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: $1,325 in Maldonado versus $1,632 in Montevideo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,090 in Maldonado versus $2,480 in Montevideo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,856 in Maldonado versus $3,329 in Montevideo.

Living in Maldonado costs roughly 19% less than in Montevideo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maldonado is 1% below, Montevideo is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 UYU 645

$15.85 UYU 638

1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 UYU 2,205

$54.6 UYU 2,197

0.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 UYU 444

$12.12 UYU 488

-8.99%

Cappuccino

$4.15 UYU 167

$4.23 UYU 170

-1.89%

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

$2.27 UYU 91.3

$2.19 UYU 88.1

3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 UYU 70.7

$1.69 UYU 68.2

3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 UYU 96.3

$4.52 UYU 182

-47.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 UYU 149

$3.60 UYU 145

2.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.41

$1.27 UYU 51.3

-11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 UYU 115

$2.77 UYU 112

3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 UYU 62.3

$1.58 UYU 63.8

-1.90%

Eggs

$4.63 UYU 186

$4.79 UYU 193

-3.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 UYU 553

$13.41 UYU 540

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 UYU 434

$10.67 UYU 430

0.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 UYU 442

$11.24 UYU 452

-2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UYU 88.2

$3.00 UYU 121

-27.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 UYU 96.2

$2.43 UYU 98.0

-1.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 UYU 63.4

$1.54 UYU 62.2

1.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 UYU 142

$3.66 UYU 148

-3.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.4

$2.11 UYU 84.8

-16.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 UYU 77.6

$1.89 UYU 75.9

2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 UYU 48.24

$1.37 UYU 55.0

-12.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 UYU 64.9

$1.71 UYU 68.9

-5.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 UYU 212

$5.10 UYU 205

2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 UYU 143

$10.05 UYU 405

-64.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.8

$2.36 UYU 94.9

-20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 UYU 107

$2.92 UYU 118

-9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$1.29 UYU 52.0

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.20 UYU 1,780

$55.8 UYU 2,247

-20.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 UYU 60.2

$1.60 UYU 64.3

-6.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 UYU 84.5

$3.63 UYU 146

-42.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.22 UYU 452

$12.43 UYU 500

-9.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 UYU 73.0

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

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

$34.5K UYU 1.4M

-0.31%

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

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

$36.0K UYU 1.4M

-0.53%

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

$155 UYU 6,262

$170 UYU 6,864

-8.78%

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

$16.93 UYU 682

$16.51 UYU 665

2.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 UYU 1,744

$49.77 UYU 2,004

-13.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.88 UYU 1,848

$61.8 UYU 2,489

-25.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 UYU 1,199

$17.67 UYU 711

68.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 UYU 320

$10.45 UYU 421

-23.92%

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

$478 UYU 19.2K

$482 UYU 19.4K

-0.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

$8,873 UYU 357.3K

-18.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 UYU 3,427

$94.9 UYU 3,821

-10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 UYU 1,886

$47.22 UYU 1,902

-0.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 UYU 3,581

$112 UYU 4,502

-20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 UYU 3,682

$123 UYU 4,964

-25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 UYU 14.7K

$628 UYU 25.3K

-41.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 UYU 11.5K

$492 UYU 19.8K

-42.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 UYU 35.8K

$1,112 UYU 44.8K

-19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 UYU 24.2K

$801 UYU 32.2K

-25.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

$3,582 UYU 144.2K

-57.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

$2,272 UYU 91.5K

-42.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 UYU 35.7K

$1,334 UYU 53.7K

-33.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

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

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Maldonado and $628 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 51% 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 $55.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $321 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,325 vs $1,632 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Montevideo earns 51% less. 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: $366 in Maldonado versus $628 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $478 in Maldonado versus $482 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,325 in Maldonado versus $1,632 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 23% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.