Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Barbados

For one person, living costs are similar in Montevideo and in Barbados: $1,813 and $1,862 a month, rent and utilities included.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Barbados

🇧🇧 Barbados

$1,862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Barbados

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,862 in Barbados.

Montevideo $1,813
Barbados $1,862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $4,060 in Barbados.

Montevideo $2,782
Barbados $4,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $6,257 in Barbados.

Montevideo $3,750
Barbados $6,257

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 3% less than in Barbados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 35% above, Barbados 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$25.31 BBD 50.6

-39.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$113 BBD 227

-40.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$12.63 BBD 25.26

13.78%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$4.53 BBD 9.07

2.43%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$2.13 BBD 4.26

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$1.70 BBD 3.40

22.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$3.04 BBD 6.07

56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.88 BBD 7.77

-5.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$3.65 BBD 7.29

-62.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$2.70 BBD 5.39

2.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$4.08 BBD 8.16

-58.58%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$6.07 BBD 12.14

-25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$6.65 BBD 13.29

113.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$10.15 BBD 20.30

18.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$11.16 BBD 22.32

8.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$4.98 BBD 9.97

-42.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$4.34 BBD 8.68

-36.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$5.52 BBD 11.05

-68.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$5.75 BBD 11.51

-43.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$6.70 BBD 13.40

-69.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$4.93 BBD 9.86

-58.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$2.78 BBD 5.55

-50.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$2.62 BBD 5.24

-29.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$6.80 BBD 13.61

-18.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$16.18 BBD 32.37

-45.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.77 BBD 3.54

29.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$3.01 BBD 6.02

-10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$1.72 BBD 3.43

-11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$5.10 BBD 10.20

-64.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$3.46 BBD 6.92

-88.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$2.09 BBD 4.18

6.22%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$50.8K BBD 101.6K

-47.33%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$40.2K BBD 80.3K

-8.53%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$99.5 BBD 199

91.84%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$48.94 BBD 97.9

-58.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$87.3 BBD 175

-49.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$76.1 BBD 152

-28.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$8.64 BBD 17.28

42.71%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$46.50 BBD 93.0

121.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$20.34 BBD 40.67

175.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$60.2 BBD 120

106.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$664 BBD 1,327

6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$680 BBD 1,359

-15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$1,822 BBD 3,644

-37.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$3,402 BBD 6,804

-70.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$1,308 BBD 2,616

-6.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

-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 Barbados: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Barbados

$680 36.6% 18.1% $104

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Barbados

$430 23.1% 29.3% $97

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Barbados

$333 17.9% 22.8% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Barbados

$236 12.7% 7.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Barbados

$57 * 3.1% 69.2% $129

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Barbados

$29 * 1.6% 65% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Barbados

$93 5% 18.6% $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 $705 in Montevideo and $664 in Barbados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barbados pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Montevideo vs $113 in Barbados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $430 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇧🇧 Barbados

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

09:44 9:44 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

623

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.446 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

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).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BBD (1 BBD = 0.446 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Barbados 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Barbados

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 Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Barbados differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,813 vs $1,862 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Barbados. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $705 in Montevideo versus $664 in Barbados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montevideo – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $113 in Barbados. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $1,862 in Barbados – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,862 in Barbados, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Barbados. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Barbados 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 Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Barbados. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.