Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Canelones Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Canelones

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,640 per month in Montevideo vs $1,072 in Canelones, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,477 per month in Montevideo vs $2,260 in Canelones, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,314 per month in Montevideo vs $3,447 in Canelones, rent included.

Montevideo costs about 53% more than Canelones, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Montevideo sits 22% above the global median, while Canelones is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.35 UYU 650

$15.99 UYU 636

2.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 UYU 2,161

$56.0 UYU 2,230

-3.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 UYU 483

$12.35 UYU 491

-1.62%

Cappuccino

$4.06 UYU 162

$4.06 UYU 161

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

$2.27 UYU 90.1

$2.17 UYU 86.2

4.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 UYU 67.7

$1.71 UYU 68.2

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 UYU 179

$4.35 UYU 173

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 144

$3.74 UYU 149

-2.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UYU 50.3

$1.22 UYU 48.69

3.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 114

$2.79 UYU 111

2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 UYU 64.1

$1.65 UYU 65.8

-2.42%

Eggs

$4.71 UYU 188

$4.86 UYU 193

-3.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 UYU 534

$13.52 UYU 538

-0.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 UYU 427

$10.71 UYU 426

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 UYU 445

$11.03 UYU 439

1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 UYU 125

$3.00 UYU 119

4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 UYU 93.3

$2.45 UYU 97.5

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 UYU 61.8

$1.56 UYU 62.0

-0.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 UYU 144

$3.61 UYU 143

0.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 UYU 85.0

$2.08 UYU 82.8

2.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 UYU 77.9

$1.90 UYU 75.6

3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 UYU 54.2

$1.37 UYU 54.5

-0.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 UYU 68.9

$1.69 UYU 67.2

2.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 UYU 202

$5.24 UYU 209

-2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 UYU 394

$8.98 UYU 357

10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 UYU 92.8

$2.35 UYU 93.5

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 UYU 121

$3.02 UYU 120

0.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 UYU 53.9

$1.24 UYU 49.35

8.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 UYU 2,197

$44.33 UYU 1,764

24.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 UYU 64.0

$1.43 UYU 56.9

12.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.60 UYU 143

$1.51 UYU 60.3

138.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.42 UYU 494

$11.21 UYU 446

10.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 UYU 73.5

$1.89 UYU 75.3

-2.12%

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

$34.8K UYU 1.4M

$33.7K UYU 1.3M

3.31%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.4M

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

1.33%

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

$175 UYU 6,968

$173 UYU 6,872

1.40%

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

$16.91 UYU 673

$16.72 UYU 665

1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 UYU 1,989

$49.84 UYU 1,983

0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 UYU 2,410

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 UYU 691

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 UYU 416

$10.62 UYU 422

-1.51%

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

$494 UYU 19.7K

$493 UYU 19.6K

0.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,985 UYU 357.5K

$9,032 UYU 359.4K

-0.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 UYU 3,822

$94.0 UYU 3,741

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.11 UYU 1,914

$47.99 UYU 1,910

0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 UYU 4,606

$112 UYU 4,447

3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 UYU 4,959

$123 UYU 4,877

1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 UYU 24.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 UYU 19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 UYU 44.4K

$992 UYU 39.5K

12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 UYU 32.6K

$1,151 UYU 45.8K

-28.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,484 UYU 138.6K

$4,011 UYU 159.6K

-13.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 UYU 90.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,283 UYU 51.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

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

Last update for Montevideo: April 22, 2026

Last update for Canelones: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $615 in Montevideo versus $0 in Canelones. 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 $54 in Montevideo versus $56 in Canelones. Groceries tell a different story – $322 in Montevideo vs $319 in Canelones – so Canelones wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Canelones: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 53%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,460 per month in Montevideo and $1,608 in Canelones. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Montevideo and $56.0 in Canelones. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,640 in Montevideo and $1,072 in Canelones. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Canelones, where all-in costs run around $1,072, than in Montevideo at $1,640. In Canelones it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Canelones – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Canelones. 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.