Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $145 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in El Progreso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $145 in El Progreso.

Montevideo $1,784
El Progreso $145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $285 in El Progreso.

Montevideo $2,756
El Progreso $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $426 in El Progreso.

Montevideo $3,728
El Progreso $426

Living in Montevideo is roughly 1131% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 32% above, El Progreso is 89% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$4.87 HNL 131

204.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$24.69 HNL 663

182.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$7.92 HNL 213

85.35%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$1.51 HNL 40.58

207.95%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$0.83 HNL 22.18

230.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$0.97 HNL 26.17

113.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$1.53 HNL 41.02

213.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$2.03 HNL 54.6

78.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$1.27 HNL 34.19

9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$1.08 HNL 28.94

57.41%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$1.62 HNL 43.48

185.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$1.48 HNL 39.74

92.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$1.63 HNL 43.87

32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$2.66 HNL 71.4

105.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$1.35 HNL 36.22

67.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$1.37 HNL 36.92

105.11%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

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

$193 UYU 7,727

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

$20.91 UYU 839

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $25.00 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $45.00 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

15:56 3:56 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

100,810

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

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).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.86 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 30.2 HNL (100 HNL = 3.31 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

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Between locations

Montevideo El Progreso 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
El Progreso

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 El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,676 in Montevideo and $217 in El Progreso 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 639% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in El Progreso – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $70.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $145 in El Progreso versus $1,784 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes El Progreso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Progreso 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 El Progreso 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 El Progreso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1131% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.