Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,314 per month in Charleston, SC vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Charleston, SC $3,314
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $4,834 per month in Charleston, SC vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Charleston, SC $4,834
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $6,355 per month in Charleston, SC vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Charleston, SC $6,355
Montevideo $3,708

Charleston, SC costs about 87% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Charleston, SC and Montevideo sit above the global median – Charleston, SC by 145%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.88 $19.88

$15.16 UYU 609

31.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 $131

$69.2 UYU 2,776

88.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$14.65 UYU 588

-18.70%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$4.46 UYU 179

32.29%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$2.67 UYU 107

8.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.00 UYU 80.4

18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$4.83 UYU 194

38.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.80 UYU 152

107.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.87 UYU 115

43.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.75 UYU 70.2

161.14%

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$4.68 UYU 188

12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.51 $22.51

$13.88 UYU 557

62.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 $14.38

$11.98 UYU 481

20.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 $20.97

$11.97 UYU 480

75.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$2.78 UYU 111

186.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.74 UYU 110

-32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.77 UYU 71.2

181.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.24 UYU 130

118.83%

Potato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$1.97 UYU 79.2

157.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.07 UYU 83.1

76.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.37 UYU 55.1

108.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.88 UYU 75.3

75.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.59 UYU 224

76.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 $20.33

$8.78 UYU 352

131.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.26 UYU 90.9

21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.75 UYU 110

10.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.53 UYU 61.5

30.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-22.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.91 UYU 76.7

60.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.40 UYU 16.18

207.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.67 $31.67

$10.33 UYU 415

206.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-54.93%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

31.78%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-28.82%

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

$233 $233

$188 UYU 7,557

23.79%

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

$78.3 $78.3

$20.54 UYU 824

281.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.8 $85.8

$44.81 UYU 1,798

91.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.77 $45.77

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-15.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$19.75 UYU 793

-0.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$11.95 UYU 480

18.33%

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

$1,274 $1,274

$634 UYU 25.5K

100.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K $27.2K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

146.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 $78.9

$102 UYU 4,099

-22.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 $45.52

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-20.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$127 UYU 5,079

-9.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$128 UYU 5,131

6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$719 UYU 28.8K

227.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 $1,728

$568 UYU 22.8K

204.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,610 $3,610

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

215.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

157.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,673 $5,673

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

67.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,048 $3,048

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

56.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,858 $4,858

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

290.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.74

13.41%

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

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 67.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 38% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charleston, SC

$397 12%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 36.1% $144

Eating Out

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 19.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 10.5% $18

Getting Around

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 12.6% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 5.2% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,353 in Charleston, SC 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 290% higher in Charleston, SC, 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 $131 in Charleston, SC versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $535 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h ahead of Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,227

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Charleston, SC Montevideo 7,920 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Charleston, SC
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

Charleston, SC vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 87% more than Montevideo, 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 $4,970 per month in Charleston, SC 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,274 per month in Charleston, SC and $634 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Charleston, SC at $3,314. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montevideo costs $1,771 versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC. 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 Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.