Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cuiaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuiaba: $1,081 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Cuiaba
Learn more

Cuiaba Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Cuiaba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Cuiaba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,081 in Cuiaba.

Montevideo $1,813
Cuiaba $1,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $1,618 in Cuiaba.

Montevideo $2,782
Cuiaba $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $2,155 in Cuiaba.

Montevideo $3,750
Cuiaba $2,155

Living in Montevideo is roughly 68% more expensive than in Cuiaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 35% above, Cuiaba is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$5.03 R$25.12

203.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$35.60 R$178

89.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$7.90 R$39.43

81.90%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$1.85 R$9.21

150.81%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.48 R$7.37

84.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$0.78 R$3.89

167.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.03 R$10.15

133.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$2.62 R$13.10

40.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$1.23 R$6.14

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$1.60 R$7.98

73.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$1.91 R$9.55

-11.52%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$3.08 R$15.36

46.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$17.15 R$85.6

-17.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$4.82 R$24.04

150.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$11.36 R$56.7

7.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$2.39 R$11.91

20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.40 R$12.00

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$2.50 R$12.49

-30.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.01 R$15.02

7.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.55 R$12.72

-18.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.11 R$10.51

-1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.65 R$8.23

-16.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$1.43 R$7.15

29.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$2.29 R$11.45

143.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$11.63 R$58.1

-23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$2.07 R$10.31

10.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$3.06 R$15.28

-11.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$1.02 R$5.11

49.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$38.30 R$191

92.32%

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

$1.31 R$6.53

69.47%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$29.9K R$149.2K

-10.55%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$33.5K R$167.3K

9.62%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$178 R$888

7.29%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$19.31 R$96.4

5.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$27.04 R$135

63.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$26.15 R$131

107.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$19.84 R$99.0

-0.81%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$6.17 R$30.80

99.84%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$432 R$2,158

41.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$9,696 R$48.4K

13.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$76.8 R$383

33.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$49.06 R$245

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$155 R$775

-19.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$71.2 R$356

82.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$336 R$1,679

109.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$233 R$1,163

146.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$660 R$3,295

72.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$370 R$1,848

174.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$1,370 R$6,838

144.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$793 R$3,958

144.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$399 R$1,992

207.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

16.1

-64.35%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Cuiaba

$233 21.3% 59.5% $342

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Cuiaba

$285 26.1% 14.4% $48

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Cuiaba

$111 10.1% 59.2% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Cuiaba

$224 20.5% 12.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Cuiaba

$159 14.5% 14.7% $27

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Cuiaba

$42 * 3.9% 49.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Cuiaba

$38 3.5% 51.2% $40

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 $336 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 208% 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 $36.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $285 per month, with Cuiaba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇧🇷 Cuiaba

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

07:59 7:59 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

650,877

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, 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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Cuiaba 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Cuiaba

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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 208% higher in Montevideo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $705 in Montevideo versus $336 in Cuiaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $67.0 in Montevideo. 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 $1,081 in Cuiaba – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Cuiaba versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,081 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.