Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cruz Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,940 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,940

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Cruz Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,940 in Cruz Bay.

Montevideo $1,813
Cruz Bay $2,940

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $4,735 in Cruz Bay.

Montevideo $2,782
Cruz Bay $4,735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $6,530 in Cruz Bay.

Montevideo $3,750
Cruz Bay $6,530

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 38% less than in Cruz Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 35% above, Cruz Bay 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$29.40 $29.40

-48.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$92.2 $92.2

-26.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$16.78 $16.78

-14.36%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$9.25 $9.25

-49.84%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$2.96 $2.96

-7.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$3.90 $3.90

-46.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$7.96 $7.96

-40.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$9.16 $9.16

-59.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$8.23 $8.23

-83.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$4.93 $4.93

-8.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$15.54 $15.54

-22.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$8.57 $8.57

-66.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$25.46 $25.46

-65.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

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

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$357 $357

-46.52%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$141 $141

-85.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$59.6 $59.6

-25.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$90.0 $90.0

-39.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$13.2K $13.2K

-16.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$1,799 $1,799

-60.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$1,523 $1,523

-62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$3,551 $3,551

-67.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$3,454 $3,454

-70.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$10.9K $10.9K

-69.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$6,136 $6,136

-79.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

14.80%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Cruz Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Cruz Bay

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Cruz Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Cruz Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Cruz Bay

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Cruz Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Cruz Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $1,799 in Cruz Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays 399% 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 $92.0 in Cruz Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $274, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

2,743

💱 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 = 45.06 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

Lowest

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Between locations

Montevideo Cruz Bay 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Cruz Bay

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 Cruz Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Cruz Bay differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,813 vs $2,940 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 399% lower in Cruz Bay. 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 $1,799 in Cruz Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montevideo – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $92.0 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $2,940 in Cruz Bay – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,940 in Cruz Bay, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Cruz Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo 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 Cruz Bay 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 62% less than in Cruz Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.