Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malden, MA and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $3,463 in Malden, MA, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Malden, MA
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Malden, MA Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Malden, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,463

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,463 per month in Malden, MA vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Malden, MA $3,463
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $4,740 per month in Malden, MA vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Malden, MA $4,740
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $6,017 per month in Malden, MA vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Malden, MA $6,017
Montevideo $3,708

Malden, MA costs about 96% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Malden, MA and Montevideo sit above the global median – Malden, MA by 157%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$15.16 UYU 609

31.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 $95.3

$69.2 UYU 2,776

37.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 $13.66

$14.65 UYU 588

-6.76%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.46 UYU 179

20.63%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.67 UYU 107

7.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.00 UYU 80.4

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 $5.79

$4.83 UYU 194

19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.80 UYU 152

108.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.87 UYU 115

40.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.75 UYU 70.2

215.43%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.68 UYU 188

3.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 $12.09

$13.88 UYU 557

-12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.41 $14.41

$11.98 UYU 481

20.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$11.97 UYU 480

48.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$2.78 UYU 111

138.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.74 UYU 110

-36.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$1.77 UYU 71.2

201.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$3.24 UYU 130

73.15%

Potato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.97 UYU 79.2

123.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.37 UYU 55.1

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.88 UYU 75.3

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 $12.37

$5.59 UYU 224

121.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$8.78 UYU 352

55.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.75 UYU 110

106.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.53 UYU 61.5

60.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 $90.6

$74.3 UYU 2,980

22.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.91 UYU 76.7

39.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.40 UYU 16.18

342.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.97 $27.97

$10.33 UYU 415

170.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-48.83%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

33.48%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-28.11%

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

$240 $240

$188 UYU 7,557

27.45%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$20.54 UYU 824

163.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.4 $86.4

$44.81 UYU 1,798

92.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.09 $35.09

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-34.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 $15.69

$11.95 UYU 480

31.30%

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

$1,834 $1,834

$634 UYU 25.5K

189.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

174.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$102 UYU 4,099

-43.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 $38.48

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-33.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$127 UYU 5,079

-37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$128 UYU 5,131

-21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 $2,427

$719 UYU 28.8K

237.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 $1,997

$568 UYU 22.8K

251.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,439 $3,439

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

200.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 $2,763

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

170.00%

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)

$4,638 $4,638

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

272.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.74

15.68%

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

Last update for Malden, MA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malden, MA

$2K 57.7%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 71.6% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Malden, MA

$453 13.1%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 26.8% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malden, MA

$381 11%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 33.3% $127

Eating Out

Malden, MA

$330 9.5%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 18.6% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Malden, MA

$124 3.6%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 50.5% $63

Getting Around

Malden, MA

$112 3.2%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 24.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Malden, MA

$66 1.9%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 17.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,427 in Malden, MA 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 273% higher in Malden, MA, 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 $95.0 in Malden, MA versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Malden, MA

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

12:04 12:04 PM

1 h ahead of Malden, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,450

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Malden, MA Montevideo 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Malden, MA
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

Malden, MA vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Malden, MA is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,194 per month in Malden, MA 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.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Montevideo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,834 per month in Malden, MA and $634 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Malden, MA at $3,463. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malden, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montevideo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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