Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Alexandra, Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandra: $278 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Alexandra

🇧🇧 Barbados

$278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Alexandra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $278 in Alexandra.

Montevideo $1,771
Alexandra $278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,784 in Montevideo versus $455 in Alexandra.

Montevideo $2,784
Alexandra $455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,797 in Montevideo versus $633 in Alexandra.

Montevideo $3,797
Alexandra $633

Living in Montevideo is roughly 538% more expensive than in Alexandra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 30% above, Alexandra is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.63 UYU 628

$30.36 BBD 60.7

-48.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 UYU 2,811

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 UYU 583

Cappuccino

$4.43 UYU 178

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

$2.49 UYU 100

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 UYU 78.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 UYU 192

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 148

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UYU 50.6

$3.47 BBD 6.95

-63.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 UYU 120

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 UYU 70.0

Eggs

$4.80 UYU 193

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 UYU 565

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 UYU 456

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 UYU 114

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 UYU 65.4

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 UYU 128

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 UYU 81.1

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 UYU 85.5

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 UYU 55.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 78.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 UYU 215

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 UYU 334

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 UYU 94.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 UYU 113

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 UYU 62.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.9 UYU 3,011

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.38 UYU 417

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 UYU 89.5

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

$26.5K UYU 1.1M

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

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

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

$184 UYU 7,388

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

$20.15 UYU 810

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.24 UYU 1,738

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 UYU 1,948

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.71 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 UYU 487

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

$636 UYU 25.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 441.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 UYU 4,048

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 UYU 2,288

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 UYU 4,934

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,238

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 UYU 30.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 UYU 23.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 UYU 45.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 UYU 146.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 UYU 81.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alexandra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$581 32.8%

Alexandra

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$330 18.6%

Alexandra

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.3%

Alexandra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$247 14%

Alexandra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$185 10.4%

Alexandra

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$85 4.8%

Alexandra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$73 4.1%

Alexandra

–

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇧🇧 Alexandra

🕒 Local time

04:59 4:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

1,382

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.23 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 40.19 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.85 UYU (100 UYU = 2.23 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Alexandra 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Alexandra

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 Alexandra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandra is about 84% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,657 in Montevideo and $416 in Alexandra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 851% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $278 in Alexandra – Alexandra is about 84% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $278 in Alexandra versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandra but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandra 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, Montevideo and Alexandra are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.