Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Desamparados and Montevideo

For one person, living costs are similar in Desamparados and in Montevideo: $1,689 and $1,771 a month, rent and utilities included.

82

Cost of Living Index in Desamparados
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Desamparados Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Desamparados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,689

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,689 per month in Desamparados vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Desamparados $1,689
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $2,670 per month in Desamparados vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Desamparados $2,670
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $3,651 per month in Desamparados vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Desamparados $3,651
Montevideo $3,708

Desamparados is about 5% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Desamparados and Montevideo sit above the global median – Desamparados by 25%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.26 ₡5,498

$15.16 UYU 609

-19.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 ₡23.5K

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-24.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 ₡5,303

$14.65 UYU 588

-19.32%

Cappuccino

$4.69 ₡2,101

$4.46 UYU 179

5.16%

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

$2.39 ₡1,072

$2.67 UYU 107

-10.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₡889

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,617

$4.83 UYU 194

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 ₡2,097

$3.80 UYU 152

23.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,087

$1.36 UYU 54.8

77.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 ₡1,217

$2.87 UYU 115

-5.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₡954

$1.75 UYU 70.2

21.71%

Eggs

$3.88 ₡1,740

$4.68 UYU 188

-17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 ₡5,412

$13.88 UYU 557

-13.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,736

$11.98 UYU 481

-11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 ₡6,279

$11.97 UYU 480

16.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 ₡2,200

$2.78 UYU 111

76.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₡785

$2.74 UYU 110

-36.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 ₡1,617

$1.77 UYU 71.2

103.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 ₡1,454

$3.24 UYU 130

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 ₡1,564

$1.97 UYU 79.2

77.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₡1,493

$2.07 UYU 83.1

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ₡469

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-23.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₡1,283

$1.88 UYU 75.3

52.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 ₡2,524

$5.59 UYU 224

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.39 ₡6,903

$8.78 UYU 352

75.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$2.26 UYU 90.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,273

$2.75 UYU 110

3.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ₡594

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-13.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 ₡1,008

$1.91 UYU 76.7

17.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 ₡788

$0.40 UYU 16.18

340.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 ₡3,337

$10.33 UYU 415

-27.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡692

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-27.70%

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

$21.5K ₡9.6M

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-20.70%

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

$30.9K ₡13.9M

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-14.77%

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

$97.5 ₡43.7K

$188 UYU 7,557

-48.21%

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

$34.11 ₡15.3K

$20.54 UYU 824

66.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 ₡25.2K

$44.81 UYU 1,798

25.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 ₡31.0K

$54.0 UYU 2,166

28.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 ₡3,571

$11.95 UYU 480

-33.39%

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

$919 ₡412.2K

$634 UYU 25.5K

44.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₡6.7M

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

34.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 ₡34.5K

$102 UYU 4,099

-24.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$57.5 UYU 2,309

5.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 ₡59.5K

$127 UYU 5,079

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₡54.4K

$128 UYU 5,131

-5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 ₡383.1K

$719 UYU 28.8K

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 ₡275.0K

$568 UYU 22.8K

7.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 ₡927.3K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

80.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 ₡557.3K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

21.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.74

50.17%

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

Last update for Desamparados: 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

Desamparados

$613 36.3%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 7.4% $45

Groceries & Markets

Desamparados

$375 22.2%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 11.7% $44

Eating Out

Desamparados

$235 13.9%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 14.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Desamparados

$188 11.1%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 35% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Desamparados

$176 10.4%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 5.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Desamparados

$85 5%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 8.4% $7.2

Getting Around

Desamparados

$16 * 1%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 416% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $854 in Desamparados versus $719 in Montevideo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Desamparados versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $375 in Desamparados vs $332 in Montevideo – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Desamparados

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

3 h ahead of Desamparados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,000

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Desamparados Montevideo 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Desamparados
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

Desamparados vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,689 in Desamparados, $1,771 in Montevideo – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Desamparados and $2,656 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Desamparados, 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 $52.0 in Desamparados and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Montevideo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Desamparados, where all-in costs run around $1,689, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Desamparados it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,689 in Desamparados to $1,771 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Desamparados. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.