Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Salto

For one person, living costs are similar in Maldonado and in Salto: $1,368 and $1,326 a month, rent and utilities included.

66

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Salto
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Salto Living Index

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Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,368

/mo nomad

Salto

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maldonado and in Salto

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 Salto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Maldonado versus $1,326 in Salto.

Maldonado $1,368
Salto $1,326

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Maldonado versus $1,953 in Salto.

Maldonado $2,178
Salto $1,953

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Maldonado versus $2,579 in Salto.

Maldonado $2,988
Salto $2,579

Living in Maldonado is roughly 3% more expensive than in Salto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maldonado is 1% above, Salto is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 UYU 597

$16.48 UYU 661

-9.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 UYU 2,202

$37.65 UYU 1,511

45.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 UYU 558

$11.98 UYU 481

16.11%

Cappuccino

$4.57 UYU 183

$3.29 UYU 132

38.91%

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

$2.65 UYU 106

$2.22 UYU 89.2

19.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 UYU 84.2

$1.60 UYU 64.4

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 UYU 118

$4.40 UYU 177

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 UYU 145

$3.11 UYU 125

16.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.19

$1.38 UYU 55.4

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.15 UYU 86.3

25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.1

$1.49 UYU 59.8

18.79%

Eggs

$3.98 UYU 160

$5.31 UYU 213

-25.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 UYU 566

$15.08 UYU 605

-6.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.31 UYU 454

$8.78 UYU 352

28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 UYU 466

$10.11 UYU 406

14.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 UYU 112

$1.23 UYU 49.43

126.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 UYU 86.0

$2.17 UYU 87.1

-1.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.21 UYU 48.37

44.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 UYU 126

$1.85 UYU 74.2

70.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 UYU 80.2

$0.89 UYU 35.69

124.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.74 UYU 70.0

14.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.4

$0.93 UYU 37.28

53.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 UYU 78.3

$1.51 UYU 60.8

29.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.51 UYU 221

$5.32 UYU 214

3.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 UYU 326

$7.65 UYU 307

6.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 UYU 93.3

$1.82 UYU 73.1

27.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 UYU 109

$2.58 UYU 103

5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 UYU 56.8

$0.60 UYU 24.18

135.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 UYU 1,962

$30.27 UYU 1,215

61.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 UYU 136

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 UYU 17.53

$3.79 UYU 152

-88.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 UYU 411

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 UYU 89.9

$1.93 UYU 77.5

16.06%

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

$26.6K UYU 1.1M

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

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

$116 UYU 4,644

$202 UYU 8,114

-42.77%

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

$19.18 UYU 770

$21.95 UYU 881

-12.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.04 UYU 1,808

$30.33 UYU 1,217

48.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.23 UYU 1,936

$37.19 UYU 1,492

29.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.20 UYU 1,212

$12.41 UYU 498

143.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 UYU 484

$10.00 UYU 401

20.50%

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

$496 UYU 19.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,515 UYU 261.5K

$4,519 UYU 181.4K

44.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 UYU 3,625

$88.5 UYU 3,552

2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 UYU 1,498

$56.4 UYU 2,262

-33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,014

$113 UYU 4,542

10.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 UYU 4,729

$65.3 UYU 2,620

80.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 UYU 17.1K

$451 UYU 18.1K

-5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 UYU 12.7K

$293 UYU 11.8K

7.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 UYU 36.9K

$734 UYU 29.5K

25.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 UYU 24.1K

$419 UYU 16.8K

43.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,803 UYU 112.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,541 UYU 61.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,014 UYU 40.7K

$632 UYU 25.4K

60.34%

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 Salto: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maldonado

$317 23.2%

Salto

$273 20.6% 13.9% $44

Accommodation & Living

Maldonado

$315 23.1%

Salto

$293 22.1% 7% $22

Eating Out

Maldonado

$257 18.8%

Salto

$251 18.9% 2.3% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maldonado

$180 13.2%

Salto

$254 19.2% 41.4% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Maldonado

$167 12.2%

Salto

$145 11% 12.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Maldonado

$72 5.3%

Salto

$57 4.3% 21% $15

Getting Around

Maldonado

$60 4.4%

Salto

$52 * 3.9% 14.1% $8.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Maldonado and $451 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 60% 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 $38.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $273 per month, with Salto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🇺🇾 Salto

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

Same time as Maldonado

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,592

104,028

💱 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 Salto 480 km

From you

Maldonado
Salto

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 Salto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldonado and Salto differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,326 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Maldonado, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Maldonado versus $451 in Salto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Maldonado versus $1,326 in Salto – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,326 in Salto versus $1,368 in Maldonado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Salto but tight or insufficient in Maldonado. The gap between the two cities makes Salto 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 Salto 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 Salto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.