Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Higuey

For one person, living is cheaper in Higuey: $912 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Higuey
Learn more

Higuey Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Higuey

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Higuey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $912 in Higuey.

Montevideo $1,771
Higuey $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,784 in Montevideo versus $1,495 in Higuey.

Montevideo $2,784
Higuey $1,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,797 in Montevideo versus $2,078 in Higuey.

Montevideo $3,797
Higuey $2,078

Living in Montevideo is roughly 94% more expensive than in Higuey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 30% above, Higuey is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.63 UYU 629

$9.75 DOP 597

60.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 UYU 2,812

$50.0 DOP 3,064

39.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 UYU 584

$7.46 DOP 457

94.50%

Cappuccino

$4.43 UYU 178

$1.99 DOP 122

122.61%

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

$2.49 UYU 100

$1.04 DOP 63.9

139.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 UYU 78.5

$0.51 DOP 31.17

282.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 UYU 192

$2.51 DOP 154

90.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 148

$3.17 DOP 194

15.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UYU 50.6

$1.19 DOP 73.1

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 UYU 120

$1.57 DOP 96.2

89.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 UYU 70.1

$1.35 DOP 82.8

28.89%

Eggs

$4.80 UYU 193

$1.95 DOP 119

146.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 UYU 565

$7.30 DOP 447

92.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 UYU 457

$5.29 DOP 324

114.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$6.56 DOP 402

85.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$3.00 DOP 183

-8.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 UYU 114

$0.70 DOP 43.08

304.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 UYU 65.4

$1.46 DOP 89.1

11.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 UYU 128

$1.29 DOP 79.0

146.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 UYU 81.1

$1.16 DOP 71.0

74.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 UYU 85.5

$1.11 DOP 68.2

91.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 UYU 56.0

$0.59 DOP 36.00

135.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 78.2

$0.47 DOP 28.95

312.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 UYU 215

$5.38 DOP 330

-0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 UYU 334

$10.11 DOP 619

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 UYU 94.3

$2.42 DOP 148

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 UYU 113

$2.87 DOP 176

-2.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 UYU 62.4

$0.81 DOP 49.35

91.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.9 UYU 3,013

$49.72 DOP 3,045

50.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.9

$3.32 DOP 203

-42.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.55

$2.26 DOP 139

-81.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.38 UYU 417

$5.84 DOP 358

77.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 UYU 89.5

$1.36 DOP 83.5

63.97%

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

$26.5K UYU 1.1M

$24.8K DOP 1.5M

7.03%

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

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

$30.7K DOP 1.9M

16.75%

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

$184 UYU 7,392

$90.5 DOP 5,540

103.18%

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

$20.15 UYU 810

$16.40 DOP 1,004

22.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.24 UYU 1,739

$32.65 DOP 2,000

32.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 UYU 1,949

$24.74 DOP 1,515

95.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.71 UYU 792

$65.4 DOP 4,003

-69.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 UYU 487

$7.38 DOP 452

64.09%

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

$636 UYU 25.6K

$98.6 DOP 6,039

544.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 442.1K

$2,173 DOP 133.1K

405.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 UYU 4,050

$44.71 DOP 2,738

125.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 UYU 2,289

$45.17 DOP 2,766

26.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 UYU 4,937

$86.2 DOP 5,279

42.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,241

$79.6 DOP 4,873

63.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 UYU 30.0K

$289 DOP 17.7K

158.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 UYU 23.3K

$209 DOP 12.8K

177.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

$566 DOP 34.6K

126.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 UYU 45.2K

$401 DOP 24.6K

180.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 UYU 146.9K

$1,809 DOP 110.8K

101.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 UYU 81.6K

$1,240 DOP 75.9K

63.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

$434 DOP 26.6K

195.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

11.5

-50.87%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Higuey: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$581 32.8%

Higuey

$209 22.9% 64% $371

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$330 18.6%

Higuey

$192 21.1% 41.8% $138

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.3%

Higuey

$149 16.4% 44.8% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$247 14%

Higuey

$140 15.3% 43.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$185 10.4%

Higuey

$115 12.6% 37.8% $70

Getting Around

Montevideo

$85 4.8%

Higuey

$68 7.4% 20.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$73 4.1%

Higuey

$40 4.3% 45.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $747 in Montevideo and $289 in Higuey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Montevideo vs $50 in Higuey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $192 per month, with Higuey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇩🇴 Higuey

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

123,787

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.23 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.77 UYU (100 UYU = 2.23 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 61.24 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.17 DOP (100 DOP = 1.47 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Higuey 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Higuey

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 Higuey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Higuey is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Montevideo is about 3 times higher, 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: $747 in Montevideo versus $289 in Higuey. 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 $912 in Higuey – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Higuey runs roughly 34% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your 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 Higuey 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 Higuey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.