Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,546 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Atenas

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,546 in Atenas, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Atenas $1,546

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,543 in Atenas, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Atenas $2,543

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $3,540 in Atenas, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Atenas $3,540

Montevideo costs about 15% more than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montevideo and Atenas sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Atenas by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$9.58 ₡4,298

58.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$56.8 ₡25.5K

21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$11.85 ₡5,314

23.63%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.82 ₡1,711

16.75%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.64 ₡1,186

1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.90 ₡852

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.25 ₡1,459

48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.38 ₡1,966

-13.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.39 ₡1,070

-43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.12 ₡1,401

-8.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.13 ₡957

-17.84%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.41 ₡1,528

37.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$10.71 ₡4,802

29.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$9.87 ₡4,426

21.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$10.36 ₡4,646

15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$4.28 ₡1,921

-35.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.57 ₡704

74.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$2.56 ₡1,148

-30.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.39 ₡1,071

35.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.70 ₡1,660

-46.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.69 ₡1,205

-23.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.11 ₡500

23.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$3.09 ₡1,387

-39.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$6.00 ₡2,690

-6.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$18.30 ₡8,207

-52.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.68 ₡1,200

-15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.69 ₡1,208

2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$2.23 ₡1,001

-31.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.38 ₡1,067

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.62 ₡725

-75.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.83 ₡3,960

16.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.56 ₡701

36.54%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$22.3K ₡10.0M

21.49%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$34.6K ₡15.5M

4.76%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$95.7 ₡42.9K

96.82%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$35.36 ₡15.9K

-41.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$51.0 ₡22.8K

-12.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$48.47 ₡21.7K

11.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$10.78 ₡4,835

83.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.90 ₡3,542

51.27%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$994 ₡445.7K

-36.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$6,652 ₡3.0M

66.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$71.0 ₡31.8K

43.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$55.1 ₡24.7K

4.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$128 ₡57.2K

-0.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$129 ₡58.0K

-1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$648 ₡290.6K

10.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$550 ₡246.8K

3.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,521 ₡682.3K

-24.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,281 ₡574.3K

-20.11%

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

$1,322 ₡592.9K

-5.85%

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 Atenas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Atenas

$550 35.6% 3.1% $18

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Atenas

$356 23.1% 7.4% $25

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Atenas

$201 13% 25.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 28.3% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Atenas

$172 11.2% 7.5% $14

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Atenas

$19 * 1.3% 77% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Atenas

$64 4.2% 17.5% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $648 in Atenas. 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 6% higher in Atenas, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $57.0 in Atenas. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $356 in Atenas – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

7,000

💱 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 = 1.98 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Atenas 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Atenas

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 Atenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 15%, 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 $2,319 in Atenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atenas, 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 $57.0 in Atenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Montevideo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Atenas, where all-in costs run around $1,546, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Atenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Atenas – 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 Atenas. 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.