Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
Learn more

Hamilton Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Hamilton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,237 in Hamilton.

Montevideo $1,813
Hamilton $2,237

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $3,267 in Hamilton.

Montevideo $2,782
Hamilton $3,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $4,297 in Hamilton.

Montevideo $3,750
Hamilton $4,297

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 19% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 35% above, Hamilton 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$17.65 CA$25.16

-13.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$60.7 CA$86.5

11.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$11.96 CA$17.05

20.15%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$3.48 CA$4.96

33.33%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$2.15 CA$3.06

26.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$1.64 CA$2.34

27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$4.87 CA$6.95

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$6.13 CA$8.74

-40.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$2.17 CA$3.09

-36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$2.23 CA$3.17

24.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$2.54 CA$3.62

-33.46%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$3.20 CA$4.55

41.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$7.91 CA$11.27

79.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$10.76 CA$15.34

12.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$13.64 CA$19.44

-10.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$3.82 CA$5.45

-24.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.21 CA$1.73

127.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$4.04 CA$5.76

-57.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.80 CA$5.42

-14.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.33 CA$3.32

-11.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.58 CA$2.25

31.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$2.17 CA$3.09

-36.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$1.30 CA$1.85

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$12.33 CA$17.58

-54.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$13.26 CA$18.90

-32.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$2.45 CA$3.49

-6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$3.37 CA$4.81

-19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$2.49 CA$3.55

-38.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$85.6 CA$122

-13.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$3.40 CA$4.85

-46.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$1.23 CA$1.75

-67.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$23.37 CA$33.32

-54.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$1.19 CA$1.70

86.55%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$27.5K CA$39.2K

-2.85%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$19.9K CA$28.3K

84.79%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$149 CA$212

28.04%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$41.14 CA$58.7

-50.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$49.32 CA$70.3

-10.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$37.18 CA$53.0

45.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$17.33 CA$24.71

13.56%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$10.19 CA$14.52

21.00%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$597 CA$852

2.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$16.2K CA$23.1K

-31.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$48.29 CA$68.8

112.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$30.75 CA$43.83

82.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$86.2 CA$123

44.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$115 CA$163

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$1,263 CA$1,801

-44.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$1,135 CA$1,617

-49.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$2,006 CA$2,859

-43.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$1,869 CA$2,664

-45.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$2,659 CA$3,790

25.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$2,694 CA$3,840

-27.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$2,896 CA$4,128

-57.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

4.6

24.78%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2% 97.2% $559

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Hamilton

$327 14.5% 1.7% $5.6

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Hamilton

$271 12% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Hamilton

$240 10.6% 6.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Hamilton

$126 5.6% 32.3% $60

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Hamilton

$105 4.7% 25.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Hamilton

$58 2.6% 27% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 136% 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 $61.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $327 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

00:03 12:03 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

519,949

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Hamilton 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in transport and utilities. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 136% lower in Hamilton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $705 in Montevideo versus $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $613 in Montevideo versus $597 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,813 in Montevideo versus $2,237 in Hamilton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Hamilton 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 Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.