Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,281 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Cartago

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,281 in Cartago, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Cartago $1,281

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,972 in Cartago, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Cartago $1,972

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,663 in Cartago, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Cartago $2,663

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

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Cartago is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 610

$7.58 COP 24.1K

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,780

$37.20 COP 118.3K

85.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$8.47 COP 26.9K

72.96%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$1.54 COP 4,884

189.61%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.28 COP 4,063

108.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$0.83 COP 2,634

140.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.10 COP 9,869

55.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$3.66 COP 11.7K

3.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$1.60 COP 5,088

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.88 COP 5,973

52.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$1.49 COP 4,751

17.45%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.93 COP 9,334

59.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$6.58 COP 20.9K

110.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 482

$7.11 COP 22.6K

68.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$9.93 COP 31.6K

20.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$3.57 COP 11.4K

-22.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.32 COP 4,200

107.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$1.74 COP 5,530

1.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.63 COP 5,184

98.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$1.42 COP 4,522

38.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$1.50 COP 4,758

38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$1.08 COP 3,443

26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$1.03 COP 3,261

82.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$3.69 COP 11.7K

51.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$13.12 COP 41.7K

-33.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$1.50 COP 4,756

50.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 111

$2.45 COP 7,794

12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.6

$1.02 COP 3,244

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,985

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$0.79 COP 2,524

141.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.21

$2.27 COP 7,230

-82.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.40 COP 26.7K

22.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$1.32 COP 4,211

61.36%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$28.0K COP 89.1M

-3.28%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$34.6K COP 110.2M

4.67%

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

$188 UYU 7,570

$110 COP 349.3K

71.43%

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

$20.54 UYU 826

$13.23 COP 42.1K

55.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$30.26 COP 96.2K

48.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$42.32 COP 134.6K

27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 481

$8.24 COP 26.2K

45.02%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$701 COP 2.2M

-9.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.3K

$6,430 COP 20.5M

71.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,106

$77.8 COP 247.3K

31.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,313

$55.1 COP 175.4K

4.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,088

$127 COP 403.0K

-0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,139

$111 COP 351.7K

15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$645 COP 2.1M

11.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$509 COP 1.6M

11.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,041 COP 3.3M

9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$970 COP 3.1M

5.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.4K

$1,999 COP 6.4M

69.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.4K

$1,803 COP 5.7M

8.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.58

-50.43%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Cartago

$509 39.7% 10.4% $59

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Cartago

$241 18.8% 27.3% $91

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Cartago

$136 10.6% 49.6% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Cartago

$153 12% 39.6% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Cartago

$167 13% 10.6% $20

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Cartago

$16 * 1.3% 80.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Cartago

$59 4.6% 24.5% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $645 in Cartago. 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $37.00 in Cartago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $241 – making Cartago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇴 Cartago

🕒 Local time

05:57 5:57 AM

03:57 3:57 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

135,365

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 40.2 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.02 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Cartago 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Cartago

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 Cartago: 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 $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,921 in Cartago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,771 in Montevideo and $1,281 in Cartago. That's a gap of about 38%.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $701 in Cartago. 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 Cartago, where all-in costs run around $1,281, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cartago – 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 Cartago. 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.