Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hamilton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,237
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Hamilton versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

  • Hamilton $2,237
  • Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,267 in Hamilton versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

  • Hamilton $3,267
  • Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,297 in Hamilton versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

  • Hamilton $4,297
  • Montevideo $3,750

Living in Hamilton is roughly 23% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 67% above, Montevideo 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65 CA$25.16
$15.26 UYU 613
15.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.7 CA$86.5
$67.4 UYU 2,711
-10.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.96 CA$17.05
$14.37 UYU 578
-16.77%
Cappuccino
$3.48 CA$4.96
$4.64 UYU 187
-25.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 CA$3.06
$2.73 UYU 110
-21.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 CA$2.34
$2.09 UYU 84.0
-21.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.87 CA$6.95
$4.75 UYU 191
2.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 CA$8.74
$3.67 UYU 147
67.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 CA$3.09
$1.38 UYU 55.5
57.25%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 CA$3.17
$2.77 UYU 112
-19.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.54 CA$3.62
$1.69 UYU 67.8
50.30%
Eggs
$3.20 CA$4.55
$4.52 UYU 182
-29.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.91 CA$11.27
$14.17 UYU 570
-44.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.76 CA$15.34
$12.07 UYU 485
-10.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.64 CA$19.44
$12.16 UYU 489
12.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.82 CA$5.45
$2.87 UYU 116
33.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 CA$1.73
$2.75 UYU 110
-56.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.04 CA$5.76
$1.73 UYU 69.5
133.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 CA$5.42
$3.24 UYU 130
17.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.33 CA$3.32
$2.07 UYU 83.1
12.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 CA$2.25
$2.07 UYU 83.1
-23.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.17 CA$3.09
$1.38 UYU 55.4
57.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 CA$1.85
$1.85 UYU 74.5
-29.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.33 CA$17.58
$5.57 UYU 224
121.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.26 CA$18.90
$8.89 UYU 357
49.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 CA$3.49
$2.29 UYU 92.2
6.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 CA$4.81
$2.70 UYU 109
24.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.49 CA$3.55
$1.52 UYU 61.3
63.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.6 CA$122
$73.7 UYU 2,962
16.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.40 CA$4.85
$1.82 UYU 73.4
86.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 CA$1.75
$0.40 UYU 16.05
207.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.37 CA$33.32
$10.66 UYU 429
119.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 CA$1.70
$2.22 UYU 89.2
-46.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K CA$39.2K
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
2.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.9K CA$28.3K
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
-45.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 CA$212
$191 UYU 7,674
-21.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.14 CA$58.7
$20.40 UYU 820
101.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.32 CA$70.3
$44.14 UYU 1,775
11.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.18 CA$53.0
$54.1 UYU 2,177
-31.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.33 CA$24.71
$19.68 UYU 791
-11.94%
Cinema Ticket
$10.19 CA$14.52
$12.33 UYU 496
-17.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$597 CA$852
$613 UYU 24.7K
-2.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K CA$23.1K
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
46.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.29 CA$68.8
$103 UYU 4,134
-53.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.75 CA$43.83
$56.1 UYU 2,255
-45.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.2 CA$123
$124 UYU 5,000
-30.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 CA$163
$130 UYU 5,214
-11.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,263 CA$1,801
$705 UYU 28.4K
79.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,135 CA$1,617
$575 UYU 23.1K
97.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,006 CA$2,859
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
76.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,869 CA$2,664
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
84.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,659 CA$3,790
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
-20.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,694 CA$3,840
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
38.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamilton
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,896 CA$4,128
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
135.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.6
5.74
-19.86%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hamilton
$1.1K
Montevideo
$575 49.3% $559
Groceries & Markets
Hamilton
$327
Montevideo
$332 1.7% $5.6
Eating Out
Hamilton
$271
Montevideo
$271 0.2% $0.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton
$240
Montevideo
$255 6.6% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton
$126
Montevideo
$186 47.6% $60
Getting Around
Hamilton
$105
Montevideo
$84 20.5% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton
$58
Montevideo
$79 36.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,263 in Hamilton and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 136% 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: $61.0 in Hamilton vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $332 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Hamilton
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
03:09 3:09 AM
04:09 4:09 AM
1 h ahead of Hamilton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
519,949
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamilton Montevideo 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamilton
  • 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
Hamilton vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montevideo cheaper than Hamilton?
Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in transport and utilities. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Hamilton or Montevideo?
Average pay runs 136% higher in Hamilton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Hamilton and Montevideo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,263 in Hamilton versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $597 in Hamilton versus $613 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Hamilton and in Montevideo?
Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Hamilton or in Montevideo?
At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,237 in Hamilton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Hamilton or Montevideo more family-friendly?
For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Hamilton or Montevideo?
Safety-wise, Hamilton 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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