Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Dorado

For one person, living is cheaper in Dorado: $1,279 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,784
/mo nomad
Dorado
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,279
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Dorado

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $1,279 in Dorado.

  • Montevideo $1,784
  • Dorado $1,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $2,014 in Dorado.

  • Montevideo $2,756
  • Dorado $2,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $2,749 in Dorado.

  • Montevideo $3,728
  • Dorado $2,749

Living in Montevideo is roughly 39% more expensive than in Dorado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 32% above, Dorado is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.82 UYU 595
$18.86 $18.86
-21.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.7 UYU 2,797
$81.3 $81.3
-14.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.68 UYU 589
$9.46 $9.46
55.18%
Cappuccino
$4.65 UYU 186
$3.51 $3.51
32.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.90 $1.90
44.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 UYU 82.9
$1.46 $1.46
41.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.79 UYU 192
$2.97 $2.97
61.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 UYU 146
$5.02 $5.02
-27.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 UYU 55.8
$2.23 $2.23
-37.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 UYU 116
$3.55 $3.55
-18.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 UYU 68.1
$2.35 $2.35
-27.66%
Eggs
$4.62 UYU 185
$7.02 $7.02
-34.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.22 UYU 571
$12.61 $12.61
12.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.62 UYU 466
$9.61 $9.61
20.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 UYU 491
$13.34 $13.34
-8.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 UYU 111
$5.19 $5.19
-46.63%
Banana (1kg)
$2.85 UYU 114
$2.56 $2.56
11.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 UYU 72.5
$4.98 $4.98
-63.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 UYU 129
$4.76 $4.76
-32.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 UYU 77.8
$3.68 $3.68
-47.28%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 UYU 86.5
$3.88 $3.88
-44.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 UYU 57.3
$3.41 $3.41
-58.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 UYU 77.9
$1.61 $1.61
20.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.47 UYU 219
$12.13 $12.13
-54.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.95 UYU 359
$15.63 $15.63
-42.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.8
$3.14 $3.14
-28.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 UYU 113
$4.10 $4.10
-31.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.56 UYU 62.6
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 UYU 2,962
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 UYU 76.2
$2.45 $2.45
-22.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 UYU 17.36
$1.53 $1.53
-71.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.59 UYU 425
$42.08 $42.08
-74.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 UYU 85.2
$1.10 $1.10
92.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
$39.4K $39.4K
-31.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K UYU 1.5M
$28.1K $28.1K
31.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$193 UYU 7,727
$324 $324
-40.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.91 UYU 839
$27.50 $27.50
-23.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.89 UYU 1,802
$70.3 $70.3
-36.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 UYU 2,038
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.73 UYU 792
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.30 UYU 494
$10.66 $10.66
15.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$629 UYU 25.2K
$823 $823
-23.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K UYU 437.3K
$6,372 $6,372
70.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 UYU 4,166
$57.2 $57.2
81.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 UYU 2,305
$60.6 $60.6
-5.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 UYU 5,010
$108 $108
15.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 UYU 5,315
$114 $114
15.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$713 UYU 28.6K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 UYU 46.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 UYU 41.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,418 UYU 137.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,760 UYU 70.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Dorado
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,244 UYU 49.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.55
-12.37%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dorado: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Dorado
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$334
Dorado
$413 23.8% $79
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Dorado
$260 3.3% $9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$258
Dorado
$422 63.4% $164
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$188
Dorado
$153 18.7% $35
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Dorado
$10 * 88% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$75
Dorado
$21 * 71.7% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $81.0 in Dorado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $413 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇵🇷 Dorado
🕒 Local time
17:40 5:40 PM
16:40 4:40 PM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
12,172
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Dorado 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Dorado

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 Dorado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dorado cheaper than Montevideo?
Dorado is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,676 in Montevideo and $1,919 in Dorado 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $629 in Montevideo versus $823 in Dorado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Montevideo or in Dorado?
Dining out is cheaper in Dorado – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $70.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Dorado?
At $1,279 in Dorado versus $1,784 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dorado but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Dorado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Montevideo or Dorado more family-friendly?
For families, Dorado 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.
Which city is safer, Montevideo or Dorado?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Dorado are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dorado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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