Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Arenal

For one person, living is cheaper in Arenal: $1,673 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Arenal
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Arenal Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Arenal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Arenal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,673 in Arenal.

Montevideo $1,771
Arenal $1,673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,631 in Arenal.

Montevideo $2,740
Arenal $2,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $3,589 in Arenal.

Montevideo $3,708
Arenal $3,589

Living in Montevideo is roughly 6% more expensive than in Arenal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 31% above, Arenal 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 610

$12.02 ₡5,402

26.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,780

$60.8 ₡27.3K

13.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$11.74 ₡5,277

24.79%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$4.53 ₡2,034

-1.55%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.75 ₡1,235

-2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$1.94 ₡870

3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.34 ₡1,500

44.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$4.34 ₡1,951

-12.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$2.31 ₡1,037

-41.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.14 ₡1,411

-8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$2.50 ₡1,125

-30.00%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.46 ₡1,554

35.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$10.58 ₡4,753

31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 482

$10.24 ₡4,600

16.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$14.10 ₡6,337

-15.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$5.16 ₡2,317

-46.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.60 ₡718

71.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$4.62 ₡2,076

-61.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.79 ₡1,702

-14.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$3.84 ₡1,724

-48.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$3.71 ₡1,669

-44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$1.08 ₡486

26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$3.17 ₡1,424

-40.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$5.82 ₡2,616

-3.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$19.68 ₡8,841

-55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$2.80 ₡1,257

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 111

$3.62 ₡1,628

-24.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.6

$1.40 ₡627

9.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,985

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$2.50 ₡1,125

-23.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.21

$1.57 ₡707

-74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.48 ₡3,812

21.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$1.58 ₡708

34.81%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$22.1K ₡9.9M

22.55%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.6K ₡16.0M

1.80%

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

$188 UYU 7,570

$94.3 ₡42.4K

99.75%

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

$20.54 UYU 826

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-42.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$59.2 ₡26.6K

-24.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$78.2 ₡35.2K

-31.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 481

$7.51 ₡3,373

59.12%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$989 ₡444.4K

-35.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.3K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-34.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,106

$72.0 ₡32.3K

41.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,313

$57.0 ₡25.6K

0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,088

$131 ₡59.0K

-3.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,139

$131 ₡58.8K

-2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$796 ₡357.7K

-9.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$570 ₡256.2K

-0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,638 ₡736.2K

-30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,091 ₡490.3K

-6.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arenal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Arenal

$570 34.1% 0.4% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Arenal

$398 23.8% 20.1% $67

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Arenal

$230 13.7% 14.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Arenal

$189 11.3% 25.3% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Arenal

$176 10.5% 5.5% $10

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Arenal

$16 * 1% 81.1% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Arenal

$93 5.6% 19.7% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Montevideo and $796 in Arenal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $61.0 in Arenal. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $398, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Arenal

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

23:33 11:33 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

2,300

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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 = 45.01 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Arenal 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Arenal

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 Arenal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arenal is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,656 in Montevideo and $2,509 in Arenal 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $719 in Montevideo versus $796 in Arenal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Montevideo versus $989 in Arenal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arenal – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,673 in Arenal versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arenal but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Arenal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arenal 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 Arenal 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 Arenal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.