Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Basseterre

For one person, living is cheaper in Basseterre: $1,451 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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

$1,813

/mo nomad

Basseterre

🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis

$1,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Basseterre

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $1,451 in Basseterre, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Basseterre $1,451

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $1,560 in Basseterre, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Basseterre $1,560

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $1,668 in Basseterre, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Basseterre $1,668

Montevideo costs about 25% more than Basseterre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montevideo and Basseterre sit above the global median – Montevideo by 35%, Basseterre by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$18.56 EC$50.1

-17.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$14.02 EC$37.86

2.50%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$3.81 EC$10.28

21.78%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$2.10 EC$5.66

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$2.23 EC$6.01

-6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$1.99 EC$5.38

138.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.63 EC$9.80

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$2.51 EC$6.78

-45.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$3.60 EC$9.73

-23.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$3.65 EC$9.87

-53.70%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$5.58 EC$15.07

-19.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$8.98 EC$24.24

34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$4.48 EC$12.10

-35.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.11 EC$8.39

-11.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.75 EC$10.12

-13.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.25 EC$6.09

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.82 EC$4.92

13.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$0.65 EC$1.75

184.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.84 EC$4.96

24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$3.61 EC$9.74

-25.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$2.24 EC$6.05

-32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$20.70 EC$55.9

-91.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$87.8 EC$237

117.26%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$39.25 EC$106

-48.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$36.75 EC$99.2

47.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$6.18 EC$16.68

99.51%

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

$88.1 EC$238

16.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$131 EC$354

-5.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$702 EC$1,897

0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$653 EC$1,764

-11.94%

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

$4,927 EC$13.3K

-32.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$3,925 EC$10.6K

-50.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$1,115 EC$3,011

10.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

43.50%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Basseterre: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Basseterre

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Basseterre

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Basseterre

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Basseterre

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Basseterre

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Basseterre

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Basseterre

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $702 in Basseterre. 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 10% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇰🇳 Basseterre

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

04:26 4:26 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

13,220 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, 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 = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Basseterre 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Basseterre

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 Basseterre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo, $1,451 in Basseterre – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $2,177 in Basseterre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,813 in Montevideo and $1,451 in Basseterre. That's a gap of about 25%.

Groceries cost about 40% 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 Basseterre, where all-in costs run around $1,451, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Basseterre 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 $1,451 in Basseterre to $1,813 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 Basseterre. 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.