Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,075 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
Learn more

Asuncion Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Asuncion

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,075 in Asuncion, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Asuncion $1,075

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,684 in Asuncion, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Asuncion $1,684

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,292 in Asuncion, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Asuncion $2,292

Montevideo costs about 65% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Asuncion is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$7.15 ₲40.7K

112.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,779

$43.57 ₲248.0K

58.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$7.10 ₲40.4K

106.34%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.51 ₲20.0K

27.07%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.05 ₲5,985

154.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$0.58 ₲3,292

244.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.89 ₲10.8K

155.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$1.74 ₲9,914

118.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.29 ₲7,327

5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.50 ₲8,521

91.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$1.39 ₲7,929

25.90%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.48 ₲14.1K

88.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$9.74 ₲55.5K

42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$5.19 ₲29.5K

130.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$10.07 ₲57.3K

18.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$2.99 ₲17.0K

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.32 ₲7,499

107.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$1.19 ₲6,748

48.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.47 ₲14.1K

31.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$1.40 ₲7,991

40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$1.33 ₲7,568

55.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$0.92 ₲5,247

48.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$0.77 ₲4,376

144.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$2.43 ₲13.9K

130.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$9.08 ₲51.6K

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$1.42 ₲8,071

59.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.79 ₲10.2K

53.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.58 ₲3,318

163.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,984

$37.92 ₲215.8K

95.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$1.54 ₲8,742

24.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.20

$1.62 ₲9,212

-75.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$10.44 ₲59.4K

-1.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$1.29 ₲7,326

65.12%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$17.5K ₲99.6M

54.84%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.0K ₲199.4M

3.50%

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

$188 UYU 7,567

$51.5 ₲293.2K

265.42%

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

$20.54 UYU 825

$17.68 ₲100.6K

16.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$22.35 ₲127.2K

100.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$36.60 ₲208.3K

47.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

$15.33 ₲87.3K

28.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$8.89 ₲50.6K

34.42%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$190 ₲1.1M

234.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.1K

$5,930 ₲33.7M

86.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,104

$64.7 ₲368.3K

57.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,312

$57.9 ₲329.6K

-0.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,086

$107 ₲610.5K

17.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,137

$73.3 ₲417.1K

74.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$645 ₲3.7M

11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$385 ₲2.2M

47.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,061 ₲6.0M

7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$654 ₲3.7M

56.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.3K

$1,715 ₲9.8M

97.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.3K

$1,205 ₲6.9M

61.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$747 ₲4.2M

66.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

10.5

-45.33%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Asuncion

$385 35.9% 32.1% $182

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Asuncion

$217 20.2% 34.5% $114

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Asuncion

$140 13% 47.9% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Asuncion

$92 8.5% 63.9% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Asuncion

$136 12.7% 26.8% $50

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Asuncion

$50 4.6% 40.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Asuncion

$54 5.1% 30.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $645 in Asuncion. 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 67% 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 $44.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $217 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

Same time as Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.23 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 40.18 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.86 UYU (100 UYU = 2.23 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 5,691 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,353 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Asuncion 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Asuncion

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 Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,613 in Asuncion. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 96% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $190 in Asuncion. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $1,075, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Asuncion – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Asuncion. 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.