Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Grecia

For one person, living is cheaper in Grecia: $1,505 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Grecia
Learn more

Grecia Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Grecia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Grecia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,505 in Grecia.

Montevideo $1,771
Grecia $1,505

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,083 in Grecia.

Montevideo $2,740
Grecia $2,083

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $2,660 in Grecia.

Montevideo $3,708
Grecia $2,660

Living in Montevideo is roughly 18% more expensive than in Grecia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 31% above, Grecia 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$10.60 ₡4,754

43.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$53.5 ₡24.0K

29.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$11.68 ₡5,236

25.43%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.36 ₡1,507

32.74%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.80 ₡809

48.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.84 ₡824

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.70 ₡1,210

78.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$2.91 ₡1,305

30.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.99 ₡893

-31.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.11 ₡499

158.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.42 ₡1,086

-27.69%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.49 ₡1,563

34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$6.52 ₡2,926

112.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$4.32 ₡1,938

177.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$13.74 ₡6,164

-12.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$2.43 ₡1,088

14.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.58 ₡709

73.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.35 ₡608

31.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.36 ₡608

138.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.72 ₡773

14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.56 ₡698

32.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.13 ₡505

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$2.13 ₡957

-11.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$5.87 ₡2,634

-4.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$12.81 ₡5,747

-31.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.10 ₡944

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.58 ₡709

74.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$1.89 ₡849

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.98 ₡890

-3.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.62 ₡728

-75.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.86 ₡3,974

16.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.55 ₡693

37.42%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

24.50%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$34.7K ₡15.6M

4.44%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$87.9 ₡39.4K

114.17%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$26.87 ₡12.1K

-23.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$59.3 ₡26.6K

-24.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$48.76 ₡21.9K

10.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$11.93 ₡5,349

65.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.50 ₡3,364

59.33%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$994 ₡446.0K

-36.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-36.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$71.3 ₡32.0K

43.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$56.5 ₡25.3K

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$128 ₡57.2K

-0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$134 ₡60.0K

-4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$446 ₡200.0K

61.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$632 ₡283.4K

-10.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$776 ₡347.9K

47.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$677 ₡303.6K

51.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$667 ₡299.1K

86.60%

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 Grecia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Grecia

$632 42% 11.3% $64

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Grecia

$249 16.5% 25% $83

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Grecia

$194 12.9% 27.9% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Grecia

$174 11.6% 31.4% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Grecia

$175 11.6% 6% $11

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Grecia

$18 * 1.2% 79% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Grecia

$64 4.2% 18.1% $14

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 $446 in Grecia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 87% 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 $53.0 in Grecia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $249 per month, with Grecia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Grecia

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

20:47 8:47 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

16,700

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Grecia 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Grecia

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 Grecia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grecia wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grecia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Montevideo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $719 in Montevideo versus $446 in Grecia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Montevideo versus $994 in Grecia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Grecia – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,505 in Grecia versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grecia but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Grecia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grecia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,505 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grecia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Grecia 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 Grecia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.