Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grecia and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Grecia: $1,505 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Grecia
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Grecia Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Grecia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,505

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,505 in Grecia versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

Grecia $1,505
Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Grecia versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

Grecia $2,083
Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Grecia versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

Grecia $2,660
Montevideo $3,708

Living in Grecia costs roughly 15% less than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grecia 12% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 ₡4,754

$15.16 UYU 609

-30.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 ₡24.0K

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-22.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 ₡5,236

$14.65 UYU 588

-20.27%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ₡1,507

$4.46 UYU 179

-24.66%

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

$1.80 ₡809

$2.67 UYU 107

-32.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡824

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 ₡1,210

$4.83 UYU 194

-44.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,305

$3.80 UYU 152

-23.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₡893

$1.36 UYU 54.8

46.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₡499

$2.87 UYU 115

-61.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,086

$1.75 UYU 70.2

38.29%

Eggs

$3.49 ₡1,563

$4.68 UYU 188

-25.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 ₡2,926

$13.88 UYU 557

-53.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$11.98 UYU 481

-63.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ₡6,164

$11.97 UYU 480

14.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,088

$2.78 UYU 111

-12.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₡709

$2.74 UYU 110

-42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.77 UYU 71.2

-23.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ₡608

$3.24 UYU 130

-58.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ₡773

$1.97 UYU 79.2

-12.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-24.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡505

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-17.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₡957

$1.88 UYU 75.3

13.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 ₡2,634

$5.59 UYU 224

5.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 ₡5,747

$8.78 UYU 352

45.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₡944

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₡709

$2.75 UYU 110

-42.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 ₡849

$1.53 UYU 61.5

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ₡890

$1.91 UYU 76.7

3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡728

$0.40 UYU 16.18

305.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,974

$10.33 UYU 415

-14.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡693

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-27.23%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-19.68%

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

$34.7K ₡15.6M

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-4.25%

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

$87.9 ₡39.4K

$188 UYU 7,557

-53.31%

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

$26.87 ₡12.1K

$20.54 UYU 824

30.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 ₡26.6K

$44.81 UYU 1,798

32.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.76 ₡21.9K

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-9.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.93 ₡5,349

$19.75 UYU 793

-39.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ₡3,364

$11.95 UYU 480

-37.24%

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

$994 ₡446.0K

$634 UYU 25.5K

56.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

57.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 ₡32.0K

$102 UYU 4,099

-30.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.3K

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-1.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.2K

$127 UYU 5,079

0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.0K

$128 UYU 5,131

4.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₡200.0K

$719 UYU 28.8K

-37.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₡283.4K

$568 UYU 22.8K

11.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 ₡347.9K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-32.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₡303.6K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-33.84%

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)

$667 ₡299.1K

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

-46.41%

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 Grecia: 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

Grecia

$632 42%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 10.1% $64

Groceries & Markets

Grecia

$249 16.5%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 33.4% $83

Eating Out

Grecia

$194 12.9%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 38.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Grecia

$175 11.6%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 6.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grecia

$174 11.6%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 45.7% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Grecia

$64 4.2%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 22.1% $14

Getting Around

Grecia

$18 * 1.2%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 377% $67

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 $446 in Grecia and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 87% 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: $53.0 in Grecia vs $69.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $332 per month, with Grecia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Grecia

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

3 h ahead of Grecia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,700

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 20, 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 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Grecia Montevideo 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Grecia
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

Grecia vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grecia wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grecia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Montevideo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $446 in Grecia versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $994 in Grecia versus $634 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Grecia – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,505 in Grecia versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grecia but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Grecia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grecia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,505 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grecia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grecia 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 Grecia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.