Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Montevideo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Montevideo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,749 in Montevideo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,666 in Montevideo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $3,582 in Montevideo, rent included.

Medellin is about 4% cheaper than Montevideo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Montevideo sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, Montevideo by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$15.25 UYU 613

-47.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$62.3 UYU 2,503

-23.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$13.86 UYU 557

-28.64%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$4.39 UYU 176

-28.70%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.77 UYU 111

-31.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$2.03 UYU 81.4

-25.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$4.95 UYU 199

-36.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.65 UYU 147

57.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.38 UYU 55.3

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.81 UYU 113

-11.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.73 UYU 69.3

2.31%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.74 UYU 191

-37.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$13.57 UYU 545

-25.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$11.51 UYU 463

-12.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.75 UYU 472

21.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.84 UYU 114

45.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.76 UYU 111

-41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.71 UYU 68.9

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.12 UYU 126

-27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.97 UYU 79.3

3.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.15 UYU 86.5

-28.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.35 UYU 54.4

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.92 UYU 77.4

-31.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.59 UYU 225

-30.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.25 UYU 331

69.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.33 UYU 93.6

-25.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.85 UYU 115

0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.53 UYU 61.7

-20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$74.6 UYU 2,998

7.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.81 UYU 72.7

-27.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.44 UYU 17.67

397.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$10.69 UYU 430

-18.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.21 UYU 89.0

-38.01%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

1.24%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$37.8K UYU 1.5M

-5.39%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$192 UYU 7,721

-7.71%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$18.93 UYU 761

-26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$45.31 UYU 1,821

-34.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$51.6 UYU 2,074

-13.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$19.68 UYU 791

-13.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$11.95 UYU 480

-44.35%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$608 UYU 24.4K

33.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$10.7K UYU 429.3K

-13.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$100 UYU 4,030

-10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$56.7 UYU 2,279

4.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$124 UYU 4,994

11.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$133 UYU 5,330

-22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$737 UYU 29.6K

44.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$572 UYU 23.0K

15.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,165 UYU 46.8K

62.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$947 UYU 38.1K

8.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$3,415 UYU 137.3K

22.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,873 UYU 75.3K

-10.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,164 UYU 46.8K

-41.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.6

95.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $737 in Montevideo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 72% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $62.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $327 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Medellin vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $2,624 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $62.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,749 in Montevideo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Montevideo at $1,749. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.