Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lawrence, KS and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,784 a month against $2,202 in Lawrence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lawrence, KS outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
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Lawrence, KS Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,202

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $1,784 in Montevideo, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $2,202
Montevideo $1,784

A couple spends around $3,303 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $2,756 in Montevideo, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $3,303
Montevideo $2,756

A family of three spends $4,405 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $3,728 in Montevideo, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $4,405
Montevideo $3,728

Lawrence, KS costs about 23% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lawrence, KS and Montevideo sit above the global median – Lawrence, KS by 62%, Montevideo by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.21 $15.21

$14.82 UYU 595

2.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 $75.0

$69.7 UYU 2,797

7.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$14.68 UYU 589

-23.91%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$4.65 UYU 186

10.97%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.74 UYU 110

-6.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.07 UYU 82.9

-8.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.79 UYU 192

27.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 $7.64

$3.63 UYU 146

110.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.39 UYU 55.8

-39.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.89 UYU 116

6.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.70 UYU 68.1

160.59%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$4.62 UYU 185

-12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.31 $11.31

$14.22 UYU 571

-20.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.66 $12.66

$11.62 UYU 466

8.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$12.23 UYU 491

37.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.77 UYU 111

93.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.85 UYU 114

-24.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.81 UYU 72.5

161.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.20 UYU 129

31.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.94 UYU 77.8

-2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.16 UYU 86.5

37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.43 UYU 57.3

14.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.94 UYU 77.9

51.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.11 $8.11

$5.47 UYU 219

48.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 $14.28

$8.95 UYU 359

59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.26 UYU 90.8

-19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.81 UYU 113

-40.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.90 UYU 76.2

53.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$0.43 UYU 17.36

213.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.91 $24.91

$10.59 UYU 425

135.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.12 UYU 85.2

-57.08%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

-4.63%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-29.67%

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

$271 $271

$193 UYU 7,727

40.70%

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

$63.5 $63.5

$20.91 UYU 839

203.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 $64.4

$44.89 UYU 1,802

43.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.94 $44.94

$50.8 UYU 2,038

-11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.05 $12.05

$19.73 UYU 792

-38.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 $12.16

$12.30 UYU 494

-1.14%

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

$965 $965

$629 UYU 25.2K

53.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

79.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$104 UYU 4,166

-49.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.91 $39.91

$57.4 UYU 2,305

-30.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 $81.2

$125 UYU 5,010

-34.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$132 UYU 5,315

-23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 $1,186

$713 UYU 28.6K

66.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 $925

$575 UYU 23.1K

60.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

66.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 $1,658

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

60.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,222 $2,222

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

-34.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,065 $2,065

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

17.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,851 $3,851

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

209.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.74

14.46%

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

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 17, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lawrence, KS

$925 42%

Montevideo

$575 32.2% 37.8% $349

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lawrence, KS

$399 18.1%

Montevideo

$258 14.5% 35.2% $140

Groceries & Markets

Lawrence, KS

$395 17.9%

Montevideo

$334 18.7% 15.4% $61

Eating Out

Lawrence, KS

$281 12.8%

Montevideo

$269 15.1% 4.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Lawrence, KS

$124 5.6%

Montevideo

$188 10.6% 52.1% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2%

Montevideo

$75 4.2% 8.8% $6.1

Getting Around

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.4%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 772% $74

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,186 in Lawrence, KS versus $713 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 209% higher in Lawrence, KS, 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 $75.0 in Lawrence, KS versus $70.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $395 vs $334 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

05:09 5:09 AM

2 h ahead of Lawrence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,358

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lawrence, KS Montevideo 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lawrence, KS
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

Lawrence, KS vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lawrence, KS costs about 23% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,303 per month in Lawrence, KS and $2,676 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Lawrence, KS and $70.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Lawrence, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,784, than in Lawrence, KS at $2,202. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lawrence, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montevideo costs $1,784 versus $2,202 in Lawrence, KS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Lawrence, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.