Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Des Plaines, IL $3,073
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,412 in Des Plaines, IL versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Des Plaines, IL $4,412
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,750 in Des Plaines, IL versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Des Plaines, IL $5,750
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Des Plaines, IL is roughly 69% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Plaines, IL 129% above, Montevideo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.88 $20.88

$15.26 UYU 613

36.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 $89.5

$67.4 UYU 2,711

32.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$14.37 UYU 578

-10.44%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.64 UYU 187

21.77%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.73 UYU 110

-5.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.09 UYU 84.0

11.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.75 UYU 191

46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.67 UYU 147

118.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.38 UYU 55.5

-31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.77 UYU 112

25.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.69 UYU 67.8

150.30%

Eggs

$4.16 $4.16

$4.52 UYU 182

-7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.67 $14.67

$14.17 UYU 570

3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$12.07 UYU 485

7.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.95 $18.95

$12.16 UYU 489

55.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.87 UYU 116

65.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.75 UYU 110

-40.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.73 UYU 69.5

140.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$3.24 UYU 130

48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.07 UYU 83.1

28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.07 UYU 83.1

32.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.38 UYU 55.4

55.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.85 UYU 74.5

30.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 $10.65

$5.57 UYU 224

91.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$8.89 UYU 357

67.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.29 UYU 92.2

11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.70 UYU 109

30.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.52 UYU 61.3

32.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$73.7 UYU 2,962

-17.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.82 UYU 73.4

74.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.40 UYU 16.05

242.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 $24.93

$10.66 UYU 429

133.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-52.70%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

34.31%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-32.43%

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

$195 $195

$191 UYU 7,674

2.14%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$20.40 UYU 820

196.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$44.14 UYU 1,775

74.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$54.1 UYU 2,177

130.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.72 $40.72

$19.68 UYU 791

106.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$12.33 UYU 496

22.95%

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

$1,545 $1,545

$613 UYU 24.7K

152.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

112.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 $65.3

$103 UYU 4,134

-36.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-9.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$124 UYU 5,000

-18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$130 UYU 5,214

-5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$705 UYU 28.4K

196.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$575 UYU 23.1K

164.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,861 $3,861

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

239.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,536 $2,536

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

149.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 $3,174

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-5.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,521 $2,521

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

29.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,220 $6,220

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

406.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

5.74

17.94%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 62.2% $946

Groceries & Markets

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 20.6% $86

Eating Out

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 21.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 23.2% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 49.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 21.6% $33

Getting Around

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 5.9% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 406% 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: $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $332 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

20:02 8:02 PM

2 h ahead of Des Plaines, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,675

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Des Plaines, IL Montevideo 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Plaines, IL
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 Plaines, IL vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Des Plaines, IL and Montevideo differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($3,073 vs $1,813 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 406% higher in Des Plaines, IL, 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: $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Des Plaines, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montevideo – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo 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, Des Plaines, IL 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 69% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.