Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,198 in La Crosse, WI, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in La Crosse, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
Learn more

La Crosse, WI Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

Jump to prices

La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,198

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,198 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $2,198
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $3,399
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $4,601 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $4,601
Montevideo $3,708

La Crosse, WI costs about 24% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both La Crosse, WI and Montevideo sit above the global median – La Crosse, WI by 63%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$15.16 UYU 609

-1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$69.2 UYU 2,776

3.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$14.65 UYU 588

-23.75%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.46 UYU 179

26.68%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$2.67 UYU 107

-17.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-41.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.83 UYU 194

-8.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.80 UYU 152

57.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.87 UYU 115

-11.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.75 UYU 70.2

172.57%

Eggs

$2.40 $2.40

$4.68 UYU 188

-48.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 $9.96

$13.88 UYU 557

-28.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.69 $10.69

$11.98 UYU 481

-10.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$11.97 UYU 480

37.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.78 UYU 111

76.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.74 UYU 110

-59.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.77 UYU 71.2

75.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.24 UYU 130

61.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.97 UYU 79.2

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.07 UYU 83.1

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.37 UYU 55.1

50.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-9.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 $9.74

$5.59 UYU 224

74.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 $11.04

$8.78 UYU 352

25.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.75 UYU 110

-29.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-35.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.58 $35.58

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-52.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.91 UYU 76.7

80.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.40 UYU 16.18

377.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.67 $44.67

$10.33 UYU 415

332.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-58.22%

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

$38.8K $38.8K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

43.21%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-33.03%

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

$206 $206

$188 UYU 7,557

9.55%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$20.54 UYU 824

165.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$44.81 UYU 1,798

49.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.44 $39.44

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-26.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 $3.95

$19.75 UYU 793

-80.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$11.95 UYU 480

-0.25%

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

$890 $890

$634 UYU 25.5K

40.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 $63.3

$102 UYU 4,099

-37.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.3 $63.3

$57.5 UYU 2,309

9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 $79.6

$127 UYU 5,079

-37.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$128 UYU 5,131

-5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$719 UYU 28.8K

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 $1,000

$568 UYU 22.8K

76.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

94.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 $1,983

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

93.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 $1,907

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-43.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,920 $1,920

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-1.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,088 $4,088

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

228.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.74

15.51%

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

Last update for La Crosse, WI: 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

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.5%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 43.2% $432

Groceries & Markets

La Crosse, WI

$338 15.4%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 2% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Crosse, WI

$328 14.9%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 22.6% $74

Eating Out

La Crosse, WI

$269 12.2%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 0.1% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

La Crosse, WI

$147 6.7%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 26.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

La Crosse, WI

$63 2.9%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 23.1% $15

Getting Around

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.4%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 60.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in La Crosse, WI versus $719 in Montevideo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 228% higher in La Crosse, WI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in La Crosse, WI versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

06:12 6:12 AM

2 h ahead of La Crosse, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,680

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Crosse, WI Montevideo 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

La Crosse, WI
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

La Crosse, WI vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,198 in La Crosse, WI, $1,771 in Montevideo – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,297 per month in La Crosse, WI and $2,656 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in La Crosse, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in La Crosse, WI and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in La Crosse, WI at $2,198. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Crosse, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,771 in Montevideo to $2,198 in La Crosse, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Crosse, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.