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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,677 in Montevideo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,515 in Montevideo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,353 in Montevideo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 33% more expensive than Montevideo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Montevideo 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$16.11 UYU 638

0.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$54.9 UYU 2,176

17.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$12.04 UYU 477

-13.79%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$4.26 UYU 169

-34.98%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.20 UYU 87.1

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$1.69 UYU 67.1

-7.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$4.29 UYU 170

-18.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.60 UYU 143

11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.26 UYU 49.80

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.81 UYU 111

-38.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.65 UYU 65.3

5.45%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$4.92 UYU 195

-35.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$13.49 UYU 534

-0.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$10.73 UYU 425

-25.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$11.19 UYU 443

43.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.12 UYU 124

-26.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.48 UYU 98.1

-30.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.55 UYU 61.4

25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$3.74 UYU 148

-32.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$2.15 UYU 85.3

-14.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.89 UYU 74.8

7.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.36 UYU 54.0

45.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.66 UYU 65.8

-48.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$5.07 UYU 201

35.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$10.18 UYU 403

-43.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.36 UYU 93.5

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.94 UYU 117

-1.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.29 UYU 50.9

76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$55.9 UYU 2,213

-16.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$1.54 UYU 61.1

164.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.48 UYU 138

-76.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$12.29 UYU 487

48.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.82 UYU 72.1

10.44%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$33.7K UYU 1.3M

4.55%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

3.94%

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

$145 €124

$173 UYU 6,835

-15.72%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$16.74 UYU 663

25.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$48.89 UYU 1,937

-18.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$61.4 UYU 2,432

-20.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$17.46 UYU 692

7.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$10.66 UYU 422

-15.01%

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

$607 €518

$477 UYU 18.9K

27.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$8,942 UYU 354.3K

82.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$93.9 UYU 3,722

11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$48.23 UYU 1,911

-15.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$112 UYU 4,430

-16.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$125 UYU 4,958

-5.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$626 UYU 24.8K

156.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$494 UYU 19.6K

150.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$1,085 UYU 43.0K

180.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$806 UYU 31.9K

155.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

$3,508 UYU 139.0K

119.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

$2,251 UYU 89.2K

89.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$1,245 UYU 49.3K

27.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.68

-32.92%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $626 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 27% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $55.0 in Montevideo. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $324, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,677 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 27% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $626 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $477 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,677 in Montevideo versus $2,227 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 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.