Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad del Carmen and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad del Carmen: $1,151 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad del Carmen
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Ciudad del Carmen Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Ciudad del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,151

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,151 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Ciudad del Carmen $1,151
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,870 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Ciudad del Carmen $1,870
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Ciudad del Carmen $2,589
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Ciudad del Carmen costs roughly 37% less than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ciudad del Carmen is 14% below, Montevideo is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 MX$207

$15.26 UYU 613

-26.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 MX$805

$67.4 UYU 2,711

-34.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 MX$155

$14.37 UYU 578

-41.20%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$68.0

$4.64 UYU 187

-20.26%

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

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.73 UYU 110

-47.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$19.81

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$47.46

$4.75 UYU 191

-45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MX$72.1

$3.67 UYU 147

7.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$29.69

$1.38 UYU 55.5

17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$48.41

$2.77 UYU 112

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MX$30.97

$1.69 UYU 67.8

Eggs

$2.45 MX$44.95

$4.52 UYU 182

-45.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 MX$154

$14.17 UYU 570

-40.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 MX$159

$12.07 UYU 485

-28.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 MX$215

$12.16 UYU 489

-3.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.2

$2.87 UYU 116

-4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.22

$2.75 UYU 110

-42.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MX$36.17

$1.73 UYU 69.5

13.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$33.68

$3.24 UYU 130

-43.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.87

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-5.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.12

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$26.27

$1.38 UYU 55.4

3.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$20.23

$1.85 UYU 74.5

-40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MX$82.8

$5.57 UYU 224

-19.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$193

$8.89 UYU 357

18.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$32.44

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-22.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 MX$59.1

$2.70 UYU 109

19.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.70

$1.52 UYU 61.3

-57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 MX$49.54

$1.82 UYU 73.4

48.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 MX$36.25

$0.40 UYU 16.05

392.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.20 MX$206

$10.66 UYU 429

5.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$26.22

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-35.59%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-18.74%

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

$24.1K MX$442.5K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-34.41%

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

$60.2 MX$1,106

$191 UYU 7,674

-68.43%

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

$22.99 MX$422

$20.40 UYU 820

12.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.54 MX$542

$44.14 UYU 1,775

-33.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.98 MX$642

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-35.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.48 MX$376

$19.68 UYU 791

4.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.1

$12.33 UYU 496

-57.58%

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

$221 MX$4,049

$613 UYU 24.7K

-64.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,665 MX$85.7K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

-57.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 MX$1,023

$103 UYU 4,134

-45.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.52 MX$781

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-24.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,861

$124 UYU 5,000

-18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.2 MX$1,693

$130 UYU 5,214

-28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 MX$11.3K

$705 UYU 28.4K

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$7,216

$575 UYU 23.1K

-31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 MX$19.2K

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

-8.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 MX$14.2K

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

-23.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,941 MX$35.6K

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-42.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,179 MX$21.6K

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-39.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.74

96.86%

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

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: 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

Ciudad del Carmen

$393 34%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 46.4% $182

Groceries & Markets

Ciudad del Carmen

$268 23.2%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 24.1% $64

Eating Out

Ciudad del Carmen

$191 16.5%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 42.3% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Ciudad del Carmen

$131 11.4%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 41.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ciudad del Carmen

$113 9.8%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 127% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Ciudad del Carmen

$45 3.9%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 73.4% $33

Getting Around

Ciudad del Carmen

$15 * 1.3%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 453% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Ciudad del Carmen and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Ciudad del Carmen vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $332 per month, with Ciudad del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ciudad del Carmen

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

10:45 10:45 AM

3 h ahead of Ciudad del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,238

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ciudad del Carmen Montevideo 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ciudad del Carmen
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

Ciudad del Carmen vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad del Carmen and Montevideo differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,151 vs $1,813 including rent). Ciudad del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,726 in Ciudad del Carmen and $2,720 in Montevideo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $614 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,151 per month in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,813 in Montevideo – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,151 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ciudad del Carmen and Montevideo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ciudad del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.