Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Columbia, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,257 in Columbia, SC, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
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Columbia, SC Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Columbia, SC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,257 in Columbia, SC.

Montevideo $1,813
Columbia, SC $2,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $3,448 in Columbia, SC.

Montevideo $2,782
Columbia, SC $3,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $4,639 in Columbia, SC.

Montevideo $3,750
Columbia, SC $4,639

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 20% less than in Columbia, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 35% above, Columbia, SC 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$20.25 $20.25

-24.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$59.0 $59.0

14.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$12.14 $12.14

18.37%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$5.26 $5.26

-11.79%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$2.84 $2.84

-3.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$2.20 $2.20

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$5.63 $5.63

-15.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$6.68 $6.68

-45.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$0.78 $0.78

76.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$2.47 $2.47

12.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$4.69 $4.69

-63.97%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$4.17 $4.17

8.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$10.26 $10.26

38.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$11.10 $11.10

8.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$16.12 $16.12

-24.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$5.01 $5.01

-42.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.56 $1.56

76.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$6.57 $6.57

-73.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$6.22 $6.22

-47.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.16 $3.16

-34.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$4.17 $4.17

-50.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.90 $1.90

-27.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$1.74 $1.74

6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$8.27 $8.27

-32.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$16.20 $16.20

-45.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.89 $1.89

21.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.68 $2.68

0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$2.04 $2.04

-25.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$40.05 $40.05

83.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$1.98 $1.98

-8.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$1.56 $1.56

-74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$17.90 $17.90

-40.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$0.98 $0.98

126.53%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$34.4K $34.4K

-22.34%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$24.9K $24.9K

47.75%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$270 $270

-29.25%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$59.5 $59.5

-65.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$65.3 $65.3

-32.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$36.84 $36.84

46.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$17.87 $17.87

10.13%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$15.21 $15.21

-18.93%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$1,122 $1,122

-45.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$22.6K $22.6K

-51.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$51.3 $51.3

100.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$40.48 $40.48

38.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$83.8 $83.8

48.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$115 $115

12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$1,270 $1,270

-44.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$855 $855

-32.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$2,183 $2,183

-47.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$1,776 $1,776

-42.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$2,102 $2,102

59.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$1,639 $1,639

18.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$3,253 $3,253

-62.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.56

-12.50%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Columbia, SC: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Columbia, SC

$855 38.6% 48.6% $279

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Columbia, SC

$388 17.5% 16.7% $56

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Columbia, SC

$323 14.6% 19.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Columbia, SC

$395 17.8% 54.5% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Columbia, SC

$131 5.9% 29.6% $55

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Columbia, SC

$58 2.6% 30.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Columbia, SC

$67 3% 14.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $1,270 in Columbia, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, SC pays 165% 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 $59.0 in Columbia, SC. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $388, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

139,698

💱 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 = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Columbia, SC 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Columbia, SC

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 Columbia, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Columbia, SC. 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: $705 in Montevideo versus $1,270 in Columbia, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Columbia, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montevideo – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $59.0 in Columbia, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,257 in Columbia, SC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Columbia, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Columbia, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Columbia, SC 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 Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Columbia, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.