Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cucuta and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cucuta: $1,335 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Cucuta
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Cucuta Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

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Cucuta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,335

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,335 in Cucuta versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

Cucuta $1,335
Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,003 in Cucuta versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

Cucuta $2,003
Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,670 in Cucuta versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

Cucuta $2,670
Montevideo $3,708

Living in Cucuta costs roughly 25% less than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cucuta is 1% below, Montevideo is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 COP 23.6K

$15.16 UYU 609

-50.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.54 COP 153.9K

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-29.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 COP 29.1K

$14.65 UYU 588

-37.47%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,235

$4.46 UYU 179

-34.75%

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

$1.43 COP 4,544

$2.67 UYU 107

-46.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,420

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,785

$4.83 UYU 194

-36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 COP 11.7K

$3.80 UYU 152

-2.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 COP 5,112

$1.36 UYU 54.8

18.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 COP 7,844

$2.87 UYU 115

-13.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,893

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-12.00%

Eggs

$2.99 COP 9,488

$4.68 UYU 188

-36.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 COP 28.5K

$13.88 UYU 557

-35.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 COP 27.2K

$11.98 UYU 481

-28.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 COP 36.2K

$11.97 UYU 480

-4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 COP 11.2K

$2.78 UYU 111

27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,061

$2.74 UYU 110

-41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 COP 6,574

$1.77 UYU 71.2

16.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,139

$3.24 UYU 130

-40.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 COP 4,071

$1.97 UYU 79.2

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 COP 4,149

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-36.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 COP 3,497

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-19.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 COP 3,221

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 COP 13.8K

$5.59 UYU 224

-22.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 COP 46.7K

$8.78 UYU 352

67.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 COP 5,217

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 COP 7,271

$2.75 UYU 110

-16.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 COP 3,783

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 COP 4,830

$1.91 UYU 76.7

-20.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,624

$0.40 UYU 16.18

422.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.90 COP 31.4K

$10.33 UYU 415

-4.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,055

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-39.91%

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

$28.7K COP 90.9M

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

5.72%

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

$40.2K COP 127.6M

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

10.96%

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

$126 COP 397.9K

$188 UYU 7,557

-33.35%

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

$13.88 COP 44.0K

$20.54 UYU 824

-32.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.14 COP 92.4K

$44.81 UYU 1,798

-34.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.45 COP 106.1K

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-38.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 COP 22.0K

$11.95 UYU 480

-41.84%

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

$647 COP 2.1M

$634 UYU 25.5K

1.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,396 COP 20.3M

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

-42.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 273.8K

$102 UYU 4,099

-15.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.97 COP 158.4K

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-13.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 COP 489.8K

$127 UYU 5,079

22.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 323.2K

$128 UYU 5,131

-20.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 COP 2.0M

$719 UYU 28.8K

-10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 COP 1.6M

$568 UYU 22.8K

-12.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 COP 3.2M

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-11.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 COP 2.5M

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-22.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 COP 6.3M

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-41.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,498 COP 4.7M

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-23.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$565 COP 1.8M

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

-54.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

5.74

101.74%

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

Last update for Cucuta: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cucuta

$497 37.2%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 14.2% $71

Groceries & Markets

Cucuta

$274 20.5%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 21.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Cucuta

$177 13.2%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 5.4% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cucuta

$169 12.6%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 50.5% $85

Eating Out

Cucuta

$155 11.6%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 73.8% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Cucuta

$47 3.6%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 64.5% $31

Getting Around

Cucuta

$17 * 1.3%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 404% $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 $643 in Cucuta and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 120% 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: $49.00 in Cucuta vs $69.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $332 per month, with Cucuta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cucuta

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

2 h ahead of Cucuta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

777,106

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cucuta Montevideo 5,060 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cucuta
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

Cucuta vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cucuta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 120% 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: $643 in Cucuta versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $647 in Cucuta versus $634 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cucuta – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,335 in Cucuta versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cucuta but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Cucuta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cucuta is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montevideo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cucuta 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 Cucuta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.