Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Burlington, IA

For one person, living costs are similar in Montevideo and in Burlington, IA: $1,784 and $1,769 a month, rent and utilities included.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,784
/mo nomad
Burlington, IA
🇺🇸 United States
$1,769
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Burlington, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA.

  • Montevideo $1,784
  • Burlington, IA $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $2,675 in Burlington, IA.

  • Montevideo $2,756
  • Burlington, IA $2,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $3,580 in Burlington, IA.

  • Montevideo $3,728
  • Burlington, IA $3,580

Living in Montevideo is roughly 1% more expensive than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 32% above, Burlington, IA 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.82 UYU 595
$11.35 $11.35
30.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.7 UYU 2,797
$59.1 $59.1
18.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.68 UYU 589
$8.84 $8.84
66.06%
Cappuccino
$4.65 UYU 186
$4.74 $4.74
-1.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.95 $1.95
40.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 UYU 82.9
$2.02 $2.02
2.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.79 UYU 192
$3.41 $3.41
40.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 UYU 146
$4.58 $4.58
-20.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 UYU 55.8
$0.81 $0.81
71.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 UYU 116
$2.82 $2.82
2.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 UYU 68.1
$4.34 $4.34
-60.83%
Eggs
$4.62 UYU 185
$2.92 $2.92
58.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.22 UYU 571
$11.37 $11.37
25.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.62 UYU 466
$11.93 $11.93
-2.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 UYU 491
$14.20 $14.20
-13.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 UYU 111
$4.02 $4.02
-31.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.85 UYU 114
$1.98 $1.98
43.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 UYU 72.5
$4.61 $4.61
-60.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 UYU 129
$4.65 $4.65
-31.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 UYU 77.8
$2.74 $2.74
-29.20%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 UYU 86.5
$2.60 $2.60
-16.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 UYU 57.3
$1.54 $1.54
-7.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 UYU 77.9
$2.06 $2.06
-5.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.47 UYU 219
$8.16 $8.16
-32.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.95 UYU 359
$16.29 $16.29
-45.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.8
$1.89 $1.89
19.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 UYU 113
$2.27 $2.27
23.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.56 UYU 62.6
$1.94 $1.94
-19.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 UYU 2,962
$15.76 $15.76
368.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 UYU 76.2
$4.67 $4.67
-59.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 UYU 17.36
$1.02 $1.02
-57.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.59 UYU 425
$22.19 $22.19
-52.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 UYU 85.2
$0.94 $0.94
125.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
$22.7K $22.7K
17.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K UYU 1.5M
$25.0K $25.0K
48.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$193 UYU 7,727
$184 $184
4.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.91 UYU 839
$47.16 $47.16
-55.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.89 UYU 1,802
$59.2 $59.2
-24.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 UYU 2,038
$42.42 $42.42
19.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.73 UYU 792
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.30 UYU 494
$11.92 $11.92
3.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$629 UYU 25.2K
$1,210 $1,210
-48.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K UYU 437.3K
$13.3K $13.3K
-18.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 UYU 4,166
$44.72 $44.72
132.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 UYU 2,305
$30.53 $30.53
88.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 UYU 5,010
$87.0 $87.0
43.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 UYU 5,315
$37.90 $37.90
249.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$713 UYU 28.6K
$754 $754
-5.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
$707 $707
-18.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 UYU 46.7K
$1,172 $1,172
-0.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 UYU 41.5K
$1,280 $1,280
-19.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,418 UYU 137.2K
$1,026 $1,026
232.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,760 UYU 70.6K
$1,033 $1,033
70.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Burlington, IA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,244 UYU 49.9K
$4,446 $4,446
-72.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.54
-12.23%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Burlington, IA
$707 22.8% $131
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$334
Burlington, IA
$366 9.7% $33
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Burlington, IA
$216 19.5% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$258
Burlington, IA
$290 12.4% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$188
Burlington, IA
$90 52.2% $98
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Burlington, IA
$33 60.4% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$75
Burlington, IA
$66 12.1% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Montevideo and $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 257% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $59.0 in Burlington, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $334 vs $366, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Burlington, IA
🕒 Local time
23:27 11:27 PM
21:27 9:27 PM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
44,743
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Burlington, IA 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montevideo or Burlington, IA?
Burlington, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Burlington, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Montevideo or in Burlington, IA?
On paper, salaries run 257% lower in Burlington, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Montevideo compared to Burlington, IA?
Rent for a central apartment: $713 in Montevideo versus $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Montevideo and in Burlington, IA?
Childcare runs $629 in Montevideo versus $1,210 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Montevideo or in Burlington, IA?
Shoppers in Montevideo pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montevideo or in Burlington, IA?
At $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $1,784 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montevideo or Burlington, IA?
Both work as nomad bases, but Burlington, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,769 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Burlington, IA hard to pass up.
How safe is Montevideo compared to Burlington, IA?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Burlington, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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