Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Bahia de Caraquez

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $806 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
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Bahia de Caraquez Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $806 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Bahia de Caraquez $806

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,384 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Bahia de Caraquez $1,384

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,963 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Bahia de Caraquez $1,963

Montevideo costs about 120% more than Bahia de Caraquez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Bahia de Caraquez is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$3.96 $3.96

282.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$51.6 $51.6

33.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$9.16 $9.16

59.93%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.81 $2.81

58.72%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.93 $0.93

187.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.75 $0.75

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.97 $2.97

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.22 $4.22

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.20 $1.20

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.98 $1.98

44.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.41 $1.41

24.11%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.08 $2.08

125.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$7.07 $7.07

96.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$5.11 $5.11

134.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$9.05 $9.05

32.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$1.47 $1.47

89.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.16 $1.16

136.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$0.97 $0.97

82.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$0.96 $0.96

237.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.22 $1.22

61.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.98 $0.98

111.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.87 $0.87

57.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.99 $0.99

89.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$6.11 $6.11

-8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$12.08 $12.08

-27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.57 $1.57

43.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.12 $2.12

29.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.37 $0.37

313.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$16.54 $16.54

348.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.39 $1.39

37.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.79 $1.79

-77.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$12.18 $12.18

-15.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$0.83 $0.83

156.63%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$20.6K $20.6K

31.37%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$31.6K $31.6K

14.75%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$39.59 $39.59

375.63%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$15.13 $15.13

35.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$26.61 $26.61

68.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$29.01 $29.01

86.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$17.11 $17.11

15.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.54 $7.54

58.49%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$369 $369

72.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$5,654 $5,654

95.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$65.7 $65.7

55.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$40.86 $40.86

40.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$125 $125

1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$92.6 $92.6

38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$261 $261

175.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$183 $183

210.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$765 $765

49.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$439 $439

133.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$1,253 $1,253

170.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$791 $791

146.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

10.05

-42.89%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Bahia de Caraquez

$183 22.7% 67.8% $385

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Bahia de Caraquez

$200 24.8% 39.7% $132

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Bahia de Caraquez

$123 15.3% 54.3% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Bahia de Caraquez

$81 10.1% 67.9% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Bahia de Caraquez

$146 18.1% 21.7% $40

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Bahia de Caraquez

$28 3.5% 66.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Bahia de Caraquez

$44 5.5% 43.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $261 in Bahia de Caraquez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $52.0 in Bahia de Caraquez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $200 – making Bahia de Caraquez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

24,963

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Bahia de Caraquez 4,570 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo, $806 in Bahia de Caraquez – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,208 in Bahia de Caraquez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $369 in Bahia de Caraquez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahia de Caraquez, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Bahia de Caraquez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $806 in Bahia de Caraquez to $1,771 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bahia de Caraquez. 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.