Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cochabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cochabamba: $490 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Cochabamba
Learn more

Cochabamba Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Cochabamba

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Cochabamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $490 in Cochabamba.

Montevideo $1,813
Cochabamba $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $758 in Cochabamba.

Montevideo $2,782
Cochabamba $758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $1,026 in Cochabamba.

Montevideo $3,750
Cochabamba $1,026

Living in Montevideo is roughly 270% more expensive than in Cochabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 35% above, Cochabamba is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$1.85 BOB 21.83

724.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$10.98 BOB 129

514.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$5.37 BOB 63.2

167.60%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$1.65 BOB 19.42

181.21%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$0.48 BOB 5.60

468.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$0.44 BOB 5.17

375.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$1.11 BOB 13.07

327.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$1.85 BOB 21.72

98.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$0.67 BOB 7.85

105.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$0.83 BOB 9.72

233.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$1.20 BOB 14.15

40.83%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$1.13 BOB 13.24

300.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$3.08 BOB 36.26

360.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$2.32 BOB 27.30

420.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$4.57 BOB 53.8

166.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$1.61 BOB 18.97

78.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$0.77 BOB 9.05

257.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$1.19 BOB 13.97

45.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.00 BOB 11.80

224.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.88 BOB 10.40

135.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.70 BOB 8.22

195.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$0.70 BOB 8.21

97.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$0.76 BOB 8.99

143.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$1.59 BOB 18.71

250.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$5.35 BOB 63.0

66.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.30 BOB 15.32

76.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.08 BOB 24.49

29.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$0.28 BOB 3.31

442.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$1.55 BOB 18.29

17.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$0.93 BOB 11.00

-56.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$4.58 BOB 53.9

132.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$0.49 BOB 5.75

353.06%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$18.6K BOB 218.6K

44.01%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$34.46 BOB 406

453.80%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$18.50 BOB 218

10.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$24.79 BOB 292

78.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$23.91 BOB 281

126.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$4.56 BOB 53.7

331.58%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$3.15 BOB 37.02

291.43%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$120 BOB 1,415

409.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$3,693 BOB 43.5K

199.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$43.54 BOB 512

136.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$22.32 BOB 263

151.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$40.22 BOB 473

209.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$58.5 BOB 689

121.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$172 BOB 2,023

310.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$108 BOB 1,271

433.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$332 BOB 3,912

242.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$250 BOB 2,938

306.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$896 BOB 10.5K

273.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$702 BOB 8,265

176.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$412 BOB 4,853

198.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.17

-29.74%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cochabamba: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Cochabamba

$108 22.5% 81.2% $467

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Cochabamba

$119 24.7% 64.3% $214

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Cochabamba

$64 13.3% 76.5% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Cochabamba

$78 16.2% 69.6% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Cochabamba

$74 15.4% 60.1% $112

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Cochabamba

$7.4 * 1.5% 91.2% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Cochabamba

$30 6.3% 61.7% $49

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 $172 in Cochabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 198% 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 $11.00 in Cochabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $119 per month, with Cochabamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇧🇴 Cochabamba

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

856,198

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, 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).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.2 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Cochabamba 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Cochabamba

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 Cochabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Cochabamba differ by about 270% in total monthly costs ($1,813 vs $490 including rent). Cochabamba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 198% 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 $172 in Cochabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 180% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $490 in Cochabamba – a 270% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $490 in Cochabamba versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cochabamba but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Cochabamba 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 Cochabamba 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 Cochabamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.