Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arecibo: $1,281 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
Learn more

Arecibo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Arecibo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,281 in Arecibo.

Montevideo $1,771
Arecibo $1,281

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,005 in Arecibo.

Montevideo $2,740
Arecibo $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $2,730 in Arecibo.

Montevideo $3,708
Arecibo $2,730

Living in Montevideo is roughly 38% more expensive than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Arecibo is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$12.13 $12.13

24.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$81.2 $81.2

-14.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$8.55 $8.55

71.35%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.42 $3.42

30.41%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.90 $1.90

40.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.50 $1.50

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.05 $3.05

58.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$5.09 $5.09

-25.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.79 $1.79

-24.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.36 $3.36

-14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.94 $1.94

-9.79%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$4.48 $4.48

4.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$12.78 $12.78

8.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$9.48 $9.48

26.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$13.47 $13.47

-11.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$4.97 $4.97

-44.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.59 $2.59

5.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$4.81 $4.81

-63.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$4.84 $4.84

-33.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.69 $3.69

-46.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.99 $3.99

-48.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$3.53 $3.53

-61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.60 $1.60

17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$11.98 $11.98

-53.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$15.87 $15.87

-44.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$3.09 $3.09

-26.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$4.06 $4.06

-32.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$40.63 $40.63

82.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.54 $2.54

-24.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.46 $1.46

-72.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$41.96 $41.96

-75.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$0.91 $0.91

134.07%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$40.4K $40.4K

-32.87%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$28.2K $28.2K

28.82%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$324 $324

-41.94%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$68.1 $68.1

-69.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$66.1 $66.1

-32.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$10.59 $10.59

12.84%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$833 $833

-23.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$12.6K $12.6K

-12.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$56.1 $56.1

82.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$61.5 $61.5

-6.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$109 $109

16.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$114 $114

12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$1,191 $1,191

4.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.55

-12.37%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arecibo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Arecibo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Arecibo

$395 30.8% 19.1% $63

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Arecibo

$203 15.8% 24.7% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Arecibo

$459 35.8% 80.8% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Arecibo

$153 12% 17.8% $33

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 40.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.7% 72.8% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Montevideo pays 5% 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: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $81.0 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $395 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

21:35 9:35 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

39,634

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Montevideo Arecibo 6,040 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Arecibo

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 Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arecibo is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Montevideo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Montevideo pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Arecibo – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,281 in Arecibo versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arecibo but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Arecibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arecibo 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 Arecibo 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 Arecibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.