Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Effingham, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,784 a month against $2,500 in Effingham, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Effingham, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,784
/mo nomad
Effingham, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,500
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Effingham, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL.

  • Montevideo $1,784
  • Effingham, IL $2,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $3,556 in Effingham, IL.

  • Montevideo $2,756
  • Effingham, IL $3,556

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $4,612 in Effingham, IL.

  • Montevideo $3,728
  • Effingham, IL $4,612

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 29% less than in Effingham, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 32% above, Effingham, IL 84% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.82 UYU 595
$15.06 $15.06
-1.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.7 UYU 2,797
$44.89 $44.89
55.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.68 UYU 589
$11.95 $11.95
22.85%
Cappuccino
$4.65 UYU 186
$5.53 $5.53
-15.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 UYU 110
$3.21 $3.21
-14.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 UYU 82.9
$2.66 $2.66
-22.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.79 UYU 192
$5.05 $5.05
-5.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 UYU 146
$7.04 $7.04
-48.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 UYU 55.8
$0.89 $0.89
56.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 UYU 116
$3.40 $3.40
-15.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 UYU 68.1
$4.48 $4.48
-62.05%
Eggs
$4.62 UYU 185
$3.67 $3.67
25.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.22 UYU 571
$12.49 $12.49
13.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.62 UYU 466
$10.81 $10.81
7.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 UYU 491
$16.77 $16.77
-27.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 UYU 111
$5.72 $5.72
-51.57%
Banana (1kg)
$2.85 UYU 114
$1.45 $1.45
96.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 UYU 72.5
$4.72 $4.72
-61.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 UYU 129
$4.37 $4.37
-26.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 UYU 77.8
$2.23 $2.23
-13.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 UYU 86.5
$1.08 $1.08
100.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 UYU 57.3
$2.45 $2.45
-41.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 UYU 77.9
$2.43 $2.43
-20.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.47 UYU 219
$10.84 $10.84
-49.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.95 UYU 359
$11.88 $11.88
-24.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.8
$2.00 $2.00
13.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 UYU 113
$3.64 $3.64
-22.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.56 UYU 62.6
$1.84 $1.84
-15.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 UYU 2,962
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 UYU 76.2
$1.95 $1.95
-2.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 UYU 17.36
$1.76 $1.76
-75.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.59 UYU 425
$33.78 $33.78
-68.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 UYU 85.2
$0.99 $0.99
114.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
$30.1K $30.1K
-10.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K UYU 1.5M
$26.2K $26.2K
41.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$193 UYU 7,727
$229 $229
-16.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.91 UYU 839
$44.95 $44.95
-53.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.89 UYU 1,802
$65.4 $65.4
-31.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 UYU 2,038
$41.33 $41.33
22.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.73 UYU 792
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.30 UYU 494
$14.98 $14.98
-17.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$629 UYU 25.2K
$1,729 $1,729
-63.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K UYU 437.3K
$24.1K $24.1K
-54.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 UYU 4,166
$45.09 $45.09
130.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 UYU 2,305
$35.03 $35.03
63.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 UYU 5,010
$85.7 $85.7
45.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 UYU 5,315
$65.2 $65.2
103.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$713 UYU 28.6K
$1,628 $1,628
-56.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
$1,297 $1,297
-55.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 UYU 46.7K
$2,487 $2,487
-53.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 UYU 41.5K
$2,146 $2,146
-51.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,418 UYU 137.2K
$2,804 $2,804
21.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,760 UYU 70.6K
$2,326 $2,326
-24.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Effingham, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,244 UYU 49.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.57
-12.63%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Effingham, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Effingham, IL
$1.3K 125% $722
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$334
Effingham, IL
$384 15.2% $51
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Effingham, IL
$285 6.2% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$258
Effingham, IL
$340 31.5% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$188
Effingham, IL
$104 44.8% $84
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Effingham, IL
$18 * 78.5% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$75
Effingham, IL
$71 5.4% $4.1

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 $713 in Montevideo and $1,628 in Effingham, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $45.00 in Effingham, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $334 vs $384, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Effingham, IL
🕒 Local time
18:57 6:57 PM
16:57 4:57 PM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
12,447
💱 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 Effingham, IL 8,880 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Effingham, IL

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 Effingham, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Montevideo and in Effingham, IL?
Montevideo and Effingham, IL differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,784 vs $2,500 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Montevideo compared to Effingham, IL?
You'd need roughly $2,676 in Montevideo and $3,750 in Effingham, IL 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Montevideo and in Effingham, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $713 in Montevideo versus $1,628 in Effingham, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Effingham, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Montevideo or Effingham, IL?
All in, you'll spend $1,784 per month in Montevideo versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,784 in Montevideo versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Effingham, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Montevideo and Effingham, IL?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Montevideo or Effingham, IL safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Effingham, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Montevideo or Effingham, IL?
Expats usually find Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Effingham, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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