Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merida and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Merida: $1,334 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Merida
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Merida Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Merida

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,334

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,334 per month in Merida vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

Merida $1,334
Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $2,174 per month in Merida vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

Merida $2,174
Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $3,014 per month in Merida vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

Merida $3,014
Montevideo $3,750

Merida is about 26% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Merida and Montevideo sit above the global median – Merida by 0%, Montevideo by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.90 MX$255

$15.26 UYU 613

-8.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 MX$1,022

$67.4 UYU 2,711

-17.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 MX$149

$14.37 UYU 578

-43.56%

Cappuccino

$3.97 MX$73.0

$4.64 UYU 187

-14.44%

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

$1.14 MX$21.00

$2.73 UYU 110

-58.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.67

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-43.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 MX$56.4

$4.75 UYU 191

-35.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 MX$71.1

$3.67 UYU 147

5.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$29.30

$1.38 UYU 55.5

15.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$48.41

$2.77 UYU 112

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.83

$1.69 UYU 67.8

2.37%

Eggs

$1.97 MX$36.18

$4.52 UYU 182

-56.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 MX$189

$14.17 UYU 570

-27.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$12.07 UYU 485

-36.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 MX$230

$12.16 UYU 489

3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MX$50.9

$2.87 UYU 116

-3.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$25.89

$2.75 UYU 110

-48.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.21

$1.73 UYU 69.5

23.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$3.24 UYU 130

-35.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.25

$2.07 UYU 83.1

14.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 MX$33.53

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$26.27

$1.38 UYU 55.4

3.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$20.80

$1.85 UYU 74.5

-38.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MX$81.4

$5.57 UYU 224

-20.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 MX$200

$8.89 UYU 357

22.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 MX$27.06

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-35.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 MX$46.08

$2.70 UYU 109

-7.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MX$12.36

$1.52 UYU 61.3

-55.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.76 MX$363

$73.7 UYU 2,962

-73.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 MX$50.1

$1.82 UYU 73.4

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 MX$69.1

$0.40 UYU 16.05

840.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.82 MX$162

$10.66 UYU 429

-17.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.04

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-28.83%

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

$21.5K MX$393.9K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-19.78%

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

$24.4K MX$447.1K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-33.73%

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

$113 MX$2,076

$191 UYU 7,674

-40.76%

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

$21.35 MX$392

$20.40 UYU 820

4.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.42 MX$650

$44.14 UYU 1,775

-19.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.12 MX$553

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-44.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.83 MX$217

$19.68 UYU 791

-39.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 MX$139

$12.33 UYU 496

-38.61%

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

$266 MX$4,880

$613 UYU 24.7K

-56.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,584 MX$65.8K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

-67.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 MX$1,020

$103 UYU 4,134

-45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$995

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,869

$124 UYU 5,000

-18.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 MX$1,602

$130 UYU 5,214

-32.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.6K

$705 UYU 28.4K

-10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,585

$575 UYU 23.1K

-18.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$22.8K

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

9.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 MX$17.8K

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

-4.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,252 MX$41.4K

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-32.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,234 MX$22.7K

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-36.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 MX$11.1K

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

-50.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.64

5.74

102.79%

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

Last update for Merida: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Merida

$468 34.7%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 23.1% $108

Groceries & Markets

Merida

$270 20%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 23.3% $63

Eating Out

Merida

$216 16%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 25.8% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merida

$170 12.6%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 50.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Merida

$134 10%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 38.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Merida

$45 3.4%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 74.1% $34

Getting Around

Merida

$44 3.3%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 89.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $634 in Merida 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 103% 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 $56.0 in Merida versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $332 – making Merida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Merida

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

00:08 12:08 AM

3 h ahead of Merida

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Merida Montevideo 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Merida
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

Merida vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,001 per month in Merida and $2,720 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $266 per month in Merida and $613 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Merida, where all-in costs run around $1,334, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Merida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Merida – 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 Merida. 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.