Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Iquitos

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $663 in Iquitos, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Iquitos $663

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,185 in Iquitos, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Iquitos $1,185

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,707 in Iquitos, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Iquitos $1,707

Montevideo costs about 167% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Iquitos is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$4.31 PEN 14.81

251.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$38.44 PEN 132

79.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$7.30 PEN 25.06

100.68%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.57 PEN 12.26

24.93%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.85 PEN 2.92

214.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.56 PEN 1.91

257.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.82 PEN 9.69

71.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$7.41 PEN 25.45

-48.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.76 PEN 6.05

-22.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.30 PEN 7.91

24.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.56 PEN 8.80

82.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$3.28 PEN 11.26

265.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

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

$0.89 PEN 3.07

111.24%

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

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

$34.73 PEN 119

442.18%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$11.34 PEN 38.95

81.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$8.74 PEN 30.03

412.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$29.05 PEN 99.8

85.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$8.75 PEN 30.06

125.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$5.64 PEN 19.37

111.88%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$2,789 PEN 9,576

296.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$87.7 PEN 301

16.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$35.24 PEN 121

63.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$52.9 PEN 182

139.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$26.21 PEN 90.0

387.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$343 PEN 1,180

109.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$265 PEN 909

114.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$882 PEN 3,029

29.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$712 PEN 2,445

43.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$573 PEN 1,968

117.23%

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 Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $343 in Iquitos. 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 117% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $38.00 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $78.0 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

18:38 6:38 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

32,853

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, 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).

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).

USD to UYU in detail →

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Between locations

Montevideo Iquitos 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 167%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $994 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 325% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $38.00 in Iquitos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $663, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iquitos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. 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.