Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Guadalupe

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalupe: $1,594 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Guadalupe
Learn more

Guadalupe Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Guadalupe

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,594 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Guadalupe $1,594

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,489 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Guadalupe $2,489

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $3,383 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Guadalupe $3,383

Montevideo costs about 11% more than Guadalupe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montevideo and Guadalupe sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Guadalupe by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$10.85 ₡4,865

39.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$33.22 ₡14.9K

108.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$8.74 ₡3,919

67.62%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.30 ₡1,481

35.15%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.24 ₡1,005

19.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.92 ₡862

4.17%

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

$4.48 ₡2,009

-15.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.23 ₡1,000

-39.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.07 ₡1,379

-6.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.41 ₡1,079

-27.39%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.54 ₡1,588

32.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$9.62 ₡4,316

44.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$10.09 ₡4,527

18.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$13.77 ₡6,177

-13.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$5.24 ₡2,350

-46.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.62 ₡729

69.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$4.74 ₡2,126

-62.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.85 ₡1,727

-15.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.86 ₡1,730

-48.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.58 ₡1,606

-42.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.13 ₡507

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$3.22 ₡1,446

-41.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.29 ₡1,922

30.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$19.92 ₡8,935

-55.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.77 ₡1,241

-18.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.70 ₡1,661

-25.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$1.27 ₡568

20.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.03 ₡911

-5.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.64 ₡733

-75.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.75 ₡3,923

18.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.46 ₡656

45.89%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$22.2K ₡10.0M

21.96%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.1K ₡15.8M

3.23%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$36.06 ₡16.2K

422.19%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$26.07 ₡11.7K

-21.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$54.7 ₡24.5K

-18.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-24.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.82 ₡3,506

52.81%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$982 ₡440.4K

-35.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-35.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$70.7 ₡31.7K

44.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$44.20 ₡19.8K

30.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$129 ₡57.9K

-2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$99.8 ₡44.7K

28.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$795 ₡356.5K

-9.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$630 ₡282.6K

-9.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,902 ₡853.1K

-39.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,243 ₡557.7K

-17.72%

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

$1,209 ₡542.1K

2.96%

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 Guadalupe: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Guadalupe

$630 39.5% 11% $62

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Guadalupe

$395 24.8% 19% $63

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Guadalupe

$195 12.2% 27.5% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Guadalupe

$117 7.3% 53.9% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Guadalupe

$155 9.7% 16.9% $32

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Guadalupe

$15 * 1% 81.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Guadalupe

$87 5.5% 12% $9.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $795 in Guadalupe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $33.00 in Guadalupe. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $395 in Guadalupe – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Guadalupe

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

23,000

💱 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 Guadalupe 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Guadalupe

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 Guadalupe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo, $1,594 in Guadalupe – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $2,391 in Guadalupe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $33.00 in Guadalupe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Montevideo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Guadalupe, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Guadalupe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,594 in Guadalupe to $1,771 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Guadalupe. 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.