Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Independence, MO and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,113 in Independence, MO, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Independence, MO
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Independence, MO Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Independence, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,113

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,113 in Independence, MO versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

Independence, MO $2,113
Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,065 in Independence, MO versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

Independence, MO $3,065
Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,017 in Independence, MO versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

Independence, MO $4,017
Montevideo $3,708

Living in Independence, MO is roughly 19% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Independence, MO 56% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 $20.38

$15.16 UYU 609

34.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 $74.8

$69.2 UYU 2,776

8.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 $12.43

$14.65 UYU 588

-15.15%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$4.46 UYU 179

11.88%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$2.67 UYU 107

1.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.00 UYU 80.4

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$4.83 UYU 194

45.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 $7.43

$3.80 UYU 152

95.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-16.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.87 UYU 115

14.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.75 UYU 70.2

154.29%

Eggs

$4.29 $4.29

$4.68 UYU 188

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$13.88 UYU 557

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$11.98 UYU 481

-19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$11.97 UYU 480

12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.78 UYU 111

58.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.74 UYU 110

-41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.77 UYU 71.2

154.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.24 UYU 130

32.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.97 UYU 79.2

58.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.07 UYU 83.1

38.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.37 UYU 55.1

45.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.88 UYU 75.3

15.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 $7.94

$5.59 UYU 224

42.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$8.78 UYU 352

72.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-22.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.75 UYU 110

36.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.91 UYU 76.7

28.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.40 UYU 16.18

202.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$10.33 UYU 415

145.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-54.46%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

29.86%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-32.13%

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

$245 $245

$188 UYU 7,557

30.19%

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

$63.0 $63.0

$20.54 UYU 824

206.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$44.81 UYU 1,798

63.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 $15.24

$11.95 UYU 480

27.53%

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

$965 $965

$634 UYU 25.5K

52.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

77.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$102 UYU 4,099

-42.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.34 $40.34

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 $97.0

$127 UYU 5,079

-23.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$128 UYU 5,131

-6.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 $1,032

$719 UYU 28.8K

43.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 $852

$568 UYU 22.8K

49.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 $2,072

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

80.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

27.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,472 $1,472

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-56.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,470 $3,470

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

178.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

5.74

14.29%

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

Last update for Independence, MO: 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

Independence, MO

$852 40.3%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 33.3% $284

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Independence, MO

$382 18.1%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 33.5% $128

Groceries & Markets

Independence, MO

$369 17.5%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 10.1% $37

Eating Out

Independence, MO

$329 15.6%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 18.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Independence, MO

$142 6.7%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 30.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Independence, MO

$30 * 1.4%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 156% $47

Getting Around

Independence, MO

$8.5 * 0.4%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 892% $76

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 $1,032 in Independence, MO and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Independence, MO pays 179% 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: $75.0 in Independence, MO vs $69.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $332 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Independence, MO

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

03:42 3:42 AM

2 h ahead of Independence, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,213

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Independence, MO Montevideo 9,120 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Independence, MO
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

Independence, MO vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Independence, MO and Montevideo differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,113 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 179% higher in Independence, MO, 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: $1,032 in Independence, MO versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Independence, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,113 per month in Independence, MO versus $1,771 in Montevideo – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,113 in Independence, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Independence, MO. 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, Independence, MO 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 19% less than in Independence, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.