Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joplin, MO and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,032 in Joplin, MO, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Joplin, MO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

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

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Joplin, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,032

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,032 in Joplin, MO versus $1,771 in Montevideo.

Joplin, MO $2,032
Montevideo $1,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Joplin, MO versus $2,740 in Montevideo.

Joplin, MO $2,801
Montevideo $2,740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,571 in Joplin, MO versus $3,708 in Montevideo.

Joplin, MO $3,571
Montevideo $3,708

Living in Joplin, MO 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: Joplin, MO 50% above, Montevideo 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 $14.74

$15.16 UYU 609

-2.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 $10.69

$14.65 UYU 588

-27.03%

Cappuccino

$4.59 $4.59

$4.46 UYU 179

2.91%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$2.67 UYU 107

-26.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$4.83 UYU 194

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.80 UYU 152

61.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-33.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.87 UYU 115

-2.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.75 UYU 70.2

23.43%

Eggs

$3.30 $3.30

$4.68 UYU 188

-29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$13.88 UYU 557

-35.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$11.98 UYU 481

-41.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$11.97 UYU 480

44.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.78 UYU 111

40.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.74 UYU 110

-56.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.77 UYU 71.2

40.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.24 UYU 130

-34.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.97 UYU 79.2

-37.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.07 UYU 83.1

12.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.37 UYU 55.1

38.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.88 UYU 75.3

15.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$5.59 UYU 224

72.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$8.78 UYU 352

72.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.75 UYU 110

-46.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.53 UYU 61.5

34.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.91 UYU 76.7

27.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.40 UYU 16.18

297.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.74 $40.74

$10.33 UYU 415

294.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-63.38%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

37.99%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-32.82%

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

$278 $278

$188 UYU 7,557

47.79%

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

$42.98 $42.98

$20.54 UYU 824

109.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$44.81 UYU 1,798

54.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.72 $14.72

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-72.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 $13.47

$11.95 UYU 480

12.72%

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

$932 $932

$634 UYU 25.5K

46.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

44.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 $40.69

$102 UYU 4,099

-60.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 $31.86

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-44.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 $99.4

$127 UYU 5,079

-21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 $70.0

$128 UYU 5,131

-45.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$719 UYU 28.8K

76.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$568 UYU 22.8K

60.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

47.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

23.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,441 $1,441

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-57.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,460 $1,460

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-25.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 $3,370

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

170.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

5.74

13.07%

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

Last update for Joplin, 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

Joplin, MO

$911 44.8%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 37.6% $343

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joplin, MO

$390 19.2%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 35% $137

Groceries & Markets

Joplin, MO

$304 15%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 9% $28

Eating Out

Joplin, MO

$257 12.7%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 4.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Joplin, MO

$109 5.4%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 71.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Joplin, MO

$42 2.1%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 87% $36

Getting Around

Joplin, MO

$19 * 0.9%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 353% $66

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 $1,265 in Joplin, MO and $719 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joplin, MO pays 171% 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: $60.0 in Joplin, MO vs $69.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $332 per month, with Joplin, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Joplin, MO

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

12:38 12:38 PM

2 h ahead of Joplin, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,762

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Joplin, MO Montevideo 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Joplin, 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

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

Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 171% higher in Joplin, 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: $1,265 in Joplin, MO versus $719 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Joplin, MO pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,032 per month in Joplin, MO versus $1,771 in Montevideo – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,032 in Joplin, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Joplin, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Joplin, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Joplin, 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 15% less than in Joplin, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.