Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Chicago, IL $3,169

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $4,682 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Chicago, IL $4,682

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $6,196 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Chicago, IL $6,196

Montevideo is about 43% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montevideo and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Montevideo by 35%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$21.62 $21.62

-29.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,707

$91.2 $91.2

-26.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 577

$13.09 $13.09

9.78%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 186

$5.78 $5.78

-19.72%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$2.64 $2.64

3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 83.9

$2.28 $2.28

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$6.94 $6.94

-31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$8.93 $8.93

-58.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.27 $1.27

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 111

$3.94 $3.94

-29.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.7

$4.96 $4.96

-65.93%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$4.64 $4.64

-2.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 569

$13.97 $13.97

1.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$14.37 $14.37

-16.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 488

$18.59 $18.59

-34.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 115

$5.37 $5.37

-46.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.93 $1.93

42.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$4.01 $4.01

-56.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$4.94 $4.94

-34.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$2.80 $2.80

-26.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$2.76 $2.76

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$2.16 $2.16

-36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.4

$3.12 $3.12

-40.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$15.71 $15.71

-64.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$15.23 $15.23

-41.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.1

$2.57 $2.57

-10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 108

$3.48 $3.48

-22.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.2

$2.48 $2.48

-38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,958

$74.4 $74.4

-0.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

$3.23 $3.23

-43.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.02

$1.43 $1.43

-72.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 428

$24.33 $24.33

-56.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.0

$1.25 $1.25

77.60%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$35.9K $35.9K

-25.46%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$26.0K $26.0K

41.40%

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

$191 UYU 7,662

$195 $195

-1.92%

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

$20.40 UYU 819

$69.0 $69.0

-70.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,772

$62.1 $62.1

-28.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,174

$54.5 $54.5

-0.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 790

$27.80 $27.80

-29.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 495

$17.84 $17.84

-30.89%

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

$1,513 $1,513

-59.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

-64.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,128

$68.1 $68.1

50.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,251

$51.6 $51.6

8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,993

$101 $101

22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,207

$141 $141

-8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.3K

$2,437 $2,437

-71.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$1,662 $1,662

-65.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

$4,644 $4,644

-75.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$2,751 $2,751

-63.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

$4,036 $4,036

-17.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

$2,677 $2,677

-27.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$4,861 $4,861

-74.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.77

-15.21%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53% 189% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3% 35.2% $117

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3% 30.4% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4% 27.5% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2% 12.3% $23

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 13.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 14.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $2,437 in Chicago, IL. 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 295% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $91.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $450 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

02:06 2:06 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

2,746,388

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

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Between locations

Montevideo Chicago, IL 9,120 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo, $3,169 in Chicago, IL – roughly 75% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $4,753 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 35% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo and $91.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Chicago, IL at $3,169. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,813 in Montevideo to $3,169 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.