Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Duitama

For one person, living is cheaper in Duitama: $1,282 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Duitama
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Duitama Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Duitama

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,282

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Duitama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,282 in Duitama.

Montevideo $1,771
Duitama $1,282

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,026 in Duitama.

Montevideo $2,740
Duitama $2,026

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $2,770 in Duitama.

Montevideo $3,708
Duitama $2,770

Living in Montevideo is roughly 38% more expensive than in Duitama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Duitama is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$7.92 COP 25.1K

91.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$42.97 COP 136.3K

60.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$10.28 COP 32.6K

42.51%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.60 COP 8,254

71.54%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.35 COP 4,280

97.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.85 COP 2,681

135.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.02 COP 6,401

139.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.96 COP 12.6K

-4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.66 COP 5,251

-18.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.53 COP 8,007

13.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.63 COP 5,175

7.36%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.51 COP 11.1K

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$7.77 COP 24.6K

78.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$7.37 COP 23.4K

62.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$10.00 COP 31.7K

19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$3.56 COP 11.3K

-21.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.75 COP 5,553

56.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.90 COP 6,040

-6.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.78 COP 5,635

82.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.42 COP 4,516

38.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.38 COP 4,367

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.34 COP 4,238

2.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.18 COP 3,745

59.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.42 COP 14.0K

26.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$12.62 COP 40.0K

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.39 COP 4,397

62.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.86 COP 9,080

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$1.14 COP 3,612

34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.41 COP 7,641

-20.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$2.31 COP 7,336

-82.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$9.41 COP 29.8K

9.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.34 COP 4,263

58.96%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$23.3K COP 74.0M

16.21%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$34.8K COP 110.4M

4.14%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$126 COP 399.4K

49.47%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$16.01 COP 50.8K

28.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$29.98 COP 95.1K

49.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$42.07 COP 133.4K

28.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$8.02 COP 25.4K

49.00%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$500 COP 1.6M

26.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$7,438 COP 23.6M

48.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$83.2 COP 263.7K

22.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$48.43 COP 153.6K

18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$142 COP 448.9K

-10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$105 COP 333.2K

21.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$591 COP 1.9M

21.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$449 COP 1.4M

26.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,053 COP 3.3M

8.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$931 COP 3.0M

9.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$2,232 COP 7.1M

52.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$1,787 COP 5.7M

9.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

12.81

-55.19%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Duitama: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Duitama

$449 35% 20.9% $119

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Duitama

$262 20.4% 21.1% $70

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Duitama

$152 11.9% 43.4% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Duitama

$172 13.4% 32.2% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Duitama

$170 13.3% 8.6% $16

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Duitama

$19 * 1.5% 78% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Duitama

$58 4.5% 25.4% $20

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 $591 in Duitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $43.00 in Duitama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $262 per month, with Duitama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇴 Duitama

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

22:16 10:16 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

126,670

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Duitama 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Duitama

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 Duitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duitama wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duitama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,656 in Montevideo and $1,923 in Duitama 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $719 in Montevideo versus $591 in Duitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $1,282 in Duitama – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,282 in Duitama versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Duitama but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Duitama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duitama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,282 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duitama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Duitama 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 Duitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.