Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Punta del Este Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Punta del Este

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,325 in Maldonado versus $2,094 in Punta del Este.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,090 in Maldonado versus $3,316 in Punta del Este.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,856 in Maldonado versus $4,537 in Punta del Este.

Living in Maldonado costs roughly 37% less than in Punta del Este, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maldonado is 1% below, Punta del Este is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 UYU 645

$18.35 UYU 739

-12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 UYU 2,205

$51.5 UYU 2,075

6.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 UYU 444

$11.51 UYU 463

-4.17%

Cappuccino

$4.15 UYU 167

$4.50 UYU 181

-7.78%

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

$2.27 UYU 91.3

$3.59 UYU 145

-36.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 UYU 70.7

$2.76 UYU 111

-36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 UYU 96.3

$3.64 UYU 147

-34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 UYU 149

$5.01 UYU 202

-26.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.41

$1.34 UYU 53.9

-15.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 UYU 115

$2.45 UYU 98.8

16.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 UYU 62.3

$2.17 UYU 87.6

-28.57%

Eggs

$4.63 UYU 186

$3.95 UYU 159

17.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 UYU 553

$13.91 UYU 560

-1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 UYU 434

$12.96 UYU 522

-16.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 UYU 442

$12.41 UYU 500

-11.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UYU 88.2

$3.04 UYU 122

-27.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 UYU 96.2

$3.62 UYU 146

-33.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 UYU 63.4

$1.99 UYU 80.0

-21.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 UYU 142

$3.58 UYU 144

-1.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.4

$2.23 UYU 89.8

-20.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 UYU 77.6

$2.01 UYU 81.0

-3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 UYU 48.24

$1.31 UYU 52.7

-8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 UYU 64.9

$1.94 UYU 78.0

-17.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 UYU 212

$4.79 UYU 193

9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 UYU 143

$7.96 UYU 320

-55.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.8

$3.18 UYU 128

-40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 UYU 107

$5.10 UYU 205

-48.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$1.37 UYU 55.3

-3.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.20 UYU 1,780

$48.46 UYU 1,951

-8.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 UYU 60.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 UYU 84.5

$3.43 UYU 138

-38.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.22 UYU 452

$13.43 UYU 541

-16.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 UYU 73.0

$1.86 UYU 74.9

-2.69%

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

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

$29.9K UYU 1.2M

15.08%

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

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

4.04%

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

$155 UYU 6,262

$94.9 UYU 3,822

63.80%

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

$16.93 UYU 682

$15.87 UYU 639

6.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 UYU 1,744

$40.15 UYU 1,617

7.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.88 UYU 1,848

$78.8 UYU 3,175

-41.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 UYU 1,199

$24.64 UYU 992

20.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 UYU 320

$9.99 UYU 402

-20.42%

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

$478 UYU 19.2K

$628 UYU 25.3K

-23.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

$7,454 UYU 300.2K

-3.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 UYU 3,427

$123 UYU 4,942

-30.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 UYU 1,886

$63.3 UYU 2,551

-26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 UYU 3,581

$141 UYU 5,673

-36.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 UYU 3,682

$149 UYU 5,993

-38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 UYU 14.7K

$1,129 UYU 45.5K

-67.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 UYU 11.5K

$899 UYU 36.2K

-68.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 UYU 35.8K

$2,542 UYU 102.4K

-65.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 UYU 24.2K

$1,890 UYU 76.1K

-68.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

$3,195 UYU 128.7K

-52.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

$2,025 UYU 81.5K

-35.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 UYU 35.7K

$1,122 UYU 45.2K

-21.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

13.60%

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

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Last update for Punta del Este: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Maldonado and $1,129 in Punta del Este. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Punta del Este 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: $55.0 in Maldonado vs $52.0 in Punta del Este. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $350, with Maldonado 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

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

Maldonado and Punta del Este differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,325 vs $2,094 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Punta del Este earns 27% 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 $1,129 in Punta del Este. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $478 in Maldonado versus $628 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 18% higher in Punta del Este. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,325 in Maldonado versus $2,094 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 58% less than in Punta del Este. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.