Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Alert

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,200 in Alert, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alert outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Alert
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Alert Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Alert

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Alert

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 Alert actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $2,200 in Alert, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Alert $2,200

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $3,177 in Alert, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Alert $3,177

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $4,153 in Alert, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Alert $4,153

Montevideo is about 20% cheaper than Alert, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montevideo and Alert sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Alert by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$19.71 CA$28.02

-23.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,779

$70.3 CA$100.0

-1.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$9.35 CA$13.29

56.68%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.76 CA$5.35

18.62%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.81 CA$2.57

47.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$1.81 CA$2.57

10.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$5.04 CA$7.17

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$5.71 CA$8.12

-33.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.81 CA$2.58

-24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.67 CA$3.80

7.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$3.27 CA$4.64

-46.48%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.36 CA$4.77

39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$9.60 CA$13.65

44.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$9.93 CA$14.12

20.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$15.03 CA$21.36

-20.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$3.50 CA$4.98

-20.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.11 CA$1.57

146.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$3.70 CA$5.26

-52.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.68 CA$5.23

-11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$2.53 CA$3.59

-22.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$2.12 CA$3.01

-2.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$2.35 CA$3.35

-41.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$1.62 CA$2.31

16.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$12.52 CA$17.80

-55.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$14.15 CA$20.12

-37.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$2.28 CA$3.24

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.08 CA$4.38

-10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$2.58 CA$3.66

-40.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,984

$63.7 CA$90.6

16.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$2.57 CA$3.66

-25.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.20

$1.31 CA$1.86

-69.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$22.92 CA$32.59

-54.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$1.17 CA$1.67

82.05%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$25.4K CA$36.1K

6.72%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$21.8K CA$31.0K

66.39%

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

$188 UYU 7,567

$126 CA$179

49.50%

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

$20.54 UYU 825

$43.61 CA$62.0

-52.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$50.6 CA$72.0

-11.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$36.47 CA$51.9

47.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

$18.78 CA$26.71

5.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$11.71 CA$16.65

2.05%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$637 CA$905

-0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.1K

$11.2K CA$16.0K

-1.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,104

$48.27 CA$68.6

111.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,312

$38.59 CA$54.9

49.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,086

$86.7 CA$123

45.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,137

$90.4 CA$129

41.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$1,097 CA$1,560

-34.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$1,097 CA$1,560

-48.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,981 CA$2,816

-42.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,616 CA$2,298

-36.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.3K

$4,460 CA$6,341

-23.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.3K

$3,454 CA$4,911

-43.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

4.66

23.18%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alert: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Alert

$1.1K 49.9% 93.3% $530

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Alert

$339 15.4% 2.2% $7.2

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Alert

$282 12.8% 4.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Alert

$220 10% 13.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Alert

$119 5.4% 36.2% $68

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Alert

$83 3.8% 1.4% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Alert

$60 2.7% 23.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $1,097 in Alert. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $70.0 in Alert. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $339 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇦 Alert

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 40.18 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.99 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Alert 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Alert

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 Alert: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo, $2,200 in Alert – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $3,300 in Alert. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Alert, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $70.0 in Alert. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Alert at $2,200. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alert it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,771 in Montevideo to $2,200 in Alert. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alert makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.