Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Azua

For one person, living is cheaper in Azua: $660 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Azua
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$660
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Azua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $660 in Azua.

  • Montevideo $1,813
  • Azua $660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $1,060 in Azua.

  • Montevideo $2,782
  • Azua $1,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $1,460 in Azua.

  • Montevideo $3,750
  • Azua $1,460

Living in Montevideo is roughly 175% more expensive than in Azua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 35% above, Azua is 51% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.26 UYU 613
$8.61 DOP 524
77.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 UYU 2,711
$41.37 DOP 2,518
62.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.37 UYU 578
$7.15 DOP 435
100.98%
Cappuccino
$4.64 UYU 187
$1.36 DOP 82.5
241.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 UYU 110
$0.68 DOP 41.59
301.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 UYU 84.0
$0.39 DOP 23.53
435.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.75 UYU 191
$2.57 DOP 157
84.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 UYU 147
$4.14 DOP 252
-11.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 UYU 55.5
$1.20 DOP 73.0
15.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 UYU 112
$1.83 DOP 111
51.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 UYU 67.8
$1.05 DOP 63.8
60.95%
Eggs
$4.52 UYU 182
$1.47 DOP 89.3
207.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 UYU 570
$6.55 DOP 399
116.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.07 UYU 485
$3.69 DOP 224
227.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.16 UYU 489
$4.83 DOP 294
151.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 UYU 116
$3.74 DOP 228
-23.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 UYU 110
$1.42 DOP 86.2
93.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 UYU 69.5
$3.23 DOP 197
-46.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$2.27 DOP 138
42.73%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$3.68 DOP 224
-43.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$2.93 DOP 178
-29.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 UYU 55.4
$0.96 DOP 58.6
43.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 UYU 74.5
$1.63 DOP 98.9
13.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.57 UYU 224
$4.75 DOP 289
17.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.89 UYU 357
$17.12 DOP 1,042
-48.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 UYU 92.2
$2.92 DOP 178
-21.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 UYU 109
$3.37 DOP 205
-19.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 UYU 61.3
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.7 UYU 2,962
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.82 UYU 73.4
$2.49 DOP 151
-26.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.05
$3.27 DOP 199
-87.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.66 UYU 429
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.22 UYU 89.2
$1.37 DOP 83.7
62.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
$15.0K DOP 915.2K
77.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
$25.7K DOP 1.6M
42.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 UYU 7,674
$94.7 DOP 5,767
101.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.40 UYU 820
$27.44 DOP 1,670
-25.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.14 UYU 1,775
$39.28 DOP 2,391
12.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 UYU 2,177
$20.21 DOP 1,230
167.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.68 UYU 791
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.33 UYU 496
$5.07 DOP 309
143.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$613 UYU 24.7K
$152 DOP 9,263
302.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
$5,570 DOP 339.0K
98.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 UYU 4,134
$26.60 DOP 1,619
286.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 UYU 2,255
$45.31 DOP 2,758
23.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 UYU 5,000
$62.8 DOP 3,824
97.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 UYU 5,214
$66.8 DOP 4,063
94.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$705 UYU 28.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
$3,576 DOP 217.7K
-6.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Azua
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
11
-47.82%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Azua: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Azua
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Azua
$240 27.8% $92
Eating Out
Montevideo
$271
Azua
$132 51.3% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$255
Azua
$161 36.8% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Azua
$91 51.2% $95
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Azua
$19 * 77.5% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$79
Azua
$30 61.5% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $67.0 in Montevideo vs $41.00 in Azua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $240 per month, with Azua cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇩🇴 Azua
🕒 Local time
08:15 8:15 AM
07:15 7:15 AM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
128,264
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 60.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.64 USD). 1 EUR = 68.21 DOP (100 DOP = 1.47 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Azua 6,130 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Azua

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 Azua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Azua cheaper than Montevideo?
Azua is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 175% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,720 in Montevideo and $990 in Azua 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.
How do food prices compare in Montevideo and in Azua?
Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Montevideo and in Azua?
All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $660 in Azua – a 175% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Azua?
At $660 in Azua versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Azua but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Azua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Montevideo or Azua more family-friendly?
For families, Azua 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.
Which city is safer, Montevideo or Azua?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Azua are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Azua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Montevideo vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?