Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Montevideo despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Montevideo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,784 in Montevideo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Montevideo $2,784

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,797 in Montevideo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Montevideo $3,797

Medellin is about 7% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Montevideo sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Montevideo by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$15.63 UYU 628

-48.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$69.9 UYU 2,811

-32.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$14.51 UYU 583

-34.53%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$4.43 UYU 178

-32.05%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.49 UYU 100

-27.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.95 UYU 78.4

-27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$4.78 UYU 192

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.67 UYU 148

56.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.26 UYU 50.6

19.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$2.98 UYU 120

-20.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.74 UYU 70.0

1.72%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$4.80 UYU 193

-39.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$14.06 UYU 565

-27.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$11.35 UYU 456

-13.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$12.16 UYU 489

15.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.74 UYU 110

44.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.83 UYU 114

-45.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.63 UYU 65.4

33.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$3.18 UYU 128

-31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.02 UYU 81.1

-2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.13 UYU 85.5

-25.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.39 UYU 55.9

-17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.94 UYU 78.2

-36.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$5.34 UYU 215

-25.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$8.31 UYU 334

64.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.35 UYU 94.3

-29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.80 UYU 113

-19.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.55 UYU 62.4

-24.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$74.9 UYU 3,011

3.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.91 UYU 76.8

-33.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.41 UYU 16.54

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$10.38 UYU 417

-17.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$2.23 UYU 89.5

-39.46%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$26.5K UYU 1.1M

28.38%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

-3.29%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$184 UYU 7,388

-7.71%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$20.15 UYU 810

-32.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$43.24 UYU 1,738

-35.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$48.47 UYU 1,948

-9.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$19.71 UYU 792

-12.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$12.11 UYU 487

-42.94%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$636 UYU 25.6K

25.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$11.0K UYU 441.9K

-17.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$101 UYU 4,048

-15.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$56.9 UYU 2,288

1.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$123 UYU 4,934

9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$130 UYU 5,238

-24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$747 UYU 30.0K

61.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$581 UYU 23.3K

10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

57.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,125 UYU 45.2K

-10.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$3,653 UYU 146.8K

14.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,029 UYU 81.5K

-5.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

-48.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.65

93.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Montevideo

$581 32.8% 9.5% $61

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Montevideo

$330 18.6% 11.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Montevideo

$247 14% 17% $36

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Montevideo

$271 15.3% 59.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Montevideo

$185 10.4% 9.4% $16

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Montevideo

$85 4.8% 9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Montevideo

$73 4.1% 26.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $747 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 95% higher in Montevideo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $70 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $330 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.23 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 40.19 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.88 UYU (100 UYU = 2.23 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Montevideo 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Montevideo

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

Medellin vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,657 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $747 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $70 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $1,771 in Montevideo. That makes Medellin about 7% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,771 in Montevideo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $1,771 in Montevideo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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