Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Isabela

For one person, living is cheaper in Isabela: $1,271 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Isabela
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Isabela Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Isabela

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,271

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Isabela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $1,271 in Isabela.

Montevideo $1,771
Isabela $1,271

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,989 in Isabela.

Montevideo $2,740
Isabela $1,989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $2,707 in Isabela.

Montevideo $3,708
Isabela $2,707

Living in Montevideo is roughly 39% more expensive than in Isabela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Isabela is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$19.06 $19.06

-20.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$82.1 $82.1

-15.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$9.24 $9.24

58.55%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.67 $3.67

21.53%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.89 $1.89

41.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.47 $1.47

36.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.09 $3.09

56.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$5.07 $5.07

-25.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.94 $1.94

-29.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.89 $2.89

-0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.22 $1.22

43.44%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.95 $2.95

58.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$11.08 $11.08

25.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$6.56 $6.56

82.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$13.14 $13.14

-8.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$4.30 $4.30

-35.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.54 $2.54

7.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$5.00 $5.00

-64.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$4.89 $4.89

-33.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.89 $3.89

-49.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.94 $3.94

-47.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$3.37 $3.37

-59.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.58 $1.58

18.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$12.06 $12.06

-53.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$15.85 $15.85

-44.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$3.14 $3.14

-28.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.98 $3.98

-30.90%

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

$2.55 $2.55

-25.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.53 $1.53

-73.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$41.80 $41.80

-75.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$0.82 $0.82

159.76%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$40.2K $40.2K

-32.49%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$27.7K $27.7K

30.71%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$326 $326

-42.23%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$68.5 $68.5

-70.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$70.6 $70.6

-36.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$10.54 $10.54

13.38%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$814 $814

-22.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$12.5K $12.5K

-11.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$57.2 $57.2

78.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$60.9 $60.9

-5.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$107 $107

17.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$115 $115

11.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.55

-12.37%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Isabela: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Isabela

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Isabela

$359 28.2% 8.2% $27

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Isabela

$263 20.7% 2.2% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Isabela

$465 36.6% 83.3% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Isabela

$153 12% 17.9% $33

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Isabela

$10 * 0.8% 87.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Isabela

$21 * 1.7% 72.9% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $82.0 in Isabela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $359 per month, with Montevideo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇵🇷 Isabela

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

16:59 4:59 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

45,000

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Isabela 6,050 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Isabela

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 Isabela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isabela wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isabela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,656 in Montevideo and $1,907 in Isabela to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $634 in Montevideo versus $814 in Isabela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Isabela – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Isabela versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isabela but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Isabela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isabela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,271 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isabela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Isabela 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 Isabela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.