Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, IN and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,064 in Columbus, IN, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Columbus, IN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, IN
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Columbus, IN Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

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Columbus, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,064

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Columbus, IN vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

Columbus, IN $2,064
Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $3,089 per month in Columbus, IN vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

Columbus, IN $3,089
Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $4,115 per month in Columbus, IN vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

Columbus, IN $4,115
Montevideo $3,750

Columbus, IN costs about 14% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Columbus, IN and Montevideo sit above the global median – Columbus, IN by 54%, Montevideo by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 $14.72

$15.26 UYU 613

-3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.43 $49.43

$67.4 UYU 2,711

-26.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$14.37 UYU 578

-31.18%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$4.64 UYU 187

9.48%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.73 UYU 110

-19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.75 UYU 191

12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$3.67 UYU 147

100.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.38 UYU 55.5

-31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.77 UYU 112

16.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.69 UYU 67.8

101.18%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$4.52 UYU 182

-49.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 $13.05

$14.17 UYU 570

-7.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$12.07 UYU 485

-8.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 $9.72

$12.16 UYU 489

-20.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.87 UYU 116

53.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.75 UYU 110

-52.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.73 UYU 69.5

142.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.24 UYU 130

34.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.07 UYU 83.1

25.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.07 UYU 83.1

60.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.38 UYU 55.4

48.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 $0.44

$1.85 UYU 74.5

-76.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.11 $8.11

$5.57 UYU 224

45.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$8.89 UYU 357

68.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-9.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.70 UYU 109

12.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.82 UYU 73.4

102.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.40 UYU 16.05

205.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$10.66 UYU 429

131.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-59.01%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

35.62%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-30.82%

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

$150 $150

$191 UYU 7,674

-21.51%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$20.40 UYU 820

169.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$44.14 UYU 1,775

66.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.15 $45.15

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-16.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.29 $35.29

$19.68 UYU 791

79.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$12.33 UYU 496

-3.33%

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

$1,438 $1,438

$613 UYU 24.7K

134.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K $19.5K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

76.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.40 $45.40

$103 UYU 4,134

-55.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 $39.90

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-28.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 $85.9

$124 UYU 5,000

-30.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$130 UYU 5,214

-15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 $1,336

$705 UYU 28.4K

89.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 $1,004

$575 UYU 23.1K

74.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 $1,832

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

60.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

76.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-50.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,629 $1,629

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-16.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,994 $3,994

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

224.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.74

14.81%

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

Last update for Columbus, IN: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbus, IN

$1K 48.2%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 42.7% $428

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, IN

$331 15.9%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 0.4% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, IN

$278 13.4%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 8.2% $23

Eating Out

Columbus, IN

$266 12.8%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 2.1% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, IN

$126 6.1%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 47% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, IN

$69 3.3%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 14.2% $9.8

Getting Around

Columbus, IN

$9.8 * 0.5%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 755% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,336 in Columbus, IN 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 225% higher in Columbus, IN, 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 $49.00 in Columbus, IN versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $332 – making Columbus, IN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, IN

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

1 h ahead of Columbus, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Columbus, IN Montevideo 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, IN
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

Columbus, IN vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, IN costs about 14% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Columbus, IN and $2,720 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Columbus, IN and $67.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Columbus, IN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Columbus, IN at $2,064. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Columbus, IN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montevideo costs $1,813 versus $2,064 in Columbus, IN. 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, Columbus, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.