Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,484 in Memphis, TN, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Memphis, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,484
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN and in Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,484 per month in Memphis, TN vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Memphis, TN $2,484
  • Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $3,630 per month in Memphis, TN vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Memphis, TN $3,630
  • Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $4,775 per month in Memphis, TN vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Memphis, TN $4,775
  • Montevideo $3,750

Memphis, TN costs about 37% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Memphis, TN and Montevideo sit above the global median – Memphis, TN by 85%, Montevideo by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.83 $17.83
$15.26 UYU 613
16.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.9 $74.9
$67.4 UYU 2,711
11.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.10 $12.10
$14.37 UYU 578
-15.80%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$4.64 UYU 187
19.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$2.73 UYU 110
-12.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$2.09 UYU 84.0
-5.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.18 $7.18
$4.75 UYU 191
51.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.23 $8.23
$3.67 UYU 147
124.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.38 UYU 55.5
-34.78%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 $3.14
$2.77 UYU 112
13.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$1.69 UYU 67.8
137.28%
Eggs
$3.78 $3.78
$4.52 UYU 182
-16.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.45 $13.45
$14.17 UYU 570
-5.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.36 $11.36
$12.07 UYU 485
-5.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.44 $19.44
$12.16 UYU 489
59.87%
Apples (1kg)
$5.73 $5.73
$2.87 UYU 116
99.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 $1.77
$2.75 UYU 110
-35.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.00 $6.00
$1.73 UYU 69.5
246.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 $4.83
$3.24 UYU 130
49.07%
Potato (1kg)
$3.22 $3.22
$2.07 UYU 83.1
55.56%
Onion (1kg)
$4.18 $4.18
$2.07 UYU 83.1
101.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.38 UYU 55.4
85.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.85 UYU 74.5
15.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.63 $10.63
$5.57 UYU 224
90.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.87 $12.87
$8.89 UYU 357
44.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$2.29 UYU 92.2
-21.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 $1.64
$2.70 UYU 109
-39.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.52 UYU 61.3
-36.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.19 $39.19
$73.7 UYU 2,962
-46.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.82 UYU 73.4
6.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 $1.41
$0.40 UYU 16.05
252.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.61 $19.61
$10.66 UYU 429
83.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$2.22 UYU 89.2
-55.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.4K $37.4K
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
39.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
-27.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$186 $186
$191 UYU 7,674
-2.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$86.8 $86.8
$20.40 UYU 820
325.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.2 $76.2
$44.14 UYU 1,775
72.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.38 $31.38
$54.1 UYU 2,177
-42.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.72 $16.72
$19.68 UYU 791
-15.04%
Cinema Ticket
$15.15 $15.15
$12.33 UYU 496
22.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,722 $1,722
$613 UYU 24.7K
180.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.0K $25.0K
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
126.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.26 $47.26
$103 UYU 4,134
-54.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.34 $33.34
$56.1 UYU 2,255
-40.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.7 $82.7
$124 UYU 5,000
-33.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$152 $152
$130 UYU 5,214
17.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,495 $1,495
$705 UYU 28.4K
111.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,157 $1,157
$575 UYU 23.1K
101.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 $2,080
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
82.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,884 $1,884
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
85.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,781 $1,781
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
-46.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,364 $1,364
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
-29.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Memphis, TN
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,648 $3,648
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
196.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
5.74
14.98%

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

Last update for Memphis, TN: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Memphis, TN
$1.2K
Montevideo
$575 50.3% $582
Groceries & Markets
Memphis, TN
$406
Montevideo
$332 18.2% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Memphis, TN
$349
Montevideo
$255 26.8% $94
Eating Out
Memphis, TN
$316
Montevideo
$271 14% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Memphis, TN
$142
Montevideo
$186 30.9% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Memphis, TN
$62
Montevideo
$79 27.8% $17
Getting Around
Memphis, TN
$52
Montevideo
$84 60.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,495 in Memphis, TN versus $705 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 197% higher in Memphis, TN, 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 $75.0 in Memphis, TN versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Memphis, TN
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
03:16 3:16 AM
05:16 5:16 AM
2 h ahead of Memphis, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
633,104
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Memphis, TN Montevideo 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Memphis, TN
  • 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
Memphis, TN vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Memphis, TN and in Montevideo compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,484 in Memphis, TN, $1,813 in Montevideo – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Memphis, TN compared to Montevideo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,726 per month in Memphis, TN and $2,720 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Memphis, TN and Montevideo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Memphis, TN and in Montevideo?
Public transport costs about 88% less in Montevideo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Memphis, TN and Montevideo?
Kindergarten costs $1,722 per month in Memphis, TN and $613 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Memphis, TN at $2,484. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Memphis, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Memphis, TN and Montevideo?
It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,813 in Montevideo to $2,484 in Memphis, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Memphis, TN or Montevideo safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Memphis, TN and Montevideo?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Memphis, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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