Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,784 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

Montevideo $1,784
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

Montevideo $2,756
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

Montevideo $3,728
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 18% less than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 32% above, Des Moines, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$19.69 $19.69

-24.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$80.8 $80.8

-13.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$12.22 $12.22

20.13%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$6.16 $6.16

-24.51%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.93 $2.93

-6.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$2.56 $2.56

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$4.99 $4.99

-4.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$5.89 $5.89

-38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$0.91 $0.91

52.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$3.03 $3.03

-4.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$3.38 $3.38

-49.70%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$4.00 $4.00

15.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$9.69 $9.69

46.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$9.91 $9.91

17.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$13.68 $13.68

-10.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$4.33 $4.33

-36.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$1.51 $1.51

88.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$4.54 $4.54

-60.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$3.68 $3.68

-13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$3.07 $3.07

-36.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$2.14 $2.14

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$2.38 $2.38

-39.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$2.19 $2.19

-11.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$7.85 $7.85

-30.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$14.79 $14.79

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$1.70 $1.70

32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$3.09 $3.09

-9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

$1.73 $1.73

-9.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

$58.1 $58.1

26.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$1.97 $1.97

-3.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$1.23 $1.23

-65.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$19.70 $19.70

-46.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$0.93 $0.93

127.96%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.41%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$25.1K $25.1K

47.10%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$185 $185

4.29%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$53.6 $53.6

-60.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$70.2 $70.2

-36.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

$63.8 $63.8

-20.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

$20.14 $20.14

-2.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$9.99 $9.99

23.12%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$1,187 $1,187

-47.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$12.0K $12.0K

-8.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$59.5 $59.5

74.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$42.98 $42.98

33.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$101 $101

23.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$145 $145

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

$1,177 $1,177

-39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$872 $872

-34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

$1,738 $1,738

-33.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

$1,394 $1,394

-25.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

$2,320 $2,320

47.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

$2,325 $2,325

-24.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

$3,647 $3,647

-65.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.56

-12.50%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 51.6% $297

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 4.8% $16

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 21.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 19.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 16.7% $32

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 13% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 11.1% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Montevideo and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 193% 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: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $81.0 in Des Moines, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $349 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

214,133

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Des Moines, IA 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montevideo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 193% lower in Des Moines, IA. 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: $713 in Montevideo versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. 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 $70.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,784 per month in Montevideo versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,784 in Montevideo versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montevideo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,784 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montevideo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Des Moines, IA 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 22% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.