Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Celaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Celaya: $921 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Celaya
Learn more

Celaya Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Celaya

🇲🇽 Mexico

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Celaya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $921 in Celaya.

Montevideo $1,771
Celaya $921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,452 in Celaya.

Montevideo $2,740
Celaya $1,452

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $1,982 in Celaya.

Montevideo $3,708
Celaya $1,982

Living in Montevideo is roughly 92% more expensive than in Celaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Celaya is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$12.49 MX$231

21.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$44.05 MX$814

56.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$7.21 MX$133

103.19%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.37 MX$62.3

32.34%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.23 MX$22.76

117.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.07 MX$19.84

86.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.14 MX$39.49

125.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.36 MX$62.1

13.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.44 MX$26.70

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.26 MX$41.83

26.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.48 MX$27.29

18.24%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.15 MX$39.71

117.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$7.93 MX$147

75.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$8.40 MX$155

42.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$11.30 MX$209

5.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$2.29 MX$42.37

21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.12 MX$20.63

144.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.54 MX$28.53

14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.08 MX$19.91

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.56 MX$28.74

26.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.39 MX$25.67

48.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.98 MX$18.12

39.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.80 MX$14.87

135.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.33 MX$80.0

29.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$8.72 MX$161

0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.83 MX$33.89

23.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.40 MX$62.9

-19.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.63 MX$11.61

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$27.70 MX$512

168.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.20 MX$22.14

59.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.13 MX$20.95

-64.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$10.77 MX$199

-4.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.43 MX$26.33

48.95%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$21.5K MX$398.1K

25.82%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$24.0K MX$444.0K

50.93%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$37.60 MX$695

400.80%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$19.37 MX$358

6.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$19.55 MX$361

129.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$33.06 MX$611

63.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$27.48 MX$508

-28.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$5.13 MX$94.7

132.94%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$210 MX$3,873

202.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$2,882 MX$53.3K

283.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$55.2 MX$1,019

85.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$38.02 MX$703

51.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$103 MX$1,897

23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$70.9 MX$1,310

80.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$248 MX$4,588

189.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$220 MX$4,072

157.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$390 MX$7,208

193.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$283 MX$5,231

261.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$817 MX$15.1K

52.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.2

-48.75%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Celaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Celaya

$220 23.9% 61.2% $348

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Celaya

$235 25.6% 29% $96

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Celaya

$189 20.5% 29.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Celaya

$77 8.3% 69.8% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Celaya

$120 13% 35.6% $66

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Celaya

$37 4% 56% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Celaya

$43 4.7% 44.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Montevideo and $248 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 52% 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: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $44.00 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $235 per month, with Celaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Celaya

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

21:19 9:19 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

378,143

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Celaya 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Celaya

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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Celaya differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,771 vs $921 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $719 in Montevideo versus $248 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Celaya – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $921 in Celaya – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $921 in Celaya versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Celaya 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 Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.