Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Boquete

For one person, living is cheaper in Boquete: $1,473 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
Learn more

Boquete Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Boquete

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,473 in Boquete.

Montevideo $1,813
Boquete $1,473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $2,266 in Boquete.

Montevideo $2,782
Boquete $2,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $3,059 in Boquete.

Montevideo $3,750
Boquete $3,059

Living in Montevideo is roughly 23% more expensive than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 35% above, Boquete 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$6.46 PAB 6.46

136.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$39.90 PAB 39.90

69.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$7.58 PAB 7.58

89.58%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$3.88 PAB 3.88

19.59%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.34 PAB 1.34

103.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$1.21 PAB 1.21

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.26 PAB 2.26

110.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$5.08 PAB 5.08

-27.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-22.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$2.08 PAB 2.08

33.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$2.14 PAB 2.14

-21.03%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$2.54 PAB 2.54

77.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$9.20 PAB 9.20

54.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$7.77 PAB 7.77

55.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$15.16 PAB 15.16

-19.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$4.39 PAB 4.39

-34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$0.97 PAB 0.97

183.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$4.49 PAB 4.49

-61.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.27 PAB 2.27

42.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.17 PAB 2.17

-4.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.16 PAB 2.16

-4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$2.22 PAB 2.22

-37.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$1.63 PAB 1.63

13.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$5.09 PAB 5.09

9.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$7.96 PAB 7.96

11.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.15 PAB 1.15

99.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.64 PAB 2.64

2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$1.39 PAB 1.39

9.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$25.47 PAB 25.47

189.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$1.01 PAB 1.01

80.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-79.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$29.64 PAB 29.64

-64.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$1.18 PAB 1.18

88.14%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$25.1K PAB 25.1K

6.75%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$22.2K PAB 22.2K

65.61%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$58.7 PAB 58.7

225.11%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$26.10 PAB 26.10

-21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$43.09 PAB 43.09

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$81.3 PAB 81.3

-33.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$17.41 PAB 17.41

13.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$6.53 PAB 6.53

88.82%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$6,039 PAB 6,039

82.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$24.55 PAB 24.55

318.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$25.25 PAB 25.25

122.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$44.67 PAB 44.67

178.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$841 PAB 841

-16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$701 PAB 701

-17.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$1,562 PAB 1,562

-27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$1,309 PAB 1,309

-22.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$1,163 PAB 1,163

187.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$1,151 PAB 1,151

68.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$799 PAB 799

53.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.5

-11.69%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Boquete: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Boquete

$701 48.2% 21.8% $125

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Boquete

$293 20.2% 12% $40

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Boquete

$153 10.5% 43.7% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Boquete

$128 8.8% 49.9% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Boquete

$43 * 2.9% 77.1% $143

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Boquete

$42 2.9% 50% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Boquete

$94 6.5% 19.7% $16

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 $841 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 54% 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 $40.00 in Boquete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $293 per month, with Boquete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

02:22 2:22 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

7,000

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, 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).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Boquete 5,580 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Boquete

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 Boquete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boquete is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Montevideo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $705 in Montevideo versus $841 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $1,473 in Boquete – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,473 in Boquete versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Boquete but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Boquete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Boquete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montevideo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Boquete 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 Boquete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.