Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Frederiksted

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederiksted: $355 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Frederiksted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Frederiksted

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $355 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Frederiksted $355

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $745 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Frederiksted $745

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $1,136 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Frederiksted $1,136

Montevideo costs about 411% more than Frederiksted, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 35% above the global median, while Frederiksted is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$30.02 $30.02

-49.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,710

$79.4 $79.4

-15.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 577

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 186

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

$2.73 UYU 110

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 83.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$7.17 $7.17

-33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$8.04 $8.04

-54.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 111

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 115

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,960

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.1

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

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

$191 UYU 7,669

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

$20.40 UYU 820

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,774

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,176

$60.8 $60.8

-10.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,131

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,253

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,997

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,211

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.3K

$1,343 $1,343

-47.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

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 5, 2026

Last update for Frederiksted: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Frederiksted

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Frederiksted

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Frederiksted

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Frederiksted

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Frederiksted

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Frederiksted

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Frederiksted

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $1,343 in Frederiksted. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo versus $79.0 in Frederiksted. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇻🇮 Frederiksted

🕒 Local time

23:42 11:42 PM

22:42 10:42 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

528

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 40.18 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Frederiksted 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Frederiksted

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 Frederiksted: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 411%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $532 in Frederiksted. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frederiksted, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,813 in Montevideo and $355 in Frederiksted. That's a gap of about 411%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo and $79.0 in Frederiksted. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Frederiksted, where all-in costs run around $355, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Frederiksted it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Frederiksted – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Frederiksted. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.