Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Uruguay Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Uruguay

Name: Uruguay
Address: UY

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in China versus $1,020 in Uruguay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $1,623 in Uruguay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $2,226 in Uruguay.

Living in China costs about 30% less than in Uruguay on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Uruguay 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.38

$16.81 UYU 681

-82.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.29 ¥158

$53.1 UYU 2,150

-56.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ¥32.71

$11.40 UYU 462

-57.63%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.55

$4.19 UYU 170

-27.45%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$2.33 UYU 94.3

-80.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.82

$1.83 UYU 74.2

-85.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ¥6.72

$3.85 UYU 156

-74.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.76

$3.72 UYU 151

-45.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.88

$1.20 UYU 48.57

45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.33

$2.71 UYU 110

-38.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.57

$1.66 UYU 67.3

-41.57%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.46

$4.22 UYU 171

-63.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 ¥90.1

$13.50 UYU 547

-1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ¥21.72

$10.74 UYU 435

-70.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 ¥73.1

$11.15 UYU 451

-3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.29

$2.89 UYU 117

-37.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.86

$2.38 UYU 96.4

-44.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.16

$1.53 UYU 62.0

-1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.75

$3.23 UYU 131

-64.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$1.96 UYU 79.4

-62.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.86

$2.08 UYU 84.4

-58.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$1.26 UYU 51.1

-54.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.64

$1.70 UYU 68.9

-68.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥23.92

$5.06 UYU 205

-30.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 ¥79.3

$7.47 UYU 303

56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.67

$2.32 UYU 94.0

-63.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.31

$2.93 UYU 119

-43.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.76

$1.20 UYU 48.59

-65.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$44.23 UYU 1,791

-53.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.22

$1.43 UYU 57.9

-4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$1.49 UYU 60.2

-77.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 ¥46.46

$11.10 UYU 449

-38.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$1.95 UYU 78.8

-42.56%

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

$19.2K ¥129.9K

$39.5K UYU 1.6M

-51.45%

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

$16.9K ¥114.6K

$38.6K UYU 1.6M

-56.13%

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

$51.8 ¥351

$145 UYU 5,874

-64.28%

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

$9.85 ¥66.7

$17.48 UYU 708

-43.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.13 ¥75.4

$41.52 UYU 1,682

-73.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ¥265

$54.4 UYU 2,204

-28.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ¥101

$19.12 UYU 774

-22.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥42.30

$10.12 UYU 410

-38.24%

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

$404 ¥2,736

$467 UYU 18.9K

-13.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$8,615 UYU 348.9K

106.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.11 ¥312

$91.4 UYU 3,701

-49.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 ¥219

$49.66 UYU 2,011

-35.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 ¥492

$117 UYU 4,721

-37.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥493

$117 UYU 4,735

-37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 ¥3,014

$597 UYU 24.2K

-25.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 ¥1,729

$467 UYU 18.9K

-45.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ¥6,275

$1,012 UYU 41.0K

-8.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 ¥3,605

$804 UYU 32.6K

-33.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,943 ¥33.5K

$3,417 UYU 138.4K

44.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 ¥16.9K

$2,095 UYU 84.8K

18.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,057 ¥7,158

$1,094 UYU 44.3K

-3.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.45

-37.05%

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

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Last update for Uruguay: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $287 in Uruguay. Capital cities: $913 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $619 in Montevideo.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $860 in Uruguay. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 110% more in Uruguay.

Public transport is 61% more expensive in Uruguay.

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

China vs Uruguay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $1,049 in Uruguay, there's a 20% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Uruguay beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Uruguay, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Uruguay may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.