Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Barinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Barinas: $52.5 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Barinas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$52.5

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Barinas

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $52.5 in Barinas, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Barinas $52.5

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $78.4 in Barinas, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Barinas $78.4

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $104 in Barinas, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Barinas $104

Montevideo costs about 3273% more than Barinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Barinas is 96% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.98 VES 863

172.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.09 VES 955

60.55%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.17 VES 1,032

176.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$3.02 VES 2,651

-36.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$5.06 VES 4,444

-92.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

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

$188 UYU 7,557

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

$20.54 UYU 824

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$10.01 VES 8,791

439.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barinas: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Barinas

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Barinas

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Barinas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Barinas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Barinas

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Barinas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Barinas

–

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇻🇪 Barinas

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

397,279

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, 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 = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Barinas 5,060 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Barinas

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 Barinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo, $52.5 in Barinas – roughly 3273% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $78.8 in Barinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,771 in Montevideo and $52.5 in Barinas. That's a gap of about 3273%.

Groceries cost about 3141% 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 Barinas, where all-in costs run around $52.5, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Barinas 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 $52.5 in Barinas 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 Barinas. 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.