Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Cumbaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $840 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Cumbaya
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Cumbaya Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Cumbaya

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Cumbaya

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $840 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Cumbaya $840

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,403 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Cumbaya $1,403

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,965 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Cumbaya $1,965

Montevideo costs about 111% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Cumbaya is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 610

$5.99 $5.99

153.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,780

$54.0 $54.0

28.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$7.62 $7.62

92.26%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.41 $3.41

30.79%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.44 $1.44

85.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$1.10 $1.10

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.60 $3.60

34.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$5.86 $5.86

-35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$1.15 $1.15

18.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.60 $1.60

79.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$1.50 $1.50

16.67%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.18 $2.18

114.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$6.37 $6.37

117.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 482

$5.58 $5.58

114.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$7.66 $7.66

56.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$2.23 $2.23

24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.19 $1.19

130.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$1.28 $1.28

38.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.13 $1.13

186.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$1.25 $1.25

57.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$1.07 $1.07

93.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$0.87 $0.87

57.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$1.03 $1.03

82.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$5.87 $5.87

-4.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$10.13 $10.13

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$1.56 $1.56

44.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 111

$3.03 $3.03

-9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.6

$0.34 $0.34

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,985

$20.68 $20.68

259.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$1.51 $1.51

26.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.21

$1.46 $1.46

-72.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$10.09 $10.09

2.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$0.88 $0.88

142.05%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$21.1K $21.1K

28.27%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$28.2K $28.2K

28.50%

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

$188 UYU 7,570

$28.10 $28.10

570.11%

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

$20.54 UYU 826

$17.60 $17.60

16.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$28.90 $28.90

55.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$26.87 $26.87

100.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

$17.73 $17.73

11.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 481

$6.49 $6.49

84.13%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$227 $227

179.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.3K

$8,876 $8,876

24.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,106

$71.5 $71.5

42.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,313

$49.06 $49.06

17.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,088

$117 $117

8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,139

$109 $109

17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$278 $278

158.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$190 $190

198.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$736 $736

55.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$357 $357

186.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.4K

$1,240 $1,240

173.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.4K

$867 $867

124.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

10.12

-43.28%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cumbaya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Cumbaya

$190 22.6% 66.5% $378

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Cumbaya

$197 23.5% 40.5% $134

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Cumbaya

$152 18.1% 43.7% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Cumbaya

$75 8.9% 70.6% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Cumbaya

$156 18.6% 16.4% $31

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Cumbaya

$31 3.7% 63.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Cumbaya

$40 4.7% 48.8% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $278 in Cumbaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $54.0 in Cumbaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $197 – making Cumbaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇪🇨 Cumbaya

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 40.2 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.02 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

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Montevideo Cumbaya 4,500 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Cumbaya

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 Cumbaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo costs about 111% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,260 in Cumbaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cumbaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 259% less in Cumbaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $227 in Cumbaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cumbaya, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Cumbaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cumbaya costs $840 versus $1,771 in Montevideo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cumbaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.