Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Coronado

For one person, living is cheaper in Coronado: $1,362 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. The total is higher in Montevideo despite lower rent and utilities.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Coronado
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,362
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Coronado

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,362 in Coronado.

  • Montevideo $1,813
  • Coronado $1,362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $2,195 in Coronado.

  • Montevideo $2,782
  • Coronado $2,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $3,029 in Coronado.

  • Montevideo $3,750
  • Coronado $3,029

Living in Montevideo is roughly 33% more expensive than in Coronado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 35% above, Coronado 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.26 UYU 613
$12.17 PAB 12.17
25.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 UYU 2,707
$56.0 PAB 56.0
20.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.37 UYU 577
$8.50 PAB 8.50
69.06%
Cappuccino
$4.64 UYU 186
$3.75 PAB 3.75
23.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 UYU 110
$1.20 PAB 1.20
127.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 UYU 83.9
$0.90 PAB 0.90
132.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.75 UYU 191
$0.98 PAB 0.98
384.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 UYU 147
$2.55 PAB 2.55
43.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 UYU 55.4
$1.93 PAB 1.93
-28.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 UYU 111
$1.59 PAB 1.59
74.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 UYU 67.7
-
-
Eggs
$4.52 UYU 182
$2.36 PAB 2.36
91.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 UYU 569
$11.68 PAB 11.68
21.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.07 UYU 485
$6.58 PAB 6.58
83.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.16 UYU 488
$9.18 PAB 9.18
32.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 UYU 115
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 UYU 110
$0.96 PAB 0.96
186.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 UYU 69.4
$3.07 PAB 3.07
-43.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$2.87 PAB 2.87
12.89%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.0
$1.84 PAB 1.84
12.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.0
$1.93 PAB 1.93
7.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 UYU 55.4
$2.46 PAB 2.46
-43.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 UYU 74.4
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.57 UYU 224
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$8.89 UYU 357
$8.60 PAB 8.60
3.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 UYU 92.1
$0.70 PAB 0.70
227.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 UYU 108
$0.71 PAB 0.71
280.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 UYU 61.2
$0.68 PAB 0.68
123.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.7 UYU 2,958
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.82 UYU 73.3
$1.46 PAB 1.46
24.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.02
$1.54 PAB 1.54
-74.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.66 UYU 428
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.22 UYU 89.0
$0.98 PAB 0.98
126.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
$34.6K PAB 34.6K
6.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 UYU 7,662
$169 PAB 169
12.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.40 UYU 819
$21.63 PAB 21.63
-5.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.14 UYU 1,772
$59.1 PAB 59.1
-25.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 UYU 2,174
$59.4 PAB 59.4
-8.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.68 UYU 790
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.33 UYU 495
$3.42 PAB 3.42
260.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$613 UYU 24.6K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K UYU 443.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 UYU 4,128
$45.22 PAB 45.22
127.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 UYU 2,251
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 UYU 4,993
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 UYU 5,207
$64.0 PAB 64.0
102.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$705 UYU 28.3K
$750 PAB 750
-5.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
$559 PAB 559
2.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 UYU 45.7K
$1,253 PAB 1,253
-9.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
$1,262 PAB 1,262
-19.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,349 UYU 134.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,942 UYU 78.0K
$2,019 PAB 2,019
-3.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Coronado
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
$455 PAB 455
170.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
0
-

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Coronado: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Coronado
$559 2.8% $16
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Coronado
$214 * 35.7% $119
Eating Out
Montevideo
$271
Coronado
$186 31.3% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$255
Coronado
$250 2% $5.1
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Coronado
$49 * 73.5% $137
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Coronado
$12 * 85.8% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$79
Coronado
$66 15.9% $13

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 $750 in Coronado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 170% 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 $56.0 in Coronado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $214 per month, with Coronado cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇵🇦 Coronado
🕒 Local time
03:18 3:18 AM
01:18 1:18 AM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
1,444
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Coronado 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Coronado

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 Coronado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montevideo or Coronado?
Coronado wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Coronado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Montevideo or in Coronado?
Average pay runs 170% higher in Montevideo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Montevideo compared to Coronado?
Rent for a central apartment: $705 in Montevideo versus $750 in Coronado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Montevideo compared to Coronado?
All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $1,362 in Coronado – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Are groceries more expensive in Montevideo or in Coronado?
Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montevideo or in Coronado?
At $1,362 in Coronado versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Coronado but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Coronado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montevideo or Coronado?
Both work as nomad bases, but Coronado delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,362 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Coronado hard to pass up.
How safe is Montevideo compared to Coronado?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Coronado are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Coronado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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