Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montevideo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montevideo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,787 in Montevideo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,687 in Montevideo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,588 in Montevideo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 27% more expensive than in Montevideo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Montevideo 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$14.88 UYU 599

17.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$60.9 UYU 2,450

5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$13.91 UYU 560

-16.25%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.36 UYU 175

-25.23%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.78 UYU 112

-10.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.03 UYU 81.8

-17.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.73 UYU 190

-26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.76 UYU 151

-4.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.32 UYU 53.3

-10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.91 UYU 117

-32.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.74 UYU 69.9

-10.34%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.84 UYU 195

-17.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$14.19 UYU 571

-6.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$11.47 UYU 462

-26.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.74 UYU 472

55.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.91 UYU 117

-20.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.79 UYU 112

-37.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.73 UYU 69.7

11.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.14 UYU 127

-15.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.00 UYU 80.5

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.15 UYU 86.6

-1.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.44 UYU 58.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.90 UYU 76.5

-57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.34 UYU 215

31.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.64 UYU 348

-31.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.27 UYU 91.3

-40.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.85 UYU 115

-24.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.52 UYU 61.1

56.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$74.2 UYU 2,988

-37.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.85 UYU 74.3

126.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.41 UYU 16.45

168.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$10.60 UYU 427

62.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.17 UYU 87.5

3.69%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.3K UYU 1.1M

26.27%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$37.3K UYU 1.5M

11.54%

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

$171 €147

$194 UYU 7,799

-11.79%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$17.71 UYU 713

7.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$45.14 UYU 1,817

-24.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$53.5 UYU 2,154

-7.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$19.77 UYU 796

-1.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$11.96 UYU 482

-15.55%

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

$699 €603

$622 UYU 25.0K

12.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$10.6K UYU 428.1K

67.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$97.1 UYU 3,907

7.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$57.4 UYU 2,312

-16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$122 UYU 4,930

-16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$133 UYU 5,340

-3.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$762 UYU 30.7K

117.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$598 UYU 24.1K

105.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,192 UYU 48.0K

144.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$958 UYU 38.6K

111.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,581 UYU 144.2K

127.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,916 UYU 77.1K

141.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,247 UYU 50.2K

29.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.49

-31.15%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $762 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 30% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $61.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $331, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lisbon vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Montevideo differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,787 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $762 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $622 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,787 in Montevideo versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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, Lisbon 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 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.