Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Chiang Mai $1,864

Montevideo costs about 100% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 35% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$2.13 ฿71.7

616.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,707

$19.40 ฿652

247.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 577

$5.47 ฿184

162.71%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 186

$1.68 ฿56.7

176.19%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$0.66 ฿22.19

313.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 83.9

$0.34 ฿11.56

514.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.42 ฿81.3

96.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.73 ฿126

-1.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$2.06 ฿69.2

-33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 111

$1.46 ฿48.98

89.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.7

$1.35 ฿45.27

25.19%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$2.27 ฿76.3

99.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 569

$16.31 ฿548

-13.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$2.70 ฿90.7

347.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 488

$9.20 ฿309

32.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.39 ฿80.5

20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.04 ฿34.80

164.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$1.60 ฿53.9

8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.44 ฿48.57

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$1.30 ฿43.77

59.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$1.11 ฿37.45

86.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$0.70 ฿23.65

97.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.4

$0.51 ฿17.06

262.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$4.13 ฿139

34.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$17.78 ฿598

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.1

$1.63 ฿54.9

40.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 108

$2.87 ฿96.4

-5.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.2

$0.86 ฿28.88

76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,958

$53.2 ฿1,787

38.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

$1.22 ฿40.99

49.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.02

$0.56 ฿18.89

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 428

$2.31 ฿77.8

361.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.0

$1.50 ฿50.4

48.00%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$20.9K ฿701.2K

28.23%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$26.7K ฿898.8K

37.44%

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

$191 UYU 7,662

$61.3 ฿2,059

211.52%

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

$20.40 UYU 819

$12.50 ฿420

63.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,772

$20.36 ฿685

116.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,174

$37.94 ฿1,275

42.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 790

$3.77 ฿127

422.02%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 495

$6.60 ฿222

86.82%

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

$774 ฿26.0K

-20.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

$14.4K ฿485.3K

-23.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,128

$54.8 ฿1,842

87.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,251

$25.26 ฿849

121.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,993

$90.6 ฿3,045

37.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,207

$73.3 ฿2,463

77.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.3K

$459 ฿15.4K

53.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$294 ฿9,877

95.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

$919 ฿30.9K

23.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$552 ฿18.6K

84.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

$1,917 ฿64.5K

74.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

$1,445 ฿48.6K

34.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$592 ฿19.9K

107.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

5.57

3.05%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 48.9% $282

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 29% $96

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 71.5% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 63.1% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 40.9% $76

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 27.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 35.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $459 in Chiang Mai. 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 108% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $236 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

17:32 5:32 PM

10 h ahead of Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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 = 44.99 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Chiang Mai 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo costs about 100% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $1,359 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Montevideo and $774 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,813 in Montevideo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chiang Mai. 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.