Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Girardeau, MO and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Girardeau, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,129
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

  • Cape Girardeau, MO $2,129
  • Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,277 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

  • Cape Girardeau, MO $3,277
  • Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,424 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

  • Cape Girardeau, MO $4,424
  • Montevideo $3,708

Living in Cape Girardeau, MO is roughly 20% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cape Girardeau, MO 58% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.76 $17.76
$15.16 UYU 609
17.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.6 $58.6
$69.2 UYU 2,776
-15.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.12 $7.12
$14.65 UYU 588
-51.40%
Cappuccino
$6.02 $6.02
$4.46 UYU 179
34.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 $2.68
$2.67 UYU 107
0.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 $1.87
$2.00 UYU 80.4
-6.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.99 $2.99
$4.83 UYU 194
-38.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.71 $7.71
$3.80 UYU 152
102.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.36 UYU 54.8
-24.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 $2.23
$2.87 UYU 115
-22.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.44 $7.44
$1.75 UYU 70.2
325.14%
Eggs
$3.06 $3.06
$4.68 UYU 188
-34.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.14 $15.14
$13.88 UYU 557
9.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.63 $18.63
$11.98 UYU 481
55.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.29 $25.29
$11.97 UYU 480
111.28%
Apples (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$2.78 UYU 111
20.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 $1.93
$2.74 UYU 110
-29.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$11.43 $11.43
$1.77 UYU 71.2
545.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$8.88 $8.88
$3.24 UYU 130
174.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.97 UYU 79.2
8.63%
Onion (1kg)
$6.00 $6.00
$2.07 UYU 83.1
189.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.37 UYU 55.1
110.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$1.88 UYU 75.3
31.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.34 $7.34
$5.59 UYU 224
31.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.06 $12.06
$8.78 UYU 352
37.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$2.26 UYU 90.9
-21.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.09 $8.09
$2.75 UYU 110
194.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.53 UYU 61.5
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$74.3 UYU 2,980
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.91 UYU 76.7
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.40 UYU 16.18
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$10.33 UYU 415
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 $0.80
$2.13 UYU 85.6
-62.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.6K $30.6K
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
12.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K $24.8K
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
-31.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 $201
$188 UYU 7,557
6.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.29 $42.29
$20.54 UYU 824
105.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$80.7 $80.7
$44.81 UYU 1,798
79.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.39 $20.39
$54.0 UYU 2,166
-62.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.75 UYU 793
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.98 $14.98
$11.95 UYU 480
25.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$818 $818
$634 UYU 25.5K
28.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.40 $45.40
$102 UYU 4,099
-55.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.35 $39.35
$57.5 UYU 2,309
-31.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 $84.4
$127 UYU 5,079
-33.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$39.98 $39.98
$128 UYU 5,131
-68.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$777 $777
$719 UYU 28.8K
8.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$861 $861
$568 UYU 22.8K
51.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,572 $1,572
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
37.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,672 $1,672
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
63.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,444 $1,444
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
-57.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,438 $1,438
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
-26.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Girardeau, MO
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,408 $2,408
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
93.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
5.74
12.37%

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

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Girardeau, MO
$861
Montevideo
$568 34% $293
Groceries & Markets
Cape Girardeau, MO
$516
Montevideo
$332 35.8% $185
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Girardeau, MO
$324
Montevideo
$254 21.6% $70
Eating Out
Cape Girardeau, MO
$284
Montevideo
$269 5.3% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Girardeau, MO
$94
Montevideo
$186 98% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Girardeau, MO
$50
Montevideo
$78 54.7% $28
Getting Around
Cape Girardeau, MO
- *
Montevideo
$84

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Cape Girardeau, MO and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Girardeau, MO pays 94% 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: $59.0 in Cape Girardeau, MO vs $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $516 vs $332, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
20:43 8:43 PM
22:43 10:43 PM
2 h ahead of Cape Girardeau, MO
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,941
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Cape Girardeau, MO Montevideo 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Girardeau, MO
  • Montevideo

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
Cape Girardeau, MO vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montevideo cheaper than Cape Girardeau, MO?
Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cape Girardeau, MO or Montevideo?
Average pay runs 94% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cape Girardeau, MO and Montevideo?
Rent for a central apartment: $777 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Cape Girardeau, MO and in Montevideo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cape Girardeau, MO and in Montevideo?
All in, you'll spend $2,129 per month in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,771 in Montevideo – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Cape Girardeau, MO or in Montevideo?
At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Cape Girardeau, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cape Girardeau, MO or Montevideo more family-friendly?
For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Girardeau, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cape Girardeau, MO or Montevideo?
Safety-wise, Cape Girardeau, MO 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Cape Girardeau, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cape Girardeau, MO vs other spots: cost of living compared

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