Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leon and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Leon: $1,223 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Leon
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Leon Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Leon

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,223

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Leon vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Leon $1,223
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $1,985 per month in Leon vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Leon $1,985
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $2,747 per month in Leon vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Leon $2,747
Montevideo $3,708

Leon is about 31% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Leon sits 9% below the global median, while Montevideo is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 MX$206

$15.16 UYU 609

-26.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 MX$1,020

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-20.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 MX$163

$14.65 UYU 588

-39.93%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$74.5

$4.46 UYU 179

-9.64%

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

$1.56 MX$28.84

$2.67 UYU 107

-41.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.04

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 MX$56.8

$4.83 UYU 194

-36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MX$72.6

$3.80 UYU 152

3.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$31.67

$1.36 UYU 54.8

25.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$49.51

$2.87 UYU 115

-6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.31

$1.75 UYU 70.2

2.86%

Eggs

$3.27 MX$60.4

$4.68 UYU 188

-30.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 MX$133

$13.88 UYU 557

-48.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 MX$140

$11.98 UYU 481

-36.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 MX$200

$11.97 UYU 480

-9.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.03

$2.78 UYU 111

-10.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.59

$2.74 UYU 110

-49.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 MX$33.76

$1.77 UYU 71.2

3.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.42

$3.24 UYU 130

-52.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.75

$1.97 UYU 79.2

1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 MX$38.60

$2.07 UYU 83.1

0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$25.56

$1.37 UYU 55.1

0.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 MX$12.89

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-62.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 MX$129

$5.59 UYU 224

24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 MX$252

$8.78 UYU 352

55.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 MX$43.71

$2.26 UYU 90.9

4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 MX$66.7

$2.75 UYU 110

31.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.93

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.67 MX$659

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-51.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 MX$51.1

$1.91 UYU 76.7

45.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 MX$50.2

$0.40 UYU 16.18

580.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 MX$276

$10.33 UYU 415

44.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.97

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-31.46%

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

$21.2K MX$392.0K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-21.74%

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

$24.2K MX$446.3K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-33.40%

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

$21.60 MX$399

$188 UYU 7,557

-88.53%

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

$40.70 MX$752

$20.54 UYU 824

98.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 MX$1,077

$44.81 UYU 1,798

30.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 MX$1,121

$54.0 UYU 2,166

12.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.51 MX$638

$19.75 UYU 793

74.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 MX$120

$11.95 UYU 480

-45.86%

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

$183 MX$3,386

$634 UYU 25.5K

-71.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,826 MX$70.7K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

-65.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$1,049

$102 UYU 4,099

-44.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 MX$1,219

$57.5 UYU 2,309

14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,868

$127 UYU 5,079

-20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,122

$128 UYU 5,131

-10.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 MX$9,681

$719 UYU 28.8K

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 MX$6,653

$568 UYU 22.8K

-36.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 MX$14.1K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 MX$12.6K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-33.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 MX$9,839

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

-57.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

5.74

102.09%

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

Last update for Leon: 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

Leon

$360 29.5%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 57.7% $208

Groceries & Markets

Leon

$262 21.5%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 26.4% $69

Eating Out

Leon

$199 16.3%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 35.5% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Leon

$152 12.5%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 22.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leon

$121 9.9%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 110% $133

Sport & Entertainment

Leon

$74 6%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 5.8% $4.3

Getting Around

Leon

$55 4.5%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 53.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $524 in Leon 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 134% higher in Montevideo, 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 $55.0 in Leon versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $332 – making Leon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Leon

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

01:58 1:58 AM

3 h ahead of Leon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,579,803

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Leon Montevideo 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Leon
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

Leon vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo costs about 45% more than Leon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,834 per month in Leon 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 Leon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Montevideo, 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 $55.0 in Leon and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $1,223, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Leon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leon costs $1,223 versus $1,771 in Montevideo. 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 Leon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.