Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cuajimalpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuajimalpa: $1,141 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Cuajimalpa
Learn more

Cuajimalpa Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Cuajimalpa

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Cuajimalpa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $1,141 in Cuajimalpa.

Montevideo $1,784
Cuajimalpa $1,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $1,827 in Cuajimalpa.

Montevideo $2,756
Cuajimalpa $1,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $2,514 in Cuajimalpa.

Montevideo $3,728
Cuajimalpa $2,514

Living in Montevideo is roughly 56% more expensive than in Cuajimalpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 32% above, Cuajimalpa is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$10.81 MX$200

37.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$43.13 MX$797

61.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$8.35 MX$154

75.81%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$3.60 MX$66.6

29.17%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.40 MX$25.87

95.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$1.06 MX$19.50

95.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$2.52 MX$46.60

90.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$3.96 MX$73.2

-8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$1.58 MX$29.16

-12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$2.64 MX$48.81

9.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$1.70 MX$31.34

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$2.46 MX$45.39

87.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$8.08 MX$149

75.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$8.10 MX$150

43.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$11.30 MX$209

8.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$2.79 MX$51.5

-0.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$1.51 MX$27.83

88.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$1.86 MX$34.44

-2.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$1.81 MX$33.42

76.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$2.00 MX$36.89

-3.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$1.91 MX$35.21

13.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$1.43 MX$26.42

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$1.12 MX$20.79

73.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$4.44 MX$82.1

23.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$10.50 MX$194

-14.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$1.79 MX$33.13

26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$3.18 MX$58.8

-11.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

$0.69 MX$12.73

126.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$2.62 MX$48.32

-27.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$2.01 MX$37.15

-78.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$10.91 MX$202

-2.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$1.44 MX$26.64

47.22%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$20.9K MX$386.5K

28.11%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$24.3K MX$448.9K

52.27%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$57.5 MX$1,063

234.76%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$22.78 MX$421

-8.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$29.83 MX$551

50.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

$34.34 MX$635

47.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

$20.21 MX$373

-2.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$5.31 MX$98.1

131.64%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$223 MX$4,122

181.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$4,649 MX$85.9K

134.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$54.5 MX$1,008

90.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$41.13 MX$760

39.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$101 MX$1,863

23.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$88.6 MX$1,636

49.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

$600 MX$11.1K

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$395 MX$7,290

45.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

$1,021 MX$18.9K

14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

$764 MX$14.1K

35.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

$1,905 MX$35.2K

79.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

$1,154 MX$21.3K

52.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.3

-49.20%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

Cuajimalpa

$395 34.6% 31.4% $181

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

Cuajimalpa

$262 23% 21.4% $71

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

Cuajimalpa

$185 16.2% 31.1% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

Cuajimalpa

$110 9.7% 57.4% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

Cuajimalpa

$128 11.2% 31.9% $60

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Cuajimalpa

$15 * 1.4% 81.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

Cuajimalpa

$45 3.9% 40.3% $30

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 $713 in Montevideo and $600 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $43.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $262 per month, with Cuajimalpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Cuajimalpa

🕒 Local time

11:35 11:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

217,686

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Cuajimalpa 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Cuajimalpa

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 Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,676 in Montevideo and $1,711 in Cuajimalpa 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: $713 in Montevideo versus $600 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $629 in Montevideo versus $223 in Cuajimalpa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $70.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,784 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.