Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Congo and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in El Congo: $576 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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El Congo

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$576

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $576 per month in El Congo vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

El Congo $576
Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $598 per month in El Congo vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

El Congo $598
Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $621 per month in El Congo vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

El Congo $621
Montevideo $3,750

El Congo is about 68% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

El Congo sits 57% below the global median, while Montevideo is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

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

$2.73 UYU 110

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

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)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

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

$191 UYU 7,674

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

$20.40 UYU 820

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 $706

$705 UYU 28.4K

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 $570

$575 UYU 23.1K

-0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 $964

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

-15.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 $626

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

-38.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,281 $4,281

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

27.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 $1,283

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-33.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 $964

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

-21.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.72

5.74

-0.35%

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

Last update for El Congo: 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

El Congo

–

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Groceries & Markets

El Congo

–

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Eating Out

El Congo

–

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Congo

–

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Clothing & Footwear

El Congo

–

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Getting Around

El Congo

–

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

El Congo

–

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $706 in El Congo 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 28% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇸🇻 El Congo

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

22:53 10:53 PM

3 h ahead of El Congo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,905

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 = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

El Congo Montevideo 6,470 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

El Congo
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

El Congo vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $576 in El Congo, $1,813 in Montevideo – roughly 215% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $864 per month in El Congo 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 El Congo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Congo, where all-in costs run around $576, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In El Congo 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 $576 in El Congo to $1,813 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 El Congo. 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.