Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cochabamba and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cochabamba: $490 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Cochabamba
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Cochabamba Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Cochabamba

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$490

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $490 in Cochabamba versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Cochabamba $490
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $758 in Cochabamba versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Cochabamba $758
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,026 in Cochabamba versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Cochabamba $1,026
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Cochabamba costs roughly 73% less than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cochabamba is 63% below, Montevideo is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.85 BOB 21.83

$15.26 UYU 613

-87.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.98 BOB 129

$67.4 UYU 2,711

-83.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 BOB 63.2

$14.37 UYU 578

-62.63%

Cappuccino

$1.65 BOB 19.42

$4.64 UYU 187

-64.44%

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

$0.48 BOB 5.60

$2.73 UYU 110

-82.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 BOB 5.17

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 BOB 13.07

$4.75 UYU 191

-76.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BOB 21.72

$3.67 UYU 147

-49.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 BOB 7.85

$1.38 UYU 55.5

-51.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 BOB 9.72

$2.77 UYU 112

-70.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 BOB 14.15

$1.69 UYU 67.8

-28.99%

Eggs

$1.13 BOB 13.24

$4.52 UYU 182

-75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.08 BOB 36.26

$14.17 UYU 570

-78.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.32 BOB 27.30

$12.07 UYU 485

-80.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.57 BOB 53.8

$12.16 UYU 489

-62.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 BOB 18.97

$2.87 UYU 116

-43.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 BOB 9.05

$2.75 UYU 110

-72.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 BOB 13.97

$1.73 UYU 69.5

-31.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 BOB 11.80

$3.24 UYU 130

-69.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 BOB 10.40

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-57.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 BOB 8.22

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-66.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 BOB 8.21

$1.38 UYU 55.4

-49.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BOB 8.99

$1.85 UYU 74.5

-58.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 BOB 18.71

$5.57 UYU 224

-71.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.35 BOB 63.0

$8.89 UYU 357

-39.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 BOB 15.32

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-43.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 BOB 24.49

$2.70 UYU 109

-22.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 BOB 3.31

$1.52 UYU 61.3

-81.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 BOB 18.29

$1.82 UYU 73.4

-14.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 BOB 11.00

$0.40 UYU 16.05

132.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 BOB 53.9

$10.66 UYU 429

-57.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 BOB 5.75

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-77.93%

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

$18.6K BOB 218.6K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-30.56%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

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

$34.46 BOB 406

$191 UYU 7,674

-81.94%

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

$18.50 BOB 218

$20.40 UYU 820

-9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.79 BOB 292

$44.14 UYU 1,775

-43.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.91 BOB 281

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-55.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.56 BOB 53.7

$19.68 UYU 791

-76.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.15 BOB 37.02

$12.33 UYU 496

-74.45%

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

$120 BOB 1,415

$613 UYU 24.7K

-80.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,693 BOB 43.5K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

-66.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.54 BOB 512

$103 UYU 4,134

-57.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.32 BOB 263

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-60.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.22 BOB 473

$124 UYU 5,000

-67.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.5 BOB 689

$130 UYU 5,214

-54.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 BOB 2,023

$705 UYU 28.4K

-75.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 BOB 1,271

$575 UYU 23.1K

-81.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 BOB 3,912

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

-70.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 BOB 2,938

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

-75.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$896 BOB 10.5K

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-73.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$702 BOB 8,265

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-63.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$412 BOB 4,853

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

-66.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

5.74

42.33%

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

Last update for Cochabamba: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cochabamba

$119 24.7%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 180% $214

Accommodation & Living

Cochabamba

$108 22.5%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 433% $467

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cochabamba

$78 16.2%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 229% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Cochabamba

$74 15.4%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 151% $112

Eating Out

Cochabamba

$64 13.3%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 326% $208

Sport & Entertainment

Cochabamba

$30 6.3%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 161% $49

Getting Around

Cochabamba

$7.4 * 1.5%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 1037% $76

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 $172 in Cochabamba and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 198% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $11.00 in Cochabamba vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $119 vs $332 per month, with Cochabamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇴 Cochabamba

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

1 h ahead of Cochabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

856,198

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇴 Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.)

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.2 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to BOB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cochabamba Montevideo 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cochabamba
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

Cochabamba vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cochabamba and Montevideo differ by about 270% in total monthly costs ($490 vs $1,813 including rent). Cochabamba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 198% lower in Montevideo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $172 in Cochabamba versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 180% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $490 per month in Cochabamba versus $1,813 in Montevideo – a 270% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $490 in Cochabamba versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cochabamba but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Cochabamba 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, Cochabamba 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 Cochabamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.