Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Hays, KS

For one person, living costs are similar in Montevideo and in Hays, KS: $1,784 and $1,737 a month, rent and utilities included.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,784
/mo nomad
Hays, KS
🇺🇸 United States
$1,737
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Hays, KS

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Montevideo vs $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,784
  • Hays, KS $1,737

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Montevideo vs $2,467 in Hays, KS, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,756
  • Hays, KS $2,467

A family of three spends $3,728 per month in Montevideo vs $3,198 in Hays, KS, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,728
  • Hays, KS $3,198

Montevideo costs about 3% more than Hays, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montevideo and Hays, KS sit above the global median – Montevideo by 32%, Hays, KS by 28%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.82 UYU 595
$13.33 $13.33
11.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.7 UYU 2,797
$43.87 $43.87
58.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.68 UYU 589
$8.11 $8.11
81.01%
Cappuccino
$4.65 UYU 186
$3.98 $3.98
16.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 UYU 110
$2.39 $2.39
14.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 UYU 82.9
$1.02 $1.02
102.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.79 UYU 192
$3.85 $3.85
24.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 UYU 146
$4.33 $4.33
-16.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 UYU 55.8
$0.76 $0.76
82.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 UYU 116
$2.26 $2.26
27.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 UYU 68.1
$4.46 $4.46
-61.88%
Eggs
$4.62 UYU 185
$2.06 $2.06
124.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.22 UYU 571
$4.46 $4.46
218.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.62 UYU 466
$8.93 $8.93
30.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 UYU 491
$13.33 $13.33
-8.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 UYU 111
$6.04 $6.04
-54.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.85 UYU 114
$1.64 $1.64
73.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 UYU 72.5
$5.06 $5.06
-64.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 UYU 129
$4.42 $4.42
-27.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 UYU 77.8
$2.93 $2.93
-33.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 UYU 86.5
$2.17 $2.17
-0.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 UYU 57.3
$1.97 $1.97
-27.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 UYU 77.9
$2.03 $2.03
-4.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.47 UYU 219
$9.68 $9.68
-43.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.95 UYU 359
$12.15 $12.15
-26.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.8
$2.23 $2.23
1.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 UYU 113
$3.85 $3.85
-27.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.56 UYU 62.6
$2.01 $2.01
-22.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 UYU 2,962
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 UYU 76.2
$2.43 $2.43
-21.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 UYU 17.36
$1.57 $1.57
-72.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.59 UYU 425
$39.71 $39.71
-73.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 UYU 85.2
$0.92 $0.92
130.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
$28.1K $28.1K
-4.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K UYU 1.5M
$26.0K $26.0K
42.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$193 UYU 7,727
$269 $269
-28.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.91 UYU 839
$34.85 $34.85
-40.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.89 UYU 1,802
$68.8 $68.8
-34.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 UYU 2,038
$45.17 $45.17
12.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.73 UYU 792
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.30 UYU 494
$15.21 $15.21
-19.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$629 UYU 25.2K
$922 $922
-31.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K UYU 437.3K
$15.7K $15.7K
-30.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 UYU 4,166
$23.68 $23.68
338.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 UYU 2,305
$31.82 $31.82
80.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 UYU 5,010
$110 $110
13.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 UYU 5,315
$138 $138
-4.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$713 UYU 28.6K
$793 $793
-10.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
$589 $589
-2.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 UYU 46.7K
$1,034 $1,034
12.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 UYU 41.5K
$895 $895
15.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,418 UYU 137.2K
$2,386 $2,386
43.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,760 UYU 70.6K
$2,615 $2,615
-32.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Hays, KS
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,244 UYU 49.9K
$2,386 $2,386
-47.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.65
-13.68%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Hays, KS
$589 2.3% $13
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$334
Hays, KS
$325 2.5% $8.3
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Hays, KS
$220 18.1% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$258
Hays, KS
$372 44.1% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$188
Hays, KS
$136 27.6% $52
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Hays, KS
$18 * 78.2% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$75
Hays, KS
$76 0.3% $0.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $713 in Montevideo versus $793 in Hays, KS. 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 92% higher in Hays, KS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montevideo versus $44.00 in Hays, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $325 – making Hays, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Hays, KS
🕒 Local time
09:23 9:23 AM
07:23 7:23 AM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
19,726
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Hays, KS 9,330 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Hays, KS

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 Hays, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hays, KS cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Montevideo and $2,605 in Hays, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hays, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Montevideo or in Hays, KS?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montevideo and $44.00 in Hays, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Montevideo and in Hays, KS?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Hays, KS?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hays, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,737, than in Montevideo at $1,784. In Hays, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montevideo or Hays, KS more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Hays, KS – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Montevideo or Hays, KS?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Hays, KS. 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.

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