Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Huancayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Huancayo: $487 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Huancayo
🇵🇪 Peru
$487
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Huancayo

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $487 in Huancayo, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Huancayo $487

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $823 in Huancayo, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Huancayo $823

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,159 in Huancayo, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Huancayo $1,159

Montevideo costs about 263% more than Huancayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Huancayo is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 609
$2.36 PEN 8.09
542.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,776
$34.22 PEN 118
102.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 588
$7.15 PEN 24.54
104.90%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$3.19 PEN 10.97
39.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$1.06 PEN 3.64
151.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.4
$0.62 PEN 2.12
222.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$2.64 PEN 9.08
82.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 152
$4.44 PEN 15.25
-14.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.8
$1.15 PEN 3.95
18.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$1.01 PEN 3.46
184.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.2
$1.36 PEN 4.68
28.68%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$2.42 PEN 8.32
93.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 557
$5.35 PEN 18.38
159.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 481
$5.96 PEN 20.47
101.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 480
$5.17 PEN 17.75
131.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 111
$1.41 PEN 4.83
97.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.03 PEN 3.55
166.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.2
$0.56 PEN 1.91
216.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$1.19 PEN 4.10
172.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.2
$0.84 PEN 2.87
134.52%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$0.91 PEN 3.14
127.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.1
$0.60 PEN 2.08
128.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.3
$0.83 PEN 2.85
126.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 224
$5.73 PEN 19.67
-2.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 352
$5.11 PEN 17.54
71.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.9
$1.85 PEN 6.35
22.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 110
$3.11 PEN 10.69
-11.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.5
$0.60 PEN 2.05
155.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,980
$17.32 PEN 59.5
328.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.7
$1.85 PEN 6.35
3.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.18
$2.05 PEN 7.05
-80.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
$7.08 PEN 24.33
45.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$1.47 PEN 5.05
44.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
$22.2K PEN 76.2K
22.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
42.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,557
$34.54 PEN 119
445.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 824
$11.79 PEN 40.49
74.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,798
$11.69 PEN 40.14
283.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,166
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 793
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 480
$7.44 PEN 25.55
60.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$181 PEN 621
251.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
$13.3K PEN 45.7K
-16.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,099
$52.9 PEN 182
93.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,309
$35.47 PEN 122
62.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,079
$84.6 PEN 290
49.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,131
$78.7 PEN 270
62.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.8K
$321 PEN 1,103
123.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Huancayo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
8.94
-35.79%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Huancayo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Huancayo
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Huancayo
$162 51.2% $170
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Huancayo
$107 60.1% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Huancayo
$58 77.1% $196
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Huancayo
$113 39.2% $73
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Huancayo
$32 62.3% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Huancayo
$15 * 80.9% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $321 in Huancayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $34.00 in Huancayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $162 – making Huancayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇵🇪 Huancayo
🕒 Local time
09:49 9:49 AM
07:49 7:49 AM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
27,552
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Huancayo 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Huancayo

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 Huancayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montevideo or Huancayo?
Montevideo costs about 263% more than Huancayo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Montevideo and in Huancayo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $731 in Huancayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Montevideo or Huancayo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Huancayo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Montevideo compared to Huancayo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,771 in Montevideo and $487 in Huancayo. That's a gap of about 263%.
How expensive is transport in Montevideo compared to Huancayo?
Public transport costs about 329% less in Huancayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montevideo or in Huancayo?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Huancayo, where all-in costs run around $487, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Huancayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montevideo or Huancayo?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Huancayo costs $487 versus $1,771 in Montevideo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Montevideo compared to Huancayo?
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.
Should I move to Montevideo or to Huancayo?
If budget matters most, go with Huancayo. 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.

Montevideo vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?