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: $1,299 in Maldonado versus $2,031 in Punta del Este.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,116 in Maldonado versus $3,264 in Punta del Este.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Maldonado versus $4,498 in Punta del Este.

Living in Maldonado costs roughly 36% less than in Punta del Este, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maldonado is 3% below, Punta del Este is 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 UYU 643

$18.61 UYU 748

-13.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 UYU 2,190

$52.2 UYU 2,097

4.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 UYU 444

$11.51 UYU 463

-4.08%

Cappuccino

$4.19 UYU 168

$4.60 UYU 185

-8.91%

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

$2.16 UYU 86.7

$3.69 UYU 148

-41.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UYU 68.8

$2.73 UYU 110

-37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 UYU 97.8

$3.80 UYU 153

-36.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 UYU 147

$4.83 UYU 194

-24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.31

$1.36 UYU 54.5

-16.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 UYU 112

$2.35 UYU 94.3

18.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 UYU 64.3

$2.21 UYU 88.7

-27.60%

Eggs

$4.75 UYU 191

$3.86 UYU 155

23.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 UYU 550

$14.03 UYU 564

-2.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 UYU 430

$13.00 UYU 523

-17.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 UYU 437

$12.70 UYU 510

-14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 UYU 88.5

$3.10 UYU 124

-29.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 UYU 96.6

$3.55 UYU 143

-32.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 62.1

$2.02 UYU 81.3

-23.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 UYU 140

$3.62 UYU 146

-3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 UYU 71.8

$2.17 UYU 87.3

-17.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 UYU 78.8

$2.12 UYU 85.2

-7.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 UYU 49.67

$1.32 UYU 52.9

-6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 UYU 64.0

$1.98 UYU 79.8

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 UYU 213

$4.85 UYU 195

9.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 UYU 323

$7.87 UYU 316

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 UYU 78.7

$3.20 UYU 129

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 UYU 107

$5.06 UYU 203

-47.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 UYU 55.3

$1.32 UYU 53.2

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 UYU 1,776

$49.88 UYU 2,005

-11.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 UYU 57.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 UYU 84.1

$3.48 UYU 140

-39.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.21 UYU 450

$13.55 UYU 545

-17.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 UYU 73.4

$1.82 UYU 73.3

0.55%

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

$34.6K UYU 1.4M

$29.1K UYU 1.2M

18.74%

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

$36.6K UYU 1.5M

$34.3K UYU 1.4M

6.76%

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

$155 UYU 6,218

$94.9 UYU 3,813

63.08%

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

$16.47 UYU 662

$16.11 UYU 647

2.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.44 UYU 1,705

$40.50 UYU 1,628

4.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.40 UYU 1,865

$77.2 UYU 3,101

-39.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.58 UYU 1,189

$24.14 UYU 970

22.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 UYU 318

$9.61 UYU 386

-17.69%

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

$492 UYU 19.8K

$614 UYU 24.7K

-19.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,401 UYU 297.4K

$7,651 UYU 307.5K

-3.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 UYU 3,479

$125 UYU 5,008

-30.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.65 UYU 1,915

$65.0 UYU 2,612

-26.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 UYU 3,557

$142 UYU 5,690

-37.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 UYU 3,743

$148 UYU 5,937

-36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 UYU 14.9K

$1,126 UYU 45.2K

-67.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 UYU 11.3K

$901 UYU 36.2K

-68.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 UYU 35.6K

$2,516 UYU 101.1K

-64.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 UYU 24.9K

$1,831 UYU 73.6K

-66.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,511 UYU 60.7K

$3,790 UYU 152.3K

-60.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,306 UYU 52.5K

$2,012 UYU 80.9K

-35.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$861 UYU 34.6K

$1,113 UYU 44.7K

-22.63%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Punta del Este: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Maldonado and $1,126 in Punta del Este. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Punta del Este pays 29% 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: $54.0 in Maldonado vs $52.0 in Punta del Este. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $351, 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 56% in total monthly costs ($1,299 vs $2,031 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $370 in Maldonado versus $1,126 in Punta del Este. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Maldonado versus $614 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 15% higher in Punta del Este. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,299 in Maldonado versus $2,031 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 56% less than in Punta del Este. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.