canelones vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Canelones is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,996 per month in Canelones and $2,676 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,997 in Canelones and $1,784 in Montevideo. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $627 per month in Canelones and $629 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,784, than in Canelones at $1,997. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canelones it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montevideo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Canelones makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.