Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $1,933 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Escazu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,933 in Escazu versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

Escazu $1,933
Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,966 in Escazu versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

Escazu $2,966
Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,999 in Escazu versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

Escazu $3,999
Montevideo $3,708

Living in Escazu is roughly 9% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 43% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 ₡5,486

$15.16 UYU 609

-19.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 ₡27.9K

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-10.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 ₡5,146

$14.65 UYU 588

-21.64%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₡2,045

$4.46 UYU 179

2.24%

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

$2.72 ₡1,218

$2.67 UYU 107

1.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡828

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,505

$4.83 UYU 194

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,006

$3.80 UYU 152

17.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,040

$1.36 UYU 54.8

70.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,397

$2.87 UYU 115

8.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,117

$1.75 UYU 70.2

42.29%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.68 UYU 188

-23.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,757

$13.88 UYU 557

-23.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,581

$11.98 UYU 481

-14.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,252

$11.97 UYU 480

16.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 ₡2,301

$2.78 UYU 111

84.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡726

$2.74 UYU 110

-40.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 ₡1,416

$1.77 UYU 71.2

78.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,378

$3.24 UYU 130

-5.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,698

$1.97 UYU 79.2

92.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.07 UYU 83.1

80.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡465

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-24.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡762

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 ₡2,479

$5.59 UYU 224

-1.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 ₡8,249

$8.78 UYU 352

109.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,202

$2.75 UYU 110

-2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-28.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡923

$1.91 UYU 76.7

7.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$0.40 UYU 16.18

292.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,927

$10.33 UYU 415

-15.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-30.52%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-17.30%

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

$35.2K ₡15.8M

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-2.98%

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

$94.6 ₡42.4K

$188 UYU 7,557

-49.79%

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

$29.81 ₡13.4K

$20.54 UYU 824

45.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 ₡27.0K

$44.81 UYU 1,798

34.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 ₡48.6K

$54.0 UYU 2,166

100.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₡4,550

$19.75 UYU 793

-48.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,502

$11.95 UYU 480

-34.64%

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

$457 ₡204.9K

$634 UYU 25.5K

-27.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

52.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 ₡31.9K

$102 UYU 4,099

-30.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-3.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$127 UYU 5,079

3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.4K

$128 UYU 5,131

1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 ₡373.9K

$719 UYU 28.8K

15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ₡378.8K

$568 UYU 22.8K

48.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 ₡879.3K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

71.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 ₡676.4K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

47.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,407 ₡630.8K

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-58.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 ₡435.7K

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-50.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 ₡782.8K

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

40.24%

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 Escazu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$845 43.7%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 32.8% $277

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$361 18.7%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 8% $29

Eating Out

Escazu

$231 12%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 16.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$184 9.5%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 37.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 6.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$124 6.4%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 37.2% $46

Getting Around

Escazu

$14 * 0.7%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 490% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $834 in Escazu and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 40% 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: $62.0 in Escazu vs $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $361 vs $332, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

3 h ahead of Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Escazu Montevideo 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
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

Escazu vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Escazu, 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: $834 in Escazu versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,933 per month in Escazu versus $1,771 in Montevideo – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,933 in Escazu, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Escazu. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Escazu 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 9% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.