Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapala and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chapala: $1,087 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Chapala
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Chapala Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Chapala

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,087

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,087 per month in Chapala vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Chapala $1,087
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $1,619 per month in Chapala vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Chapala $1,619
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $2,151 per month in Chapala vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Chapala $2,151
Montevideo $3,708

Chapala is about 39% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chapala sits 19% below the global median, while Montevideo is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$219

$15.16 UYU 609

-21.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.36 MX$469

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-63.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.28 MX$134

$14.65 UYU 588

-50.31%

Cappuccino

$3.29 MX$60.7

$4.46 UYU 179

-26.23%

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

$1.61 MX$29.67

$2.67 UYU 107

-39.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.76

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-41.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MX$41.63

$4.83 UYU 194

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 MX$56.8

$3.80 UYU 152

-19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$26.50

$1.36 UYU 54.8

5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 MX$41.89

$2.87 UYU 115

-20.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$28.65

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-11.43%

Eggs

$2.28 MX$42.13

$4.68 UYU 188

-51.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 MX$152

$13.88 UYU 557

-40.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 MX$101

$11.98 UYU 481

-54.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.99 MX$148

$11.97 UYU 480

-33.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 MX$41.65

$2.78 UYU 111

-19.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.74 UYU 110

-53.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.43

$1.77 UYU 71.2

-12.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.63

$3.24 UYU 130

-45.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MX$28.58

$1.97 UYU 79.2

-21.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MX$25.67

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-32.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 MX$18.89

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-25.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.38

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-55.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$5.59 UYU 224

-23.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.42 MX$156

$8.78 UYU 352

-4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.83

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-61.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$2.75 UYU 110

20.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.80

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-54.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MX$22.10

$1.91 UYU 76.7

-37.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 MX$59.5

$0.40 UYU 16.18

705.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 MX$304

$10.33 UYU 415

59.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-32.39%

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

$21.6K MX$399.0K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-20.35%

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

$24.0K MX$442.8K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-33.92%

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

$49.12 MX$908

$188 UYU 7,557

-73.91%

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

$17.02 MX$315

$20.54 UYU 824

-17.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.57 MX$454

$44.81 UYU 1,798

-45.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.66 MX$437

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-56.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 MX$57.1

$11.95 UYU 480

-74.14%

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

$217 MX$4,003

$634 UYU 25.5K

-65.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,920 MX$54.0K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

-73.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 MX$1,014

$102 UYU 4,099

-46.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 MX$708

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-33.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.2 MX$965

$127 UYU 5,079

-58.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.74 MX$660

$128 UYU 5,131

-72.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 MX$10.4K

$719 UYU 28.8K

-21.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,678

$568 UYU 22.8K

-17.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-8.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$14.3K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-24.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$711 MX$13.1K

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-79.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$695 MX$12.8K

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-64.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

5.74

95.12%

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

Last update for Chapala: 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

Chapala

$470 43.2%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 20.9% $98

Groceries & Markets

Chapala

$211 19.4%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 56.9% $120

Eating Out

Chapala

$184 17%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 46% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chapala

$91 8.3%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 180% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Chapala

$82 7.5%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 129% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Chapala

$30 2.7%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 161% $48

Getting Around

Chapala

$20 * 1.9%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 320% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Chapala 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Chapala versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $332 – making Chapala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Chapala

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

23:26 11:26 PM

3 h ahead of Chapala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,596

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chapala Montevideo 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chapala
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

Chapala vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo costs about 63% more than Chapala, 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 $1,631 per month in Chapala 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 Chapala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Chapala and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chapala, where all-in costs run around $1,087, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Chapala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chapala costs $1,087 versus $1,771 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 Chapala. 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.