Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hickory, NC and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,070 in Hickory, NC, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hickory, NC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in Hickory, NC
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Hickory, NC Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,070

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,070 in Hickory, NC versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

Hickory, NC $2,070
Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,958 in Hickory, NC versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

Hickory, NC $2,958
Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,847 in Hickory, NC versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

Hickory, NC $3,847
Montevideo $3,708

Living in Hickory, NC is roughly 17% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hickory, NC 53% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 $14.78

$15.16 UYU 609

-2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 $61.7

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-10.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$14.65 UYU 588

-26.14%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$4.46 UYU 179

11.66%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.67 UYU 107

-17.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.83 UYU 194

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.80 UYU 152

82.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.87 UYU 115

29.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.75 UYU 70.2

78.29%

Eggs

$3.54 $3.54

$4.68 UYU 188

-24.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$13.88 UYU 557

-25.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$11.98 UYU 481

-25.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$11.97 UYU 480

41.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.78 UYU 111

46.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.74 UYU 110

-38.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.77 UYU 71.2

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.24 UYU 130

-46.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.97 UYU 79.2

16.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.07 UYU 83.1

62.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.37 UYU 55.1

36.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.88 UYU 75.3

15.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.59 UYU 224

46.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.78 UYU 352

67.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.75 UYU 110

12.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-16.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 $45.47

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-38.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.91 UYU 76.7

7.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.40 UYU 16.18

492.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.24 $18.24

$10.33 UYU 415

76.57%

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)

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

31.71%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-30.92%

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

$139 $139

$188 UYU 7,557

-26.10%

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

$60.8 $60.8

$20.54 UYU 824

196.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 $56.1

$44.81 UYU 1,798

25.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.92 $27.92

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-48.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$14.20 $14.20

$11.95 UYU 480

18.83%

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

$355 $355

$634 UYU 25.5K

-44.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

130.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.13 $40.13

$102 UYU 4,099

-60.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.28 $20.28

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-64.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.82 $39.82

$127 UYU 5,079

-68.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.92 $49.92

$128 UYU 5,131

-60.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$719 UYU 28.8K

76.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 $1,020

$568 UYU 22.8K

79.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 $1,649

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

44.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

48.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,198 $2,198

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-35.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,159 $2,159

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

10.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,550 $4,550

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

265.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

5.74

-3.66%

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

Last update for Hickory, NC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hickory, NC

$1K 49.3%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 44.3% $452

Groceries & Markets

Hickory, NC

$339 16.4%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 2.1% $7

Eating Out

Hickory, NC

$267 12.9%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 0.7% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hickory, NC

$256 12.4%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 0.9% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Hickory, NC

$68 3.3%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 176% $119

Getting Around

Hickory, NC

$65 3.1%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 30.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Hickory, NC

$56 2.7%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 38.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Hickory, NC and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hickory, NC pays 266% 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 Hickory, NC vs $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $339 vs $332, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hickory, NC

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

12:12 12:12 PM

1 h ahead of Hickory, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,374

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 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).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hickory, NC Montevideo 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hickory, NC
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

Hickory, NC vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hickory, NC and Montevideo differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,070 vs $1,771 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 266% higher in Hickory, NC, 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: $1,267 in Hickory, NC versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montevideo – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $62.0 in Hickory, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,070 per month in Hickory, NC versus $1,771 in Montevideo – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,070 in Hickory, NC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Hickory, NC. 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, Hickory, NC 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 17% less than in Hickory, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.