Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Harlingen, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Harlingen, TX: $1,492 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. The total is higher in Montevideo despite lower rent and utilities.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Harlingen, TX
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Harlingen, TX Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Harlingen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Harlingen, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,492 in Harlingen, TX.

Montevideo $1,771
Harlingen, TX $1,492

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,876 in Harlingen, TX.

Montevideo $2,740
Harlingen, TX $1,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $2,259 in Harlingen, TX.

Montevideo $3,708
Harlingen, TX $2,259

Living in Montevideo is roughly 19% more expensive than in Harlingen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 31% above, Harlingen, TX 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$12.27 $12.27

23.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$46.71 $46.71

48.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$9.11 $9.11

60.81%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$4.99 $4.99

-10.62%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.00 $2.00

33.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$2.00 $2.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$6.03 $6.03

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.54 $4.54

-16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$0.96 $0.96

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.52 $3.52

32.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.32 $1.32

107.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.03 $1.03

106.80%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$199 $199

-5.40%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$99.1 $99.1

-79.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$49.44 $49.44

-9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$836 $836

-13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$873 $873

-34.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,385 $1,385

-17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,015 $1,015

0.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$1,886 $1,886

79.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$1,869 $1,869

4.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$4,030 $4,030

-69.11%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Harlingen, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Harlingen, TX

$873 58.5% 53.7% $305

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Harlingen, TX

$32 * 2.1% 90.5% $300

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Harlingen, TX

$241 16.1% 10.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Harlingen, TX

$348 23.3% 37% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

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 $836 in Harlingen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlingen, TX pays 224% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $47.00 in Harlingen, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $32.00 per month, with Harlingen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇺🇸 Harlingen, TX

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

71,829

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Harlingen, TX 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Harlingen, TX

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 Harlingen, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harlingen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Harlingen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 224% lower in Harlingen, TX. 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: $719 in Montevideo versus $836 in Harlingen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $1,492 in Harlingen, TX – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 947% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,492 in Harlingen, TX versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Harlingen, TX but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Harlingen, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Harlingen, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,492 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Harlingen, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Harlingen, TX 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 Harlingen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.