Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Castries: $1,413 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montevideo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

70

Cost of Living Index in Castries
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Castries Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Castries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,413

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,413 per month in Castries vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

Castries $1,413
Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Castries vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

Castries $2,371
Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $3,330 per month in Castries vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

Castries $3,330
Montevideo $3,750

Castries is about 22% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Castries and Montevideo sit above the global median – Castries by 5%, Montevideo by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.42 EC$25.43

$15.26 UYU 613

-38.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 EC$201

$67.4 UYU 2,711

10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 EC$22.72

$14.37 UYU 578

-41.48%

Cappuccino

$3.67 EC$9.90

$4.64 UYU 187

-20.91%

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

$1.97 EC$5.31

$2.73 UYU 110

-27.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 EC$2.73

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-51.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 EC$7.72

$4.75 UYU 191

-39.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 EC$8.86

$3.67 UYU 147

-10.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 EC$5.46

$1.38 UYU 55.5

46.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 EC$4.99

$2.77 UYU 112

-33.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 EC$4.65

$1.69 UYU 67.8

1.78%

Eggs

$4.51 EC$12.19

$4.52 UYU 182

-0.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 EC$30.47

$14.17 UYU 570

-20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 EC$24.51

$12.07 UYU 485

-24.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 EC$40.29

$12.16 UYU 489

22.70%

Apples (1kg)

$8.61 EC$23.25

$2.87 UYU 116

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 EC$4.38

$2.75 UYU 110

-41.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.09 EC$21.84

$1.73 UYU 69.5

367.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$14.83 EC$40.04

$3.24 UYU 130

357.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 EC$9.44

$2.07 UYU 83.1

69.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 EC$5.56

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-0.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 EC$5.94

$1.38 UYU 55.4

59.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 EC$3.46

$1.85 UYU 74.5

-30.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.35 EC$25.25

$5.57 UYU 224

67.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 EC$29.57

$8.89 UYU 357

23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 EC$6.23

$2.29 UYU 92.2

0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 EC$15.38

$2.70 UYU 109

111.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 EC$2.91

$1.52 UYU 61.3

-28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 EC$25.63

$1.82 UYU 73.4

421.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 EC$4.11

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-31.53%

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

$26.3K EC$70.9K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-1.77%

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

$36.5K EC$98.6K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-0.65%

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

$124 EC$334

$191 UYU 7,674

-35.14%

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

$89.6 EC$242

$20.40 UYU 820

339.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.85 EC$129

$44.14 UYU 1,775

8.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.35 EC$114

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-21.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 EC$15.33

$12.33 UYU 496

-53.93%

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

$211 EC$570

$613 UYU 24.7K

-65.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 EC$226

$103 UYU 4,134

-18.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 EC$135

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-10.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 EC$299

$124 UYU 5,000

-10.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 EC$299

$130 UYU 5,214

-14.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 EC$1,216

$705 UYU 28.4K

-36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 EC$918

$575 UYU 23.1K

-40.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 EC$3,195

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

3.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 EC$1,912

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

-30.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$101 EC$273

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-96.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.4 EC$171

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-96.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,122 EC$3,028

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

-8.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

5.74

35.02%

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

Last update for Castries: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Castries

$431 30%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 22.8% $98

Accommodation & Living

Castries

$340 23.7%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 69.3% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castries

$261 18.2%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 2.2% $5.9

Eating Out

Castries

$177 12.4%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 52.9% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Castries

$160 11.1%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 16.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Castries

$54 3.7%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 46.7% $25

Getting Around

Castries

$14 * 1%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 506% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Castries versus $705 in Montevideo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Castries versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇨 Castries

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

01:55 1:55 AM

1 h ahead of Castries

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,000 Capital

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Castries Montevideo 5,460 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Castries
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

Castries vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo costs about 28% more than Castries, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,119 per month in Castries and $2,720 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castries, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,413 in Castries and $1,813 in Montevideo. That's a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $211 per month in Castries and $613 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Castries, where all-in costs run around $1,413, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Castries it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Castries costs $1,413 versus $1,813 in Montevideo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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