Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Punta del Este

For one person, living is cheaper in Maldonado: $1,368 a month against $1,876 in Punta del Este, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Punta del Este outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Punta del Este
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Punta del Este Living Index

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Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,368

/mo nomad

Punta del Este

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maldonado and in Punta del Este

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Maldonado and in Punta del Este actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Maldonado versus $1,876 in Punta del Este.

Maldonado $1,368
Punta del Este $1,876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Maldonado versus $2,682 in Punta del Este.

Maldonado $2,178
Punta del Este $2,682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Maldonado versus $3,488 in Punta del Este.

Maldonado $2,988
Punta del Este $3,488

Living in Maldonado costs roughly 27% less than in Punta del Este, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Maldonado 1% above, Punta del Este 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 UYU 597

$13.31 UYU 534

11.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 UYU 2,202

$43.03 UYU 1,727

27.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 UYU 558

$13.58 UYU 545

2.43%

Cappuccino

$4.57 UYU 183

$4.60 UYU 184

-0.65%

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

$2.65 UYU 106

$2.34 UYU 94.0

13.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 UYU 84.2

$1.99 UYU 79.8

5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 UYU 118

$2.93 UYU 118

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 UYU 145

$3.51 UYU 141

3.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.19

$1.13 UYU 45.17

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.81 UYU 113

-3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.1

$1.74 UYU 70.0

1.72%

Eggs

$3.98 UYU 160

$4.35 UYU 174

-8.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 UYU 566

$11.98 UYU 481

17.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.31 UYU 454

$11.25 UYU 452

0.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 UYU 466

$11.93 UYU 479

-2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 UYU 112

$2.83 UYU 114

-1.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 UYU 86.0

$2.84 UYU 114

-24.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.79 UYU 71.7

-2.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 UYU 126

$3.16 UYU 127

-0.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 UYU 80.2

$2.01 UYU 80.8

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$2.09 UYU 83.9

-4.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.4

$1.40 UYU 56.2

2.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 UYU 78.3

$1.96 UYU 78.8

-0.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.51 UYU 221

$5.59 UYU 224

-1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 UYU 326

$8.33 UYU 334

-2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 UYU 93.3

$2.34 UYU 93.9

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 UYU 109

$2.80 UYU 112

-3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 UYU 56.8

$1.36 UYU 54.8

3.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 UYU 1,962

$50.3 UYU 2,017

-2.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 UYU 136

$1.90 UYU 76.3

78.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 UYU 17.53

$0.40 UYU 16.19

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 UYU 411

$9.71 UYU 390

5.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 UYU 89.9

$2.12 UYU 85.1

5.66%

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

$26.6K UYU 1.1M

$26.4K UYU 1.1M

0.77%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$36.0K UYU 1.4M

2.65%

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

$116 UYU 4,644

$114 UYU 4,561

1.80%

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

$19.18 UYU 770

$21.05 UYU 845

-8.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.04 UYU 1,808

$44.10 UYU 1,770

2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.23 UYU 1,936

$55.8 UYU 2,240

-13.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.20 UYU 1,212

$18.52 UYU 743

63.07%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 UYU 484

$12.15 UYU 488

-0.82%

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

$496 UYU 19.9K

$505 UYU 20.3K

-1.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,515 UYU 261.5K

$6,635 UYU 266.3K

-1.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 UYU 3,625

$88.8 UYU 3,563

1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 UYU 1,498

$36.73 UYU 1,474

1.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,014

$126 UYU 5,045

-0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 UYU 4,729

$120 UYU 4,801

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 UYU 17.1K

$1,113 UYU 44.7K

-61.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 UYU 12.7K

$830 UYU 33.3K

-62.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 UYU 36.9K

$1,917 UYU 76.9K

-52.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 UYU 24.1K

$1,182 UYU 47.4K

-49.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,803 UYU 112.5K

$3,822 UYU 153.4K

-26.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,541 UYU 61.8K

$1,964 UYU 78.8K

-21.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,014 UYU 40.7K

$1,072 UYU 43.0K

-5.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Maldonado: October 17, 2026

Last update for Punta del Este: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maldonado

$317 23.2%

Punta del Este

$319 17% 0.7% $2.2

Accommodation & Living

Maldonado

$315 23.1%

Punta del Este

$830 44.3% 163% $515

Eating Out

Maldonado

$257 18.8%

Punta del Este

$241 12.9% 5.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maldonado

$180 13.2%

Punta del Este

$179 9.5% 0.6% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Maldonado

$167 12.2%

Punta del Este

$167 8.9% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Maldonado

$72 5.3%

Punta del Este

$80 4.3% 10.7% $7.8

Getting Around

Maldonado

$60 4.4%

Punta del Este

$60 3.2% 0.8% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Maldonado and $1,113 in Punta del Este. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Punta del Este pays 6% 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 $43.00 in Punta del Este. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $319, with Maldonado cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🇺🇾 Punta del Este

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

Same time as Maldonado

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,592

9,300

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Maldonado Punta del Este 6 km

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Maldonado
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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

Maldonado vs Punta del Este: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldonado and Punta del Este differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,876 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Punta del Este. 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: $426 in Maldonado versus $1,113 in Punta del Este. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $496 in Maldonado versus $505 in Punta del Este. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Punta del Este. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,368 in Maldonado versus $1,876 in Punta del Este, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Punta del Este. 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 Punta del Este 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 37% less than in Punta del Este. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.