Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Ciudad Lerdo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Lerdo: $831 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad Lerdo
Learn more

Ciudad Lerdo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Ciudad Lerdo

🇲🇽 Mexico

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Ciudad Lerdo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $831 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Montevideo $1,784
Ciudad Lerdo $831

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $1,327 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Montevideo $2,756
Ciudad Lerdo $1,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $1,823 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Montevideo $3,728
Ciudad Lerdo $1,823

Living in Montevideo is roughly 115% more expensive than in Ciudad Lerdo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 32% above, Ciudad Lerdo is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$5.54 MX$102

167.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$26.39 MX$488

164.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$6.67 MX$123

120.09%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$1.61 MX$29.70

188.82%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$0.79 MX$14.66

246.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$0.56 MX$10.43

269.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$1.41 MX$26.01

239.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$2.76 MX$50.9

31.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$1.08 MX$19.95

28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$1.33 MX$24.63

117.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$1.07 MX$19.82

58.88%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$1.61 MX$29.73

186.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$3.80 MX$70.3

274.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$3.86 MX$71.2

201.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$6.71 MX$124

82.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$1.34 MX$24.67

106.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$0.78 MX$14.40

265.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$0.80 MX$14.84

126.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$0.80 MX$14.77

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$0.85 MX$15.76

128.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$0.85 MX$15.71

154.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$0.52 MX$9.68

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$0.68 MX$12.60

185.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$3.74 MX$69.1

46.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$6.62 MX$122

35.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$1.09 MX$20.06

107.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$1.34 MX$24.74

109.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

$0.68 MX$12.58

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

$13.78 MX$255

435.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$1.18 MX$21.83

61.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$1.92 MX$35.52

-77.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$5.51 MX$102

92.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$1.24 MX$22.84

70.97%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$18.2K MX$336.1K

47.32%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$21.0K MX$388.4K

76.00%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$32.65 MX$603

489.65%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$13.57 MX$251

54.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$21.84 MX$404

105.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

$33.57 MX$620

51.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

$20.34 MX$376

-3.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$3.92 MX$72.4

213.78%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$140 MX$2,580

350.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$2,745 MX$50.7K

296.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$27.70 MX$512

274.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$21.70 MX$401

164.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$55.5 MX$1,026

124.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$43.18 MX$798

206.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

$615 MX$11.4K

15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$385 MX$7,123

49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

$1,054 MX$19.5K

10.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

$781 MX$14.4K

32.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

$1,880 MX$34.7K

81.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

$1,158 MX$21.4K

51.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

$218 MX$4,036

469.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

10.53

-45.49%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

Ciudad Lerdo

$385 46.4% 33% $190

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

Ciudad Lerdo

$140 16.9% 58% $193

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

Ciudad Lerdo

$102 12.2% 62.2% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

Ciudad Lerdo

$68 8.2% 73.7% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

Ciudad Lerdo

$67 8% 64.6% $122

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Ciudad Lerdo

$27 3.3% 67.6% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

Ciudad Lerdo

$41 5% 45.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Montevideo and $615 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 470% 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: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $26.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $140 per month, with Ciudad Lerdo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Ciudad Lerdo

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

96,243

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Ciudad Lerdo 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Ciudad Lerdo

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 Ciudad Lerdo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Lerdo wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Lerdo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 470% 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: $713 in Montevideo versus $615 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ciudad Lerdo runs roughly 436% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $629 in Montevideo versus $140 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $831 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,784 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Lerdo but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Lerdo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Lerdo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $831 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Lerdo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Ciudad Lerdo 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 Ciudad Lerdo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.