Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cayo Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayo Coco: $1,224 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
Learn more

Cayo Coco Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Cayo Coco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,224 in Cayo Coco.

Montevideo $1,813
Cayo Coco $1,224

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $1,695 in Cayo Coco.

Montevideo $2,782
Cayo Coco $1,695

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $2,166 in Cayo Coco.

Montevideo $3,750
Cayo Coco $2,166

Living in Montevideo is roughly 48% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 35% above, Cayo Coco is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$5.05 CUP 121

202.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$15.06 CUP 361

347.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$7.07 CUP 170

103.25%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$0.98 CUP 23.43

373.47%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.95 CUP 46.88

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$1.03 CUP 24.67

102.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.05 CUP 49.15

131.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.08 CUP 73.8

19.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$2.94 CUP 70.6

-53.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$1.01 CUP 24.27

174.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$1.95 CUP 46.77

-13.33%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$3.58 CUP 85.9

26.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$6.12 CUP 147

131.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$4.86 CUP 117

148.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$9.94 CUP 239

22.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$4.91 CUP 118

-41.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.01 CUP 24.28

172.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$1.01 CUP 24.28

71.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$0.99 CUP 23.72

227.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.01 CUP 24.26

104.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.05 CUP 73.2

-32.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.03 CUP 24.61

33.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$0.99 CUP 23.70

86.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$2.96 CUP 71.0

88.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$10.06 CUP 241

-11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$2.04 CUP 48.93

12.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.05 CUP 49.27

31.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$19.65 CUP 472

274.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$1.02 CUP 24.52

78.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$1.02 CUP 24.57

-60.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$19.61 CUP 471

-45.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$0.97 CUP 23.38

128.87%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$68.9K CUP 1.7M

-61.19%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$79.5K CUP 1.9M

-53.75%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$39.37 CUP 945

384.73%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$40.66 CUP 976

-49.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$216 CUP 5,191

-79.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$39.22 CUP 941

38.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$9.85 CUP 236

99.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$0.98 CUP 23.44

1158.16%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$89.9 CUP 2,158

581.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$14.8K CUP 355.5K

-25.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$40.14 CUP 963

156.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$30.02 CUP 720

86.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$74.7 CUP 1,793

66.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$80.7 CUP 1,937

60.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$403 CUP 9,664

75.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$426 CUP 10.2K

34.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$1,030 CUP 24.7K

10.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$622 CUP 14.9K

63.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$302 CUP 7,243

1009.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$356 CUP 8,541

445.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$20.21 CUP 485

5982.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

-42.60%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Cayo Coco

$426 34.8% 25.9% $149

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Cayo Coco

$233 19% 29.8% $99

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Cayo Coco

$102 8.3% 62.5% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Cayo Coco

$296 24.2% 16% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Cayo Coco

$102 8.3% 45.4% $84

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.1% 69.1% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Cayo Coco

$41 3.4% 47.8% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $403 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 5982% 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: $67.0 in Montevideo vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $233 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

00:03 12:03 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.92 CUP (100 CUP = 3.72 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Cayo Coco 6,800 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Cayo Coco

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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5982% 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: $705 in Montevideo versus $403 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 275% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $613 in Montevideo versus $89.9 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,224 in Cayo Coco versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cayo Coco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,224 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cayo Coco hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.