Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Colonia

For one person, living is cheaper in Colonia: $1,511 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
74

Cost of Living Index in Colonia
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Colonia Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Colonia

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Colonia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,511 in Colonia.

Montevideo $1,771
Colonia $1,511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,462 in Colonia.

Montevideo $2,740
Colonia $2,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $3,413 in Colonia.

Montevideo $3,708
Colonia $3,413

Living in Montevideo is roughly 17% more expensive than in Colonia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 31% above, Colonia 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$15.94 UYU 640

-4.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$75.1 UYU 3,015

-7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$12.92 UYU 519

13.39%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$5.83 UYU 234

-23.50%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.85 UYU 74.4

44.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.40 UYU 56.2

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$4.88 UYU 196

-1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.74 UYU 190

-19.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.15 UYU 46.11

18.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.11 UYU 84.7

36.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.21 UYU 48.39

44.63%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.51 UYU 141

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$9.96 UYU 400

39.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$12.34 UYU 495

-2.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$11.03 UYU 443

8.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$2.17 UYU 87.3

28.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.89 UYU 76.0

44.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.27 UYU 51.1

39.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$5.58 UYU 224

-41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$2.04 UYU 81.8

-3.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.98 UYU 79.3

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.23 UYU 49.17

11.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.25 UYU 50.2

50.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$7.65 UYU 307

-26.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$12.60 UYU 506

-30.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$4.44 UYU 178

-49.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.52 UYU 101

9.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.95 UYU 38.29

61.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$0.86 UYU 34.47

122.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$2.53 UYU 101

-84.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.98 UYU 79.4

7.58%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$32.0K UYU 1.3M

-15.40%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$39.2K UYU 1.6M

-7.47%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$123 UYU 4,923

53.51%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$18.70 UYU 750

9.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$38.73 UYU 1,555

15.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$41.35 UYU 1,660

30.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$12.52 UYU 503

57.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.80 UYU 313

53.21%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$56.7 UYU 2,274

80.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$50.5 UYU 2,027

13.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$112 UYU 4,503

12.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$201 UYU 8,079

-36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$597 UYU 24.0K

20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$470 UYU 18.9K

20.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,126 UYU 45.2K

1.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$977 UYU 39.2K

4.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

4.5

27.56%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Colonia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Colonia

$470 31.1% 17.2% $98

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Colonia

$314 20.8% 5.4% $18

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Colonia

$283 18.7% 5.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Colonia

$180 11.9% 29% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Colonia

$189 12.5% 1.6% $3

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Colonia

$17 * 1.2% 79.5% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Colonia

$57 3.8% 26.9% $21

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 $719 in Montevideo and $597 in Colonia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $75.0 in Colonia. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $314, with Colonia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇺🇾 Colonia

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

Same time as Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

26,231

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Colonia 160 km

From you

Montevideo
Colonia

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 Colonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colonia wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colonia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,656 in Montevideo and $2,266 in Colonia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $719 in Montevideo versus $597 in Colonia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $1,511 in Colonia – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,511 in Colonia versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colonia but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Colonia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colonia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,511 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colonia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Colonia 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 Colonia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.