Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,784 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,784 in Montevideo.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Montevideo $1,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,236 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,756 in Montevideo.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Montevideo $2,756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,301 in Des Moines, IA versus $3,728 in Montevideo.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Montevideo $3,728

Living in Des Moines, IA is roughly 22% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Moines, IA 60% above, Montevideo 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$14.82 UYU 595

32.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$69.7 UYU 2,797

15.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$14.68 UYU 589

-16.76%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$4.65 UYU 186

32.47%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.74 UYU 110

6.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.07 UYU 82.9

23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.79 UYU 192

4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.63 UYU 146

62.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.39 UYU 55.8

-34.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.89 UYU 116

4.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.70 UYU 68.1

98.82%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$4.62 UYU 185

-13.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$14.22 UYU 571

-31.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$11.62 UYU 466

-14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$12.23 UYU 491

11.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.77 UYU 111

56.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.85 UYU 114

-47.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.81 UYU 72.5

150.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.20 UYU 129

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.94 UYU 77.8

58.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.16 UYU 86.5

-0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.43 UYU 57.3

66.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.94 UYU 77.9

12.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.47 UYU 219

43.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$8.95 UYU 359

65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.26 UYU 90.8

-24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.81 UYU 113

9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.56 UYU 62.6

10.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$73.8 UYU 2,962

-21.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.90 UYU 76.2

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.43 UYU 17.36

186.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$10.59 UYU 425

86.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.12 UYU 85.2

-56.13%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

1.43%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-32.02%

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

$185 $185

$193 UYU 7,727

-4.11%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$20.91 UYU 839

156.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$44.89 UYU 1,802

56.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$50.8 UYU 2,038

25.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$19.73 UYU 792

2.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$12.30 UYU 494

-18.78%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$629 UYU 25.2K

88.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

9.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$104 UYU 4,166

-42.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$57.4 UYU 2,305

-25.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$125 UYU 5,010

-19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$132 UYU 5,315

9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$713 UYU 28.6K

65.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$575 UYU 23.1K

51.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

49.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

34.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

-32.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

32.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

193.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

5.74

14.29%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Montevideo

$575 32.2% 34% $297

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Montevideo

$334 18.7% 4.5% $16

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Montevideo

$269 15.1% 17.7% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Montevideo

$258 14.5% 16.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Montevideo

$188 10.6% 20.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Montevideo

$75 4.2% 10% $8.4

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 15% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA and $713 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 193% 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: $81.0 in Des Moines, IA vs $70.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $334 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

05:04 5:04 AM

2 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Des Moines, IA Montevideo 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
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

Des Moines, IA vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montevideo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 193% higher in Des Moines, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,177 in Des Moines, IA versus $713 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montevideo – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,171 per month in Des Moines, IA versus $1,784 in Montevideo – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,784 in Montevideo versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montevideo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,784 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montevideo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Des Moines, IA 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 Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.