Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Aguascalientes

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguascalientes: $1,113 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Aguascalientes
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Aguascalientes Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,113

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Aguascalientes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,113 in Aguascalientes.

Montevideo $1,813
Aguascalientes $1,113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $1,744 in Aguascalientes.

Montevideo $2,782
Aguascalientes $1,744

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $2,375 in Aguascalientes.

Montevideo $3,750
Aguascalientes $2,375

Living in Montevideo is roughly 63% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 35% above, Aguascalientes is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$12.50 MX$229

22.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$44.72 MX$821

50.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$7.00 MX$129

105.29%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$3.86 MX$70.9

20.21%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.64 MX$30.09

66.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$1.21 MX$22.21

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.18 MX$40.03

117.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.26 MX$59.8

12.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$1.47 MX$26.98

-6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$2.22 MX$40.72

24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$1.56 MX$28.69

8.33%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$2.45 MX$45.02

84.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$8.03 MX$147

76.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$8.61 MX$158

40.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$11.47 MX$211

6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$2.32 MX$42.51

23.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.33 MX$24.38

106.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$1.54 MX$28.29

12.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.76 MX$32.37

84.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.62 MX$29.66

27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.36 MX$25.03

52.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$0.99 MX$18.21

39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$0.83 MX$15.18

122.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$4.38 MX$80.4

27.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$8.88 MX$163

0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.81 MX$33.32

26.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$3.42 MX$62.8

-21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$0.59 MX$10.78

157.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$24.33 MX$447

202.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$1.22 MX$22.36

49.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$1.16 MX$21.37

-65.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$10.96 MX$201

-2.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$1.54 MX$28.21

44.16%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$21.7K MX$397.6K

23.51%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$23.9K MX$438.9K

53.70%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$55.6 MX$1,021

243.30%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$24.71 MX$454

-17.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$24.50 MX$450

80.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$31.42 MX$577

72.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$22.39 MX$411

-12.10%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$5.16 MX$94.7

138.95%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$220 MX$4,039

178.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$2,916 MX$53.5K

278.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$55.6 MX$1,021

84.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$37.98 MX$697

47.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$104 MX$1,916

19.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$69.9 MX$1,284

85.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$516 MX$9,475

36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$361 MX$6,620

59.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$810 MX$14.9K

40.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$642 MX$11.8K

58.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$1,183 MX$21.7K

183.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$1,176 MX$21.6K

65.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$884 MX$16.2K

39.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.2

-48.75%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Aguascalientes

$361 32.7% 37.3% $215

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Aguascalientes

$244 22.2% 26.6% $88

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Aguascalientes

$196 17.8% 27.7% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Aguascalientes

$105 9.5% 59% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Aguascalientes

$121 10.9% 35.1% $65

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Aguascalientes

$34 3.1% 59.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Aguascalientes

$42 3.8% 47% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $516 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 39% 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: $67.0 in Montevideo vs $45.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $244 per month, with Aguascalientes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Aguascalientes

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

00:16 12:16 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

863,893

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

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).

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).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Aguascalientes 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Aguascalientes

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

Montevideo vs Aguascalientes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Montevideo, 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: $705 in Montevideo versus $516 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 203% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $613 in Montevideo versus $220 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,113 in Aguascalientes versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montevideo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Aguascalientes 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 Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.