Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Curridabat

For one person, living costs are similar in Montevideo and in Curridabat: $1,771 and $1,739 a month, rent and utilities included.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Curridabat
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Curridabat Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Curridabat

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Curridabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,739 in Curridabat.

Montevideo $1,771
Curridabat $1,739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,732 in Curridabat.

Montevideo $2,740
Curridabat $2,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $3,724 in Curridabat.

Montevideo $3,708
Curridabat $3,724

Living in Montevideo is roughly 2% more expensive than in Curridabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 31% above, Curridabat 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 610

$10.77 ₡4,839

40.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,780

$55.6 ₡25.0K

24.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$10.04 ₡4,510

45.92%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$4.49 ₡2,016

-0.67%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.96 ₡881

36.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$1.34 ₡603

49.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.33 ₡1,498

45.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$3.04 ₡1,364

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$2.38 ₡1,071

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.12 ₡1,401

-8.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$2.41 ₡1,082

-27.39%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.51 ₡1,579

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$10.51 ₡4,725

32.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 482

$10.28 ₡4,621

16.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$13.96 ₡6,273

-14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$5.05 ₡2,271

-44.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.62 ₡730

69.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$4.66 ₡2,095

-62.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.81 ₡1,712

-14.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$3.86 ₡1,734

-48.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$3.57 ₡1,605

-42.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$1.11 ₡501

23.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$3.18 ₡1,429

-40.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$6.00 ₡2,698

-6.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$20.29 ₡9,119

-56.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$2.86 ₡1,287

-20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 111

$3.60 ₡1,617

-23.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.6

$1.45 ₡651

5.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,985

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$2.37 ₡1,065

-19.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.21

$1.62 ₡728

-75.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.69 ₡3,904

18.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$1.54 ₡693

38.31%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$21.9K ₡9.8M

23.95%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.4K ₡15.9M

2.48%

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

$188 UYU 7,570

$96.2 ₡43.2K

95.80%

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

$20.54 UYU 826

$35.78 ₡16.1K

-42.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$60.4 ₡27.1K

-25.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$67.9 ₡30.5K

-20.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 481

$7.49 ₡3,366

59.55%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$998 ₡448.6K

-36.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.3K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-36.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,106

$72.8 ₡32.7K

40.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,313

$55.0 ₡24.7K

4.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,088

$128 ₡57.7K

-1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,139

$133 ₡59.9K

-4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$815 ₡366.4K

-11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$666 ₡299.5K

-14.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,891 ₡849.9K

-39.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,315 ₡590.9K

-22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$506 ₡227.3K

146.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Curridabat: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Curridabat

$666 38.3% 17.4% $99

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Curridabat

$400 23% 20.5% $68

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Curridabat

$206 11.9% 23.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Curridabat

$192 11.1% 24.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Curridabat

$175 10.1% 6% $11

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Curridabat

$16 * 0.9% 80.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Curridabat

$83 4.8% 6.5% $5

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 $719 in Montevideo and $815 in Curridabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 146% 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: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $56.0 in Curridabat. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $400, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Curridabat

🕒 Local time

07:44 7:44 AM

04:44 4:44 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

33,000

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Curridabat 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Curridabat

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 Curridabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curridabat is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 146% 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: $719 in Montevideo versus $815 in Curridabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Montevideo versus $998 in Curridabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Curridabat – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,739 in Curridabat versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Curridabat but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Curridabat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Curridabat 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 Curridabat 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 Curridabat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.