Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Champaign, IL and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,161 in Champaign, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Champaign, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

Cost of Living Index in Champaign, IL
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Champaign, IL Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Champaign, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,161

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,161 per month in Champaign, IL vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Champaign, IL $2,161
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Champaign, IL vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Champaign, IL $3,133
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $4,106 per month in Champaign, IL vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Champaign, IL $4,106
Montevideo $3,708

Champaign, IL costs about 22% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Champaign, IL and Montevideo sit above the global median – Champaign, IL by 60%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$15.16 UYU 609

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-12.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$14.65 UYU 588

-30.99%

Cappuccino

$4.83 $4.83

$4.46 UYU 179

8.30%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$2.67 UYU 107

-19.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.83 UYU 194

15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.80 UYU 152

40.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.87 UYU 115

9.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.75 UYU 70.2

78.86%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$4.68 UYU 188

-17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 $12.19

$13.88 UYU 557

-12.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$11.98 UYU 481

-50.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$11.97 UYU 480

7.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.78 UYU 111

24.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.74 UYU 110

-49.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.77 UYU 71.2

75.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.24 UYU 130

40.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.97 UYU 79.2

2.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.07 UYU 83.1

7.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.37 UYU 55.1

61.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-33.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 $10.25

$5.59 UYU 224

83.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$8.78 UYU 352

67.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.75 UYU 110

48.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-36.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.38 $20.38

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-72.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.91 UYU 76.7

31.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.40 UYU 16.18

297.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-45.54%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

29.56%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-11.06%

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

$240 $240

$188 UYU 7,557

27.41%

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

$45.66 $45.66

$20.54 UYU 824

122.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$44.81 UYU 1,798

50.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 $25.34

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-53.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.85 $11.85

$19.75 UYU 793

-40.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 $11.09

$11.95 UYU 480

-7.20%

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

$993 $993

$634 UYU 25.5K

56.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K $19.9K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

80.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 $48.98

$102 UYU 4,099

-52.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$127 UYU 5,079

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$128 UYU 5,131

-4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$719 UYU 28.8K

102.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$568 UYU 22.8K

78.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 $1,941

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

69.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 $1,691

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

65.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-50.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 $1,709

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-12.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,674 $3,674

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

195.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.74

18.82%

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

Last update for Champaign, IL: 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

Champaign, IL

$1K 47%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 44.1% $448

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Champaign, IL

$353 16.3%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 28.2% $100

Groceries & Markets

Champaign, IL

$316 14.6%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 4.9% $15

Eating Out

Champaign, IL

$264 12.2%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 1.8% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Champaign, IL

$129 * 6%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 44.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Champaign, IL

$48 2.2%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 63.9% $30

Getting Around

Champaign, IL

$35 1.6%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 143% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,453 in Champaign, IL versus $719 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 195% higher in Champaign, IL, 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 $61.0 in Champaign, IL versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $332 – making Champaign, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Champaign, IL

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

20:57 8:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

2 h ahead of Champaign, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,302

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Champaign, IL Montevideo 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Champaign, IL
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

Champaign, IL vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,161 in Champaign, IL, $1,771 in Montevideo – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,241 per month in Champaign, IL and $2,656 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Champaign, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Champaign, IL and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Champaign, IL at $2,161. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Champaign, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,771 in Montevideo to $2,161 in Champaign, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Champaign, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.