Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,784 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,784 in Montevideo.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Montevideo $1,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $2,756 in Montevideo.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Montevideo $2,756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $3,728 in Montevideo.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Montevideo $3,728

Living in Elizabeth, NJ is roughly 79% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elizabeth, NJ 135% above, Montevideo 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$14.82 UYU 595

33.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$69.7 UYU 2,797

15.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$14.68 UYU 589

-19.01%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$4.65 UYU 186

17.20%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.74 UYU 110

-11.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.07 UYU 82.9

-28.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$4.79 UYU 192

62.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$3.63 UYU 146

96.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.39 UYU 55.8

-8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.89 UYU 116

55.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.70 UYU 68.1

250.59%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$4.62 UYU 185

41.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$14.22 UYU 571

7.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$11.62 UYU 466

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$12.23 UYU 491

61.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$2.77 UYU 111

114.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.85 UYU 114

24.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.81 UYU 72.5

132.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.20 UYU 129

69.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.94 UYU 77.8

54.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.16 UYU 86.5

36.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.43 UYU 57.3

109.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.94 UYU 77.9

29.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$5.47 UYU 219

167.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$8.95 UYU 359

70.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.26 UYU 90.8

19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.81 UYU 113

21.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.56 UYU 62.6

84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$73.8 UYU 2,962

2.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.90 UYU 76.2

53.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.43 UYU 17.36

390.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$10.59 UYU 425

300.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.12 UYU 85.2

-48.58%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

4.29%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-28.92%

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

$247 $247

$193 UYU 7,727

28.49%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$20.91 UYU 839

143.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$44.89 UYU 1,802

11.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$50.8 UYU 2,038

-51.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$12.30 UYU 494

62.85%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$629 UYU 25.2K

219.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

48.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$104 UYU 4,166

-52.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$57.4 UYU 2,305

35.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$125 UYU 5,010

-29.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$132 UYU 5,315

-8.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$713 UYU 28.6K

205.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$575 UYU 23.1K

198.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

129.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

141.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

-62.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

-35.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

221.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.74

16.20%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Montevideo

$575 32.2% 66.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Montevideo

$334 18.7% 29.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Montevideo

$258 14.5% 25.9% $90

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Montevideo

$269 15.1% 17.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Montevideo

$188 10.6% 24.3% $37

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 16.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Montevideo

$75 4.2% 16.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $713 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabeth, NJ pays 221% 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: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $70.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $334 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

19:24 7:24 PM

1 h ahead of Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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

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Between locations

Elizabeth, NJ Montevideo 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth, NJ
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

Elizabeth, NJ vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth, NJ and Montevideo differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $1,784 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 221% higher in Elizabeth, NJ, 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: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $713 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $629 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,784 in Montevideo versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Elizabeth, NJ. 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, Elizabeth, NJ 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 79% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.