Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Grand Forks, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Grand Forks, ND outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Grand Forks, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,034
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Grand Forks, ND

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 Grand Forks, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Grand Forks, ND $2,034

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,958 in Grand Forks, ND.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Grand Forks, ND $2,958

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $3,883 in Grand Forks, ND.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Grand Forks, ND $3,883

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 13% less than in Grand Forks, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 31% above, Grand Forks, ND 51% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 609
$21.48 $21.48
-29.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,776
$81.2 $81.2
-14.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 588
$12.84 $12.84
14.10%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$6.06 $6.06
-26.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$2.69 $2.69
-0.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.4
$2.97 $2.97
-32.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$5.15 $5.15
-6.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 152
$5.95 $5.95
-36.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.8
$1.10 $1.10
23.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$3.59 $3.59
-20.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.2
$4.45 $4.45
-60.67%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$3.67 $3.67
27.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 557
$24.05 $24.05
-42.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 481
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 480
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 111
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.97 $1.97
39.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.2
$4.45 $4.45
-60.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$3.12 $3.12
3.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.2
$2.26 $2.26
-12.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$2.82 $2.82
-26.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.1
$2.24 $2.24
-38.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.3
$1.95 $1.95
-3.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 224
$10.09 $10.09
-44.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 352
$34.40 $34.40
-74.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.9
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 110
$5.84 $5.84
-52.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.5
$1.46 $1.46
4.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,980
$42.51 $42.51
74.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.7
$6.04 $6.04
-68.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.18
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$0.86 $0.86
147.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,557
$217 $217
-13.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 824
$115 $115
-82.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,798
$73.1 $73.1
-38.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,166
$63.1 $63.1
-14.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 793
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 480
$15.27 $15.27
-21.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$583 $583
8.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,099
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,309
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,079
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,131
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.8K
$989 $989
-27.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
$815 $815
-30.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
$1,575 $1,575
-27.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
$1,278 $1,278
-19.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
$1,483 $1,483
128.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
$1,530 $1,530
27.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Grand Forks, ND
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
$4,082 $4,082
-69.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.82
-15.84%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Grand Forks, ND: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Grand Forks, ND
$815 43.5% $247
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Grand Forks, ND
$322 * 2.9% $9.6
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Grand Forks, ND
$343 27.6% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Grand Forks, ND
$406 59.9% $152
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Grand Forks, ND
- * 100%
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Grand Forks, ND
$54 * 35.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Grand Forks, ND
$94 20.2% $16

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 $989 in Grand Forks, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Forks, ND pays 228% 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 $81.0 in Grand Forks, ND. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $322, with Grand Forks, ND cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Grand Forks, ND
🕒 Local time
03:55 3:55 AM
01:55 1:55 AM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
50,372
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Grand Forks, ND 10,060 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Grand Forks, ND

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 Grand Forks, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montevideo or Grand Forks, ND?
Montevideo wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Grand Forks, ND. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montevideo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Montevideo or in Grand Forks, ND?
On paper, salaries run 228% lower in Grand Forks, ND. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Montevideo compared to Grand Forks, ND?
Rent for a central apartment: $719 in Montevideo versus $989 in Grand Forks, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Montevideo compared to Grand Forks, ND?
A monthly transit pass in Montevideo runs roughly 75% less than in Grand Forks, ND. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Montevideo and in Grand Forks, ND?
Childcare runs $634 in Montevideo versus $583 in Grand Forks, ND. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Montevideo or in Grand Forks, ND?
At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,034 in Grand Forks, ND, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Grand Forks, ND. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montevideo or Grand Forks, ND?
Both work as nomad bases, but Montevideo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montevideo hard to pass up.
How safe is Montevideo compared to Grand Forks, ND?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Grand Forks, ND are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Grand Forks, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Montevideo vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?