Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Guayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Guayama: $1,266 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Guayama
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,266
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Guayama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,266 in Guayama.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Guayama $1,266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,989 in Guayama.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Guayama $1,989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $2,711 in Guayama.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Guayama $2,711

Living in Montevideo is roughly 40% more expensive than in Guayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Guayama is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 609
$19.36 $19.36
-21.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,776
$83.2 $83.2
-16.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 588
$9.04 $9.04
62.06%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$3.70 $3.70
20.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$1.86 $1.86
43.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.4
$1.46 $1.46
36.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$3.02 $3.02
59.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 152
$5.01 $5.01
-24.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.8
$2.13 $2.13
-36.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$2.80 $2.80
2.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.2
$2.37 $2.37
-26.16%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$4.70 $4.70
-0.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 557
$11.26 $11.26
23.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 481
$9.86 $9.86
21.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 480
$8.55 $8.55
40.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 111
$2.19 $2.19
26.94%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$2.55 $2.55
7.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.2
$4.93 $4.93
-64.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$4.95 $4.95
-34.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.2
$3.85 $3.85
-48.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$3.84 $3.84
-46.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.1
$3.50 $3.50
-60.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.3
$1.67 $1.67
12.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 224
$11.88 $11.88
-52.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 352
$15.37 $15.37
-42.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.9
$3.07 $3.07
-26.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 110
$3.94 $3.94
-30.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.5
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,980
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.7
$2.54 $2.54
-24.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.18
$0.94 $0.94
-57.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
$41.78 $41.78
-75.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$1.18 $1.18
80.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
$39.6K $39.6K
-31.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
$27.5K $27.5K
31.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,557
$317 $317
-40.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 824
$70.2 $70.2
-70.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,798
$68.4 $68.4
-34.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,166
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 793
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 480
$10.40 $10.40
14.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$818 $818
-22.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
$12.3K $12.3K
-10.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,099
$56.1 $56.1
82.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,309
$62.1 $62.1
-7.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,079
$109 $109
16.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,131
$113 $113
12.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.8K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Guayama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.55
-12.37%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guayama: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Guayama
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Guayama
$364 9.8% $33
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Guayama
$265 1.6% $4.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Guayama
$456 79.6% $202
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Guayama
$153 17.7% $33
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Guayama
$7.3 * 91.4% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Guayama
$21 * 73.3% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $83.0 in Guayama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $364 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇵🇷 Guayama
🕒 Local time
19:26 7:26 PM
18:26 6:26 PM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
18,797
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Guayama 5,970 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Guayama

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 Guayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Montevideo and in Guayama?
Montevideo and Guayama differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,771 vs $1,266 including rent). Guayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Montevideo compared to Guayama?
You'd need roughly $2,656 in Montevideo and $1,899 in Guayama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montevideo and Guayama?
Childcare runs $634 in Montevideo versus $818 in Guayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Guayama – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,266 in Guayama versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guayama but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Guayama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Montevideo and Guayama?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Montevideo or Guayama safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Guayama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Montevideo or Guayama?
Expats usually find Guayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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