Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Ambato

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Ambato $1,364

Montevideo costs about 193% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Ambato is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 610

$3.46 $3.46

338.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,780

$29.93 $29.93

131.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$5.32 $5.32

175.38%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.76 $2.76

61.59%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.82 $0.82

225.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$0.75 $0.75

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.96 $1.96

146.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$3.22 $3.22

18.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$0.98 $0.98

38.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$0.98 $0.98

192.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$1.57 $1.57

11.46%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$1.73 $1.73

170.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$5.42 $5.42

156.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 482

$3.05 $3.05

292.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$3.93 $3.93

204.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$1.27 $1.27

118.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$0.88 $0.88

211.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$1.03 $1.03

71.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.03 $1.03

214.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$0.77 $0.77

155.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$0.99 $0.99

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$0.73 $0.73

87.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$1.03 $1.03

82.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$5.15 $5.15

8.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$8.78 $8.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$1.45 $1.45

55.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 111

$2.81 $2.81

-2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.6

$0.29 $0.29

427.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,985

$14.21 $14.21

422.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$1.39 $1.39

37.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.21

$1.12 $1.12

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$9.43 $9.43

9.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$0.86 $0.86

147.67%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$23.3K $23.3K

16.18%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$28.1K $28.1K

28.84%

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

$188 UYU 7,570

$39.20 $39.20

380.36%

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

$20.54 UYU 826

$13.58 $13.58

51.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$26.39 $26.39

69.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$29.76 $29.76

81.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 481

$4.39 $4.39

172.21%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$224 $224

182.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.3K

$2,408 $2,408

359.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,106

$48.25 $48.25

111.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,313

$35.22 $35.22

63.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,088

$71.2 $71.2

77.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,139

$55.5 $55.5

130.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$178 $178

303.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$124 $124

357.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$380 $380

201.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$273 $273

275.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.4K

$1,130 $1,130

200.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.4K

$884 $884

120.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$679 $679

83.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

-36.22%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 78.1% $444

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 55.7% $185

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 63.1% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 68.8% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 49.3% $92

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 73.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 50.5% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $178 in Ambato. 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 83% 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $30.00 in Ambato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $147 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

165,185

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 40.2 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.02 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Ambato 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Ambato

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 Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo costs about 193% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,771 in Montevideo and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 193%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $1,771 in Montevideo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ambato. 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.