Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Forks, ND and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Grand Forks, ND outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Grand Forks, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,034
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

  • Grand Forks, ND $2,034
  • Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,958 in Grand Forks, ND versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

  • Grand Forks, ND $2,958
  • Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,883 in Grand Forks, ND versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

  • Grand Forks, ND $3,883
  • Montevideo $3,708

Living in Grand Forks, ND is roughly 15% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grand Forks, ND 51% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.48 $21.48
$15.16 UYU 609
41.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.2 $81.2
$69.2 UYU 2,776
17.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.84 $12.84
$14.65 UYU 588
-12.35%
Cappuccino
$6.06 $6.06
$4.46 UYU 179
35.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$2.67 UYU 107
0.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 $2.97
$2.00 UYU 80.4
48.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.15 $5.15
$4.83 UYU 194
6.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 $5.95
$3.80 UYU 152
56.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.36 UYU 54.8
-19.12%
White Bread (500g)
$3.59 $3.59
$2.87 UYU 115
25.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.45 $4.45
$1.75 UYU 70.2
154.29%
Eggs
$3.67 $3.67
$4.68 UYU 188
-21.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.05 $24.05
$13.88 UYU 557
73.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$11.98 UYU 481
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$11.97 UYU 480
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.78 UYU 111
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 $1.97
$2.74 UYU 110
-28.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.45 $4.45
$1.77 UYU 71.2
151.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.12 $3.12
$3.24 UYU 130
-3.70%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.97 UYU 79.2
14.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.82 $2.82
$2.07 UYU 83.1
36.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.37 UYU 55.1
63.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.88 UYU 75.3
3.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.09 $10.09
$5.59 UYU 224
80.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$34.40 $34.40
$8.78 UYU 352
291.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.26 UYU 90.9
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.84 $5.84
$2.75 UYU 110
112.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.53 UYU 61.5
-4.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.51 $42.51
$74.3 UYU 2,980
-42.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.04 $6.04
$1.91 UYU 76.7
216.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.40 UYU 16.18
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$10.33 UYU 415
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$2.13 UYU 85.6
-59.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 $217
$188 UYU 7,557
15.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$115 $115
$20.54 UYU 824
460.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.1 $73.1
$44.81 UYU 1,798
63.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.1 $63.1
$54.0 UYU 2,166
16.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.75 UYU 793
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.27 $15.27
$11.95 UYU 480
27.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$583 $583
$634 UYU 25.5K
-8.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$102 UYU 4,099
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$57.5 UYU 2,309
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$127 UYU 5,079
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$128 UYU 5,131
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$989 $989
$719 UYU 28.8K
37.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$815 $815
$568 UYU 22.8K
43.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,575 $1,575
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
37.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,278 $1,278
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
24.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,483 $1,483
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
-56.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,530 $1,530
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
-21.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Grand Forks, ND
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,082 $4,082
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
227.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
5.74
18.82%

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

Last update for Grand Forks, ND: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Grand Forks, ND
$815
Montevideo
$568 30.3% $247
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand Forks, ND
$406
Montevideo
$254 37.5% $152
Eating Out
Grand Forks, ND
$343
Montevideo
$269 21.6% $74
Groceries & Markets
Grand Forks, ND
$322 *
Montevideo
$332 3% $9.6
Sport & Entertainment
Grand Forks, ND
$94
Montevideo
$78 16.8% $16
Getting Around
Grand Forks, ND
$54 *
Montevideo
$84 55% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Grand Forks, ND
- *
Montevideo
$186

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 $989 in Grand Forks, ND and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Forks, ND pays 228% 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: $81.0 in Grand Forks, ND vs $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $332, with Grand Forks, ND cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Grand Forks, ND
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
22:00 10:00 PM
00:00 12:00 AM
2 h ahead of Grand Forks, ND
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,372
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Grand Forks, ND Montevideo 10,060 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Grand Forks, ND
  • 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
Grand Forks, ND vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Grand Forks, ND or Montevideo?
Montevideo wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Grand Forks, ND. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montevideo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Grand Forks, ND or in Montevideo?
Average pay runs 228% higher in Grand Forks, ND, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Grand Forks, ND compared to Montevideo?
Rent for a central apartment: $989 in Grand Forks, ND versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Grand Forks, ND compared to Montevideo?
A monthly transit pass in Montevideo runs roughly 75% less than in Grand Forks, ND. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Grand Forks, ND and in Montevideo?
Childcare runs $583 in Grand Forks, ND versus $634 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Grand Forks, ND or in Montevideo?
At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Grand Forks, ND. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Grand Forks, ND or Montevideo?
Both work as nomad bases, but Montevideo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montevideo hard to pass up.
How safe is Grand Forks, ND compared to Montevideo?
Safety-wise, Grand Forks, ND 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Grand Forks, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Grand Forks, ND vs other spots: cost of living compared

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