Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Boca del Rio

For one person, living is cheaper in Boca del Rio: $1,202 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Boca del Rio
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Boca del Rio

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 Boca del Rio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,202 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Boca del Rio $1,202

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,891 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Boca del Rio $1,891

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,581 in Boca del Rio, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Boca del Rio $2,581

Montevideo costs about 47% more than Boca del Rio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Boca del Rio is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 609
$10.87 MX$201
39.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,776
$44.56 MX$823
55.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 588
$8.29 MX$153
76.72%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$3.62 MX$66.9
23.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$1.36 MX$25.20
96.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.4
$1.00 MX$18.51
100.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$2.50 MX$46.27
93.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 152
$3.95 MX$73.0
-3.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.8
$1.42 MX$26.33
-4.23%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$2.60 MX$48.12
10.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.2
$1.93 MX$35.61
-9.33%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$2.30 MX$42.58
103.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 557
$8.14 MX$150
70.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 481
$8.44 MX$156
41.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 480
$13.02 MX$241
-8.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 111
$3.11 MX$57.5
-10.61%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.78 MX$32.90
53.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.2
$1.90 MX$35.05
-6.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$1.85 MX$34.19
75.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.2
$1.98 MX$36.63
-0.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$1.78 MX$32.86
16.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.1
$1.60 MX$29.63
-14.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.3
$1.00 MX$18.54
88.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 224
$4.02 MX$74.4
39.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 352
$9.71 MX$179
-9.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.9
$1.60 MX$29.60
41.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 110
$3.57 MX$65.9
-22.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.5
$0.68 MX$12.49
125.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,980
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.7
$2.90 MX$53.7
-34.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.18
$1.85 MX$34.13
-78.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
$11.13 MX$206
-7.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$1.44 MX$26.52
47.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
$20.3K MX$374.6K
33.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
$23.6K MX$435.6K
53.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,557
$63.9 MX$1,182
194.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 824
$24.30 MX$449
-15.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,798
$31.42 MX$581
42.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,166
$37.07 MX$685
45.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 793
$19.02 MX$352
3.84%
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 480
$4.91 MX$90.8
143.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$197 MX$3,634
222.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
$4,060 MX$75.0K
172.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,099
$55.2 MX$1,020
85.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,309
$38.00 MX$702
51.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,079
$98.8 MX$1,825
28.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,131
$82.5 MX$1,525
54.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.8K
$533 MX$9,843
34.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
$443 MX$8,194
28.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
$1,031 MX$19.0K
11.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
$802 MX$14.8K
27.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
$1,660 MX$30.7K
104.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
$1,026 MX$19.0K
89.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Boca del Rio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
11.3
-49.20%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Boca del Rio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Boca del Rio
$443 21.9% $124
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Boca del Rio
$268 19% $63
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Boca del Rio
$185 31.2% $84
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Boca del Rio
$120 52.8% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Boca del Rio
$124 33.7% $63
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Boca del Rio
$15 * 82.4% $69
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Boca del Rio
$47 39.8% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $533 in Boca del Rio. 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 $45.00 in Boca del Rio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $268 – making Boca del Rio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇲🇽 Boca del Rio
🕒 Local time
13:01 1:01 PM
10:01 10:01 AM
3 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Boca del Rio 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Boca del Rio

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 Boca del Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Montevideo and in Boca del Rio compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo, $1,202 in Boca del Rio – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Montevideo compared to Boca del Rio?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,803 in Boca del Rio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Montevideo and Boca del Rio?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Boca del Rio, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Montevideo or Boca del Rio?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,771 in Montevideo and $1,202 in Boca del Rio. That's a gap of about 47%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montevideo and Boca del Rio?
Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $197 in Boca del Rio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Boca del Rio, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Boca del Rio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Montevideo and Boca del Rio?
It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Boca del Rio to $1,771 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Montevideo or Boca del Rio safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Montevideo and Boca del Rio?
If budget matters most, go with Boca del Rio. 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.

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