Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Gros Islet

For one person, living is cheaper in Gros Islet: $1,442 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

$1,813

/mo nomad

Gros Islet

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Gros Islet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,442 in Gros Islet.

Montevideo $1,813
Gros Islet $1,442

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $2,177 in Gros Islet.

Montevideo $2,782
Gros Islet $2,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $2,913 in Gros Islet.

Montevideo $3,750
Gros Islet $2,913

Living in Montevideo is roughly 26% more expensive than in Gros Islet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 35% above, Gros Islet 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$7.31 EC$19.73

108.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$59.6 EC$161

13.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$9.16 EC$24.72

56.88%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$4.53 EC$12.23

2.43%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.87 EC$5.04

45.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$1.89 EC$5.10

10.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.82 EC$7.61

68.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.79 EC$10.24

-3.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$2.53 EC$6.83

-45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$1.72 EC$4.64

61.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$1.99 EC$5.37

-15.08%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$4.90 EC$13.22

-7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$12.34 EC$33.33

14.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$15.75 EC$42.52

-23.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$15.83 EC$42.73

-23.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$5.90 EC$15.94

-51.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.62 EC$4.38

69.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$2.24 EC$6.05

-22.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.21 EC$5.96

46.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.24 EC$6.04

-7.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.16 EC$5.83

-4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$5.52 EC$14.90

-75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$1.84 EC$4.96

0.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$5.89 EC$15.90

-5.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$15.08 EC$40.72

-41.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$4.56 EC$12.31

-40.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$0.96 EC$2.58

58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$33.9K EC$91.6K

-21.20%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$44.0K EC$118.9K

-16.55%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$242 EC$654

-21.17%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$39.58 EC$107

-48.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$55.9 EC$151

-21.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$44.44 EC$120

21.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$7.00 EC$18.91

76.14%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$18.75 EC$50.6

448.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$11.07 EC$29.90

406.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$73.5 EC$198

69.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$75.3 EC$203

72.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$590 EC$1,593

19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$396 EC$1,070

45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$985 EC$2,658

15.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$647 EC$1,746

57.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$743 EC$2,007

65.40%

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 Gros Islet: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Gros Islet

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Gros Islet

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Gros Islet

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Gros Islet

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Gros Islet

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Gros Islet

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Gros Islet

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $590 in Gros Islet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 65% 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: $67.0 in Montevideo vs $60.0 in Gros Islet. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $387, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇱🇨 Gros Islet

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

03:31 3:31 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

21,660

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Gros Islet 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Gros Islet

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 Gros Islet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gros Islet wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gros Islet the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $705 in Montevideo versus $590 in Gros Islet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $1,442 in Gros Islet – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Montevideo pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,442 in Gros Islet versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gros Islet but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Gros Islet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gros Islet delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,442 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gros Islet hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Gros Islet 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 Gros Islet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.