Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
Learn more

Caracas Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Caracas

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $1,312 in Caracas, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Caracas $1,312

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $2,236 in Caracas, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Caracas $2,236

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $3,160 in Caracas, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Caracas $3,160

Montevideo costs about 38% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 35% above the global median, while Caracas is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$10.63 VES 9,271

43.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,707

$68.2 VES 59.5K

-1.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 577

$10.99 VES 9,589

30.76%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 186

$3.73 VES 3,258

24.40%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.54 VES 1,346

77.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 83.9

$1.28 VES 1,119

63.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.05 VES 1,792

131.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$2.91 VES 2,540

26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$2.76 VES 2,407

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 111

$2.32 VES 2,025

19.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.7

$1.89 VES 1,651

-10.58%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$4.82 VES 4,210

-6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 569

$10.18 VES 8,879

39.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$9.44 VES 8,241

27.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 488

$11.51 VES 10.0K

5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 115

$7.23 VES 6,307

-60.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.96 VES 1,709

40.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$2.13 VES 1,860

-18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.37 VES 2,065

36.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$2.24 VES 1,951

-7.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$2.24 VES 1,952

-7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.61 VES 1,408

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.4

$2.41 VES 2,099

-23.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$4.57 VES 3,985

21.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$12.02 VES 10.5K

-26.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.1

$1.37 VES 1,193

67.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 108

$2.17 VES 1,891

24.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.2

$0.51 VES 448

198.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,958

$29.63 VES 25.8K

148.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

$4.88 VES 4,261

-62.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.02

$2.68 VES 2,340

-85.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 428

$15.17 VES 13.2K

-29.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.0

$0.86 VES 752

158.14%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$25.1K VES 21.9M

6.37%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$38.6K VES 33.7M

-4.90%

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

$191 UYU 7,662

$22.07 VES 19.3K

764.70%

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

$20.40 UYU 819

$11.81 VES 10.3K

72.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,772

$38.64 VES 33.7K

14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,174

$66.8 VES 58.3K

-18.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 790

$17.23 VES 15.0K

14.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 495

$6.48 VES 5,652

90.28%

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

$159 VES 139.1K

284.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

$6,138 VES 5.4M

80.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,128

$77.8 VES 67.9K

32.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,251

$50.6 VES 44.1K

10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,993

$136 VES 118.9K

-8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,207

$136 VES 118.9K

-4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.3K

$619 VES 539.7K

14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$418 VES 364.4K

37.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

$1,106 VES 964.6K

2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$887 VES 773.6K

14.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

$1,458 VES 1.3M

129.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

$690 VES 602.3K

181.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$304 VES 265.0K

304.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

-73.91%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Caracas

$418 31.4% 27.4% $158

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Caracas

$340 25.6% 2.3% $7.5

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Caracas

$190 14.3% 29.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Caracas

$73 5.5% 71.6% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Caracas

$180 13.6% 2.9% $5.4

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Caracas

$50 3.8% 40.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Caracas

$80 6% 1.3% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $619 in Caracas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 305% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo versus $68.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $340 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

23:49 11:49 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.15 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 873 VES (1,000 VES = 1.15 USD). 1 EUR = 979 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Caracas 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Caracas

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 Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $1,968 in Caracas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caracas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 149% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Montevideo and $159 in Caracas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,312, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caracas – 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 Caracas. 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.