Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $1,933 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Escazu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Escazu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,933 in Escazu.

Montevideo $1,771
Escazu $1,933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,966 in Escazu.

Montevideo $2,740
Escazu $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $3,999 in Escazu.

Montevideo $3,708
Escazu $3,999

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 8% less than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 31% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$12.23 ₡5,486

23.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$62.1 ₡27.9K

11.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$11.48 ₡5,146

27.61%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$4.56 ₡2,045

-2.19%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.72 ₡1,218

-1.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.85 ₡828

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.36 ₡1,505

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.47 ₡2,006

-14.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.32 ₡1,040

-41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.12 ₡1,397

-8.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.49 ₡1,117

-29.72%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.59 ₡1,611

30.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$10.61 ₡4,757

30.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$10.22 ₡4,581

17.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$13.94 ₡6,252

-14.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$5.13 ₡2,301

-45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.62 ₡726

69.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$3.16 ₡1,416

-43.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.07 ₡1,378

5.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.79 ₡1,698

-48.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.73 ₡1,674

-44.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.04 ₡465

31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.70 ₡762

10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$5.53 ₡2,479

1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$18.39 ₡8,249

-52.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.66 ₡745

36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.68 ₡1,202

2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$1.09 ₡491

40.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.06 ₡923

-7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.57 ₡704

-74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.76 ₡3,927

17.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.48 ₡664

43.92%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$22.4K ₡10.1M

20.92%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.2K ₡15.8M

3.07%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$94.6 ₡42.4K

99.15%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$29.81 ₡13.4K

-31.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-25.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$108 ₡48.6K

-50.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$10.15 ₡4,550

94.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.81 ₡3,502

53.01%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$457 ₡204.9K

38.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$71.1 ₡31.9K

43.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$55.7 ₡25.0K

3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$131 ₡58.6K

-3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$130 ₡58.4K

-1.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$834 ₡373.9K

-13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$845 ₡378.8K

-32.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,961 ₡879.3K

-41.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,508 ₡676.4K

-32.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$1,407 ₡630.8K

141.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$972 ₡435.7K

100.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$1,746 ₡782.8K

-28.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Escazu

$845 43.7% 48.7% $277

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Escazu

$361 18.7% 8.7% $29

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Escazu

$231 12% 14.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Escazu

$184 9.5% 27.3% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Escazu

$174 9% 6.4% $12

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 83.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Escazu

$124 6.4% 59.2% $46

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 $834 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 40% 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: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $62.0 in Escazu. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $361, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

11,984

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Escazu 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Escazu. 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: $719 in Montevideo versus $834 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Escazu. 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 $1,933 in Escazu – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,933 in Escazu, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Escazu. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Escazu 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 9% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.