Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Buenos Aires Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Buenos Aires

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,667 in Montevideo versus $1,393 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,511 in Montevideo versus $2,191 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,354 in Montevideo versus $2,988 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 20% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 25% above, Buenos Aires 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 UYU 656

$14.82 ARS 21.9K

9.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.4 UYU 2,228

$60.1 ARS 88.8K

-7.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 UYU 490

$11.97 ARS 17.7K

1.84%

Cappuccino

$4.26 UYU 171

$3.99 ARS 5,898

6.77%

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

$2.19 UYU 88.1

$2.17 ARS 3,207

0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UYU 68.8

$1.47 ARS 2,169

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.47 UYU 180

$3.68 ARS 5,440

21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 UYU 149

$3.90 ARS 5,761

-5.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 UYU 50.4

$1.60 ARS 2,371

-21.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 UYU 117

$2.53 ARS 3,738

15.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 UYU 65.7

$2.22 ARS 3,279

-26.58%

Eggs

$4.96 UYU 199

$3.17 ARS 4,683

56.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 UYU 535

$12.03 ARS 17.8K

10.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.83 UYU 436

$7.84 ARS 11.6K

38.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 UYU 441

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

18.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 UYU 124

$2.45 ARS 3,624

25.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 UYU 94.9

$2.04 ARS 3,012

15.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 UYU 60.4

$1.31 ARS 1,932

14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 UYU 144

$2.53 ARS 3,745

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 UYU 83.6

$1.45 ARS 2,150

43.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 78.1

$1.48 ARS 2,191

31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 UYU 52.7

$1.79 ARS 2,643

-26.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$1.45 ARS 2,141

19.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 UYU 210

$3.18 ARS 4,697

64.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 UYU 353

$5.83 ARS 8,622

50.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 UYU 93.9

$2.22 ARS 3,277

4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 UYU 117

$3.07 ARS 4,535

-5.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 UYU 52.1

$0.67 ARS 988

94.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 UYU 2,265

$16.26 ARS 24.0K

246.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 UYU 62.1

$1.58 ARS 2,333

-2.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.63 UYU 146

$0.86 ARS 1,267

322.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.37 UYU 498

$5.97 ARS 8,826

107.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 UYU 73.5

$1.12 ARS 1,653

63.39%

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

$33.7K UYU 1.4M

$24.8K ARS 36.6M

35.93%

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

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

$29.2K ARS 43.2M

22.64%

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

$175 UYU 7,032

$109 ARS 161.0K

60.48%

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

$16.95 UYU 682

$21.47 ARS 31.7K

-21.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.42 UYU 1,948

$28.58 ARS 42.2K

69.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 UYU 2,480

$41.73 ARS 61.7K

47.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 UYU 715

$11.77 ARS 17.4K

50.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 UYU 419

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

12.65%

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

$489 UYU 19.7K

$325 ARS 479.6K

50.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 UYU 360.7K

$5,275 ARS 7.8M

69.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 UYU 3,847

$112 ARS 165.0K

-14.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.66 UYU 1,917

$85.9 ARS 127.0K

-44.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 UYU 4,608

$123 ARS 181.5K

-6.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 UYU 4,858

$129 ARS 190.6K

-6.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 UYU 24.6K

$657 ARS 970.6K

-7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 UYU 19.6K

$448 ARS 661.6K

8.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 UYU 44.5K

$1,150 ARS 1.7M

-3.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 UYU 32.9K

$814 ARS 1.2M

0.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,598 UYU 144.7K

$2,577 ARS 3.8M

39.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,274 UYU 91.5K

$1,844 ARS 2.7M

23.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,332 UYU 53.6K

$842 ARS 1.2M

58.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

52.71

-89.22%

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

Last update for Montevideo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $611 in Montevideo and $657 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 58% 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: $55.0 in Montevideo vs $60.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $269, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

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 Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Buenos Aires differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,667 vs $1,393 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $611 in Montevideo versus $657 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $489 in Montevideo versus $325 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,393 in Buenos Aires versus $1,667 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.