Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Montevideo Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Montevideo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,806 in Montevideo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,179 in Maldonado versus $2,668 in Montevideo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,014 in Maldonado versus $3,530 in Montevideo.

Living in Maldonado costs roughly 26% less than in Montevideo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maldonado is 2% below, Montevideo is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.69 UYU 591

$15.05 UYU 605

-2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 UYU 2,218

$63.1 UYU 2,541

-12.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 UYU 442

$13.11 UYU 527

-16.17%

Cappuccino

$4.53 UYU 182

$4.56 UYU 183

-0.66%

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

$2.60 UYU 104

$2.69 UYU 108

-3.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.96 UYU 78.7

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.62 UYU 146

$4.63 UYU 186

-21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 UYU 149

$3.65 UYU 147

1.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 UYU 47.46

$1.34 UYU 54.0

-11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 UYU 112

$2.87 UYU 115

-2.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 UYU 71.9

$1.75 UYU 70.6

2.29%

Eggs

$4.03 UYU 162

$4.79 UYU 193

-15.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.37 UYU 578

$14.40 UYU 579

-0.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 UYU 468

$11.94 UYU 480

-2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 UYU 468

$11.57 UYU 465

0.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 UYU 116

$2.83 UYU 114

2.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 UYU 87.6

$2.78 UYU 112

-21.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 UYU 73.5

$1.76 UYU 71.0

3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 UYU 127

$3.00 UYU 121

5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 UYU 82.2

$2.14 UYU 86.1

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 UYU 80.1

$2.17 UYU 87.4

-8.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 UYU 56.4

$1.46 UYU 58.6

-4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 UYU 76.1

$1.98 UYU 79.6

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.45 UYU 219

$5.55 UYU 223

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 UYU 322

$8.31 UYU 334

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.24 UYU 90.2

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.89 UYU 116

-5.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$1.55 UYU 62.3

-12.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.26 UYU 1,982

$75.6 UYU 3,042

-34.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 UYU 138

$1.81 UYU 72.7

88.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.41

$0.41 UYU 16.34

4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.98 UYU 402

$10.35 UYU 417

-3.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 UYU 78.2

$2.09 UYU 84.2

-7.18%

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

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

$27.2K UYU 1.1M

1.06%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$37.6K UYU 1.5M

-1.66%

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

$113 UYU 4,552

$188 UYU 7,548

-39.70%

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

$16.99 UYU 684

$16.86 UYU 678

0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.82 UYU 1,844

$45.26 UYU 1,821

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.71 UYU 1,960

$48.88 UYU 1,967

-0.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.07 UYU 1,210

$18.99 UYU 764

58.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 UYU 497

$12.33 UYU 496

0.16%

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

$492 UYU 19.8K

$640 UYU 25.8K

-23.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

$10.8K UYU 433.7K

-37.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 UYU 3,647

$94.5 UYU 3,804

-4.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 UYU 1,527

$56.7 UYU 2,281

-33.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 UYU 4,900

$123 UYU 4,952

-1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 UYU 4,693

$132 UYU 5,296

-11.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 UYU 17.2K

$760 UYU 30.6K

-43.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 UYU 12.8K

$602 UYU 24.2K

-47.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 UYU 36.6K

$1,193 UYU 48.0K

-23.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 UYU 23.6K

$980 UYU 39.4K

-40.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,484 UYU 140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 UYU 75.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

$1,211 UYU 48.7K

-16.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.49

-8.93%

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

Last update for Maldonado: August 30, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Maldonado and $760 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 20% 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: $55.0 in Maldonado vs $63.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $333 per month, with Maldonado cheaper across the board.

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

Maldonado vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldonado and Montevideo differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,345 vs $1,806 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Montevideo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $427 in Maldonado versus $760 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Maldonado versus $640 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,806 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado 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, Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.