Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Havana

For one person, living is cheaper in Havana: $860 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Havana
Learn more

Havana Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Havana

🇨🇺 Cuba

$860

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Havana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $860 in Havana.

Montevideo $1,771
Havana $860

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,388 in Havana.

Montevideo $2,740
Havana $1,388

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $1,916 in Havana.

Montevideo $3,708
Havana $1,916

Living in Montevideo is roughly 106% more expensive than in Havana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Havana is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$3.59 CUP 86.3

322.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$27.63 CUP 663

150.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$4.88 CUP 117

200.20%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$1.06 CUP 25.42

320.75%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.51 CUP 36.33

76.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.99 CUP 23.80

102.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.24 CUP 29.66

289.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$2.05 CUP 49.10

85.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.68 CUP 64.3

-49.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.22 CUP 29.26

135.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.76 CUP 42.35

-0.57%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.50 CUP 83.9

33.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$4.52 CUP 108

207.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$4.66 CUP 112

157.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$8.56 CUP 205

39.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$6.20 CUP 149

-55.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.02 CUP 24.55

168.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$3.83 CUP 92.0

-53.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.24 CUP 53.8

44.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$2.93 CUP 70.2

-32.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.74 CUP 65.7

-24.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.72 CUP 17.33

90.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.57 CUP 13.60

229.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$1.61 CUP 38.72

247.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$5.37 CUP 129

63.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.77 CUP 42.38

27.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.05 CUP 49.30

34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.63 CUP 15.17

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$22.13 CUP 531

235.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.63 CUP 63.1

-27.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$0.33 CUP 7.98

21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$19.63 CUP 471

-47.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.27 CUP 30.50

67.72%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$60.4K CUP 1.5M

-55.13%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$59.1K CUP 1.4M

-38.65%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$46.62 CUP 1,119

303.90%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$39.24 CUP 942

-47.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$89.3 CUP 2,144

-49.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$16.35 CUP 392

230.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$12.84 CUP 308

53.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$0.83 CUP 19.99

1339.76%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$156 CUP 3,752

305.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$12.5K CUP 298.9K

-11.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$52.2 CUP 1,253

95.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$41.71 CUP 1,001

37.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$80.0 CUP 1,919

58.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$67.6 CUP 1,623

89.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$246 CUP 5,911

191.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$219 CUP 5,245

159.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$872 CUP 20.9K

31.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$508 CUP 12.2K

101.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$314 CUP 7,545

979.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$407 CUP 9,762

379.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$29.60 CUP 710

4105.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

9.1

-36.92%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Havana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Havana

$219 25.4% 61.5% $349

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Havana

$234 27.2% 29.5% $98

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Havana

$76 8.9% 71.6% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Havana

$175 20.4% 30.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Havana

$109 12.6% 41.7% $78

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Havana

$29 3.4% 65.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Havana

$18 2.1% 76.9% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Montevideo and $246 in Havana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 4105% 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: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $28.00 in Havana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $234 per month, with Havana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇺 Havana

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

17:45 5:45 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

2,141,993 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

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).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Havana 7,020 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Havana

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 Havana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Havana differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($1,771 vs $860 including rent). Havana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4105% 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: $719 in Montevideo versus $246 in Havana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Havana – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $860 in Havana – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $860 in Havana versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Havana but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Havana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Havana 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 Havana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.