Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cochrane Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cochrane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Montevideo versus $1,092 in Cochrane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,668 in Montevideo versus $2,461 in Cochrane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Montevideo versus $3,831 in Cochrane.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 65% more expensive than in Cochrane, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Cochrane is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.05 UYU 605

$18.30 CA$25.32

-17.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 UYU 2,541

$72.4 CA$100

-12.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.11 UYU 527

$10.00 CA$13.84

31.10%

Cappuccino

$4.56 UYU 183

$3.83 CA$5.30

19.06%

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

$2.69 UYU 108

$2.29 CA$3.16

17.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 UYU 78.7

$1.74 CA$2.40

12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 UYU 186

$5.69 CA$7.87

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 UYU 147

$5.67 CA$7.85

-35.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 UYU 54.0

$1.61 CA$2.23

-16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.15 CA$2.98

33.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.6

$2.95 CA$4.08

-40.68%

Eggs

$4.79 UYU 193

$3.18 CA$4.41

50.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 UYU 579

$8.80 CA$12.18

63.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 UYU 480

$8.60 CA$11.89

38.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 UYU 465

$8.86 CA$12.26

30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 UYU 114

$4.41 CA$6.10

-35.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$1.35 CA$1.87

105.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 UYU 71.0

$4.46 CA$6.17

-60.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 UYU 121

$1.47 CA$2.03

104.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 UYU 86.1

$1.46 CA$2.02

46.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 UYU 87.4

$1.91 CA$2.64

13.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 UYU 58.6

$2.50 CA$3.45

-41.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 UYU 79.6

$1.91 CA$2.64

3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 UYU 223

$14.38 CA$19.90

-61.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 UYU 334

$8.62 CA$11.92

-3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 UYU 90.2

$3.23 CA$4.47

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 UYU 116

$2.88 CA$3.99

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 UYU 62.3

$3.66 CA$5.07

-57.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.6 UYU 3,042

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 UYU 72.7

$2.88 CA$3.99

-37.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.34

$1.37 CA$1.90

-70.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.35 UYU 417

$21.58 CA$29.87

-52.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 UYU 84.2

$1.04 CA$1.44

100.96%

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

$27.2K UYU 1.1M

$28.2K CA$39.0K

-3.72%

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

$37.6K UYU 1.5M

$19.8K CA$27.4K

90.04%

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

$188 UYU 7,548

$213 CA$295

-11.87%

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

$16.86 UYU 678

$41.63 CA$57.6

-59.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.26 UYU 1,821

$55.8 CA$77.2

-18.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.88 UYU 1,967

$46.16 CA$63.9

5.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 UYU 764

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$13.37 CA$18.51

-7.78%

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

$640 UYU 25.8K

$792 CA$1,096

-19.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K UYU 433.7K

$9,939 CA$13.8K

8.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 UYU 3,804

$46.07 CA$63.8

105.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 UYU 2,281

$47.71 CA$66.0

18.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 UYU 4,952

$84.4 CA$117

45.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,296

$96.6 CA$134

36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 UYU 30.6K

$1,251 CA$1,731

-39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 UYU 24.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 UYU 48.0K

$1,796 CA$2,485

-33.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 UYU 39.4K

$1,393 CA$1,927

-29.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,484 UYU 140.2K

$23.5K CA$32.5K

-85.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 UYU 75.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,211 UYU 48.7K

$4,179 CA$5,782

-71.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.49

4.32

27.08%

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

Last update for Montevideo: August 31, 2026

Last update for Cochrane: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $760 in Montevideo and $1,251 in Cochrane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochrane pays 245% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Montevideo vs $72.0 in Cochrane. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $294, with Cochrane cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cochrane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cochrane wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cochrane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 245% lower in Cochrane. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $760 in Montevideo versus $1,251 in Cochrane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Montevideo versus $1,092 in Cochrane – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,092 in Cochrane versus $1,806 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cochrane but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Cochrane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cochrane delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,092 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cochrane hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Cochrane 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 Cochrane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.