Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Isla Mujeres

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla Mujeres: $1,087 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Isla Mujeres
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Isla Mujeres Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Isla Mujeres

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,087

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Isla Mujeres

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,087 in Isla Mujeres.

Montevideo $1,813
Isla Mujeres $1,087

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $1,747 in Isla Mujeres.

Montevideo $2,782
Isla Mujeres $1,747

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $2,407 in Isla Mujeres.

Montevideo $3,750
Isla Mujeres $2,407

Living in Montevideo is roughly 67% more expensive than in Isla Mujeres, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 35% above, Isla Mujeres is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$10.60 MX$193

43.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,710

$39.12 MX$714

72.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 577

$8.06 MX$147

78.29%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 186

$3.38 MX$61.8

37.28%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.24 MX$22.59

120.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 83.9

$0.96 MX$17.61

117.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.24 MX$40.87

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.80 MX$69.3

-3.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.43 MX$26.12

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 111

$2.64 MX$48.25

4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$1.57 MX$28.74

7.64%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$2.38 MX$43.51

89.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$8.23 MX$150

72.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$8.00 MX$146

50.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$10.78 MX$197

12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.72 MX$49.58

5.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.40 MX$25.58

96.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$1.78 MX$32.53

-2.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.65 MX$30.19

96.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$1.84 MX$33.66

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.93 MX$35.22

7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.26 MX$22.92

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$0.97 MX$17.72

90.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$4.27 MX$78.0

30.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$10.66 MX$195

-16.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.1

$1.55 MX$28.30

47.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.74 MX$50.0

-1.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.2

$0.66 MX$11.98

130.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,960

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

$2.65 MX$48.47

-31.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.04

$1.52 MX$27.81

-73.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$8.37 MX$153

27.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.1

$1.33 MX$24.25

66.92%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$21.2K MX$387.4K

26.05%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$22.8K MX$416.8K

60.94%

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

$191 UYU 7,669

$56.0 MX$1,023

240.60%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$22.35 MX$408

-8.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,774

$27.89 MX$509

58.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,176

$36.84 MX$673

46.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$16.02 MX$292

22.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$4.68 MX$85.4

163.46%

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

$206 MX$3,758

197.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.0K

$3,587 MX$65.5K

208.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,131

$53.9 MX$984

90.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,253

$39.65 MX$724

41.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,997

$89.3 MX$1,630

39.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,211

$77.9 MX$1,423

66.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.3K

$518 MX$9,466

36.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$390 MX$7,123

47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$923 MX$16.9K

23.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$762 MX$13.9K

33.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$1,785 MX$32.6K

87.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

$1,153 MX$21.1K

68.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.48

-50.00%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Isla Mujeres: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Isla Mujeres

$390 35.4% 32.2% $185

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Isla Mujeres

$252 22.8% 24.3% $81

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Isla Mujeres

$177 16.1% 34.7% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Isla Mujeres

$106 9.7% 58.4% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Isla Mujeres

$117 10.7% 36.9% $68

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Isla Mujeres

$13 * 1.2% 84.6% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Isla Mujeres

$46 4.2% 41.4% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $518 in Isla Mujeres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Montevideo vs $39.00 in Isla Mujeres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $252 per month, with Isla Mujeres cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

03:41 3:41 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

13,174

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 40.18 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Isla Mujeres 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Isla Mujeres

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 Isla Mujeres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Isla Mujeres differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,813 vs $1,087 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,720 in Montevideo and $1,631 in Isla Mujeres 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $705 in Montevideo versus $518 in Isla Mujeres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $1,087 in Isla Mujeres – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,087 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres the clear choice for anyone on this 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 Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.