Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chihuahua and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chihuahua: $1,235 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chihuahua
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,235
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Chihuahua vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Chihuahua $1,235
  • Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $1,838 per month in Chihuahua vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Chihuahua $1,838
  • Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $2,441 per month in Chihuahua vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Chihuahua $2,441
  • Montevideo $3,750

Chihuahua is about 32% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chihuahua sits 8% below the global median, while Montevideo is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.89 MX$200
$15.26 UYU 613
-28.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.13 MX$608
$67.4 UYU 2,711
-50.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.03 MX$202
$14.37 UYU 578
-23.24%
Cappuccino
$2.43 MX$44.60
$4.64 UYU 187
-47.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 MX$22.55
$2.73 UYU 110
-54.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 MX$13.90
$2.09 UYU 84.0
-63.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.42 MX$44.37
$4.75 UYU 191
-49.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.12 MX$75.6
$3.67 UYU 147
12.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 MX$30.23
$1.38 UYU 55.5
19.57%
White Bread (500g)
$3.27 MX$60.0
$2.77 UYU 112
18.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 MX$39.08
$1.69 UYU 67.8
26.04%
Eggs
$2.58 MX$47.33
$4.52 UYU 182
-42.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.32 MX$171
$14.17 UYU 570
-34.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.99 MX$128
$12.07 UYU 485
-42.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.49 MX$229
$12.16 UYU 489
2.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.53 MX$46.42
$2.87 UYU 116
-11.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 MX$29.85
$2.75 UYU 110
-40.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.05 MX$37.63
$1.73 UYU 69.5
18.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.3
$3.24 UYU 130
-10.49%
Potato (1kg)
$2.42 MX$44.47
$2.07 UYU 83.1
16.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.65 MX$48.64
$2.07 UYU 83.1
28.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 MX$24.85
$1.38 UYU 55.4
-2.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 MX$21.33
$1.85 UYU 74.5
-37.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.51 MX$82.8
$5.57 UYU 224
-19.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.53 MX$193
$8.89 UYU 357
18.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 MX$27.09
$2.29 UYU 92.2
-35.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 MX$53.3
$2.70 UYU 109
7.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.48
$1.52 UYU 61.3
-62.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.79 MX$620
$73.7 UYU 2,962
-54.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.72 MX$50.0
$1.82 UYU 73.4
49.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 MX$14.42
$0.40 UYU 16.05
97.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.03 MX$184
$10.66 UYU 429
-5.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$27.69
$2.22 UYU 89.2
-31.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K MX$391.7K
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
-20.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.2K MX$444.2K
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
-34.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.2 MX$1,527
$191 UYU 7,674
-56.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.01 MX$386
$20.40 UYU 820
2.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.02 MX$441
$44.14 UYU 1,775
-45.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.14 MX$517
$54.1 UYU 2,177
-48.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.68 UYU 791
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.89 MX$89.7
$12.33 UYU 496
-60.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$269 MX$4,939
$613 UYU 24.7K
-56.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,353 MX$61.6K
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
-69.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.73 MX$895
$103 UYU 4,134
-52.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.25 MX$464
$56.1 UYU 2,255
-54.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 MX$1,893
$124 UYU 5,000
-17.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.3 MX$1,657
$130 UYU 5,214
-30.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$605 MX$11.1K
$705 UYU 28.4K
-14.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$463 MX$8,506
$575 UYU 23.1K
-19.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,119 MX$20.6K
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
-1.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$718 MX$13.2K
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
-29.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,385 MX$62.1K
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
1.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,112 MX$20.4K
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
-42.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chihuahua
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$863 MX$15.8K
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
-29.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.84
5.74
88.85%

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

Last update for Chihuahua: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chihuahua
$463
Montevideo
$575 24.2% $112
Groceries & Markets
Chihuahua
$280
Montevideo
$332 18.9% $53
Eating Out
Chihuahua
$178
Montevideo
$271 52.7% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chihuahua
$128
Montevideo
$255 99.2% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Chihuahua
$120
Montevideo
$186 54.4% $66
Getting Around
Chihuahua
$43
Montevideo
$84 95.6% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Chihuahua
$38
Montevideo
$79 108% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $605 in Chihuahua 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 43% 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 $33.00 in Chihuahua versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $332 – making Chihuahua the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Chihuahua
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
04:27 4:27 AM
07:27 7:27 AM
3 h ahead of Chihuahua
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
925,762
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chihuahua Montevideo 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chihuahua
  • 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
Chihuahua vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chihuahua or Montevideo?
Montevideo costs about 47% more than Chihuahua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chihuahua and in Montevideo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Chihuahua and $2,720 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chihuahua or Montevideo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chihuahua, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chihuahua and in Montevideo?
Kindergarten costs $269 per month in Chihuahua and $613 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chihuahua or in Montevideo?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chihuahua or in Montevideo?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chihuahua, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Chihuahua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chihuahua or Montevideo?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chihuahua costs $1,235 versus $1,813 in Montevideo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chihuahua compared to Montevideo?
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.
Should I move to Chihuahua or to Montevideo?
If budget matters most, go with Chihuahua. 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.

Chihuahua vs other spots: cost of living compared

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