Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Montevideo

For one person, living costs are similar in Cartago and in Montevideo: $1,713 and $1,771 a month, rent and utilities included.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

Jump to prices

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Cartago versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

Cartago $1,713
Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Cartago versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

Cartago $2,362
Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Cartago versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

Cartago $3,011
Montevideo $3,708

Living in Cartago costs roughly 3% less than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 27% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,882

$15.16 UYU 610

-43.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$69.2 UYU 2,780

-50.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,458

$14.65 UYU 589

-32.29%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$4.46 UYU 179

1.79%

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

$2.13 ₡957

$2.67 UYU 107

-20.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡611

$2.00 UYU 80.5

-32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡966

$4.83 UYU 194

-55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,823

$3.80 UYU 153

6.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,075

$1.36 UYU 54.9

75.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,067

$2.87 UYU 115

-17.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,112

$1.75 UYU 70.3

41.14%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$4.68 UYU 188

-23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,868

$13.88 UYU 558

-37.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,664

$11.98 UYU 482

-13.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,265

$11.97 UYU 481

16.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,356

$2.78 UYU 112

88.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.74 UYU 110

-52.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,018

$1.77 UYU 71.3

153.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,309

$3.24 UYU 130

-10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,006

$1.97 UYU 79.3

13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.07 UYU 83.2

4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.37 UYU 55.2

-20.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡979

$1.88 UYU 75.4

15.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,728

$5.59 UYU 225

8.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,810

$8.78 UYU 353

72.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,298

$2.26 UYU 91.0

27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡914

$2.75 UYU 111

-26.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡614

$1.53 UYU 61.6

-10.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$74.3 UYU 2,985

-1.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡600

$1.91 UYU 76.8

-30.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$0.40 UYU 16.21

290.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,023

$10.33 UYU 415

-13.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡679

$2.13 UYU 85.7

-29.11%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-19.98%

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

$35.1K ₡15.8M

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-3.16%

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

$52.4 ₡23.6K

$188 UYU 7,570

-72.16%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$20.54 UYU 826

70.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.9K

$44.81 UYU 1,801

33.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$54.0 UYU 2,169

36.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$19.75 UYU 794

293.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,268

$11.95 UYU 481

-39.16%

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

$549 ₡246.6K

$634 UYU 25.5K

-13.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$11.1K UYU 444.3K

-28.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$102 UYU 4,106

-31.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$57.5 UYU 2,313

-1.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.5K

$127 UYU 5,088

-4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.4K

$128 UYU 5,139

-31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡415.0K

$719 UYU 28.9K

28.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡316.5K

$568 UYU 22.8K

24.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡839.7K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

63.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡325.4K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-29.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 ₡604.0K

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

8.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.74

50.17%

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

Last update for Cartago: 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

Cartago

$704 41.1%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 19.4% $136

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 4.8% $17

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 44.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 23.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 72.1% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 11.8% $10

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 4% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Cartago and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Cartago vs $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $332, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

3 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 40.2 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.09 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartago Montevideo 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

Cartago vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Cartago, 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: $923 in Cartago versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cartago runs roughly 1% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $549 in Cartago versus $634 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,713 in Cartago versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Cartago 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.