Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Milwaukee, WI
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Milwaukee, WI Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,502

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Milwaukee, WI $2,502
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,628 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Milwaukee, WI $3,628
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,754 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Milwaukee, WI $4,754
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Milwaukee, WI is roughly 38% more expensive than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milwaukee, WI 87% above, Montevideo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$15.26 UYU 613

33.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$67.4 UYU 2,711

9.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$14.37 UYU 578

-31.45%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$4.64 UYU 187

10.78%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.73 UYU 110

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.75 UYU 191

29.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$3.67 UYU 147

107.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.38 UYU 55.5

-42.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.77 UYU 112

28.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.69 UYU 67.8

209.47%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$4.52 UYU 182

-1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$14.17 UYU 570

-29.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$12.07 UYU 485

13.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$12.16 UYU 489

35.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.87 UYU 116

85.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.75 UYU 110

-45.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.73 UYU 69.5

161.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$3.24 UYU 130

59.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.07 UYU 83.1

24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.07 UYU 83.1

25.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.38 UYU 55.4

68.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.85 UYU 74.5

29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 $10.88

$5.57 UYU 224

95.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$8.89 UYU 357

78.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-13.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.70 UYU 109

27.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.52 UYU 61.3

42.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$73.7 UYU 2,962

-3.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.82 UYU 73.4

56.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.40 UYU 16.05

292.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.67 $20.67

$10.66 UYU 429

93.90%

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)

$35.8K $35.8K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

33.77%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-30.27%

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

$198 $198

$191 UYU 7,674

3.81%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$20.40 UYU 820

236.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$44.14 UYU 1,775

62.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 $43.29

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-20.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.72 $18.72

$19.68 UYU 791

-4.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$12.33 UYU 496

15.09%

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

$1,803 $1,803

$613 UYU 24.7K

194.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

121.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$103 UYU 4,134

-46.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 $40.46

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-27.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 $91.7

$124 UYU 5,000

-26.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$130 UYU 5,214

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 $1,757

$705 UYU 28.4K

149.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 $1,189

$575 UYU 23.1K

106.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 $2,804

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

146.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 $1,837

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

80.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 $2,741

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-18.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-13.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,747 $3,747

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

204.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

5.74

15.85%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$1.2K 46.5%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 51.6% $614

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$409 16%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 18.8% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$338 13.2%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 24.5% $83

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$319 12.5%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 15.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 5.4%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 35.8% $49

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$90 3.5%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 7.6% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$72 2.8%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 10% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milwaukee, WI pays 205% 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: $74.0 in Milwaukee, WI vs $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $332 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

00:28 12:28 AM

2 h ahead of Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Milwaukee, WI Montevideo 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Milwaukee, WI
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

Milwaukee, WI vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milwaukee, WI and Montevideo differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,502 vs $1,813 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 205% higher in Milwaukee, WI, 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: $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,502 per month in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,813 in Montevideo – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montevideo runs roughly 4% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Milwaukee, WI. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo 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, Milwaukee, WI and Montevideo 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 Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.