Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Jaco Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,447 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
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Jaco Beach Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Jaco Beach

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $1,447 in Jaco Beach.

Montevideo $1,784
Jaco Beach $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $2,313 in Jaco Beach.

Montevideo $2,756
Jaco Beach $2,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $3,180 in Jaco Beach.

Montevideo $3,728
Jaco Beach $3,180

Living in Montevideo is roughly 23% more expensive than in Jaco Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 32% above, Jaco Beach 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$11.77 ₡5,278

25.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$43.49 ₡19.5K

60.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$10.05 ₡4,505

46.07%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$3.94 ₡1,768

18.02%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.38 ₡1,065

15.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$1.86 ₡833

11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$3.29 ₡1,475

45.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$4.33 ₡1,943

-16.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$1.90 ₡853

-26.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$2.22 ₡997

30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$2.43 ₡1,092

-30.04%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$2.61 ₡1,171

77.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$10.62 ₡4,764

33.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$9.19 ₡4,123

26.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$11.90 ₡5,338

2.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$5.08 ₡2,278

-45.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$1.66 ₡742

71.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$4.53 ₡2,033

-60.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$3.54 ₡1,590

-9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$1.56 ₡701

24.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$1.42 ₡637

52.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$1.01 ₡454

41.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$1.99 ₡894

-2.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$5.79 ₡2,598

-5.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$14.20 ₡6,366

-36.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$2.65 ₡1,188

-14.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$2.26 ₡1,012

24.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$2.42 ₡1,087

-21.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$1.55 ₡696

-72.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$8.91 ₡3,994

18.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$1.55 ₡696

36.77%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-21.52%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$41.6K ₡18.7M

-11.13%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$80.2 ₡36.0K

139.96%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$24.70 ₡11.1K

-15.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$46.61 ₡20.9K

-3.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

$53.3 ₡23.9K

-4.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$7.57 ₡3,395

62.48%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$492 ₡220.8K

27.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$7,283 ₡3.3M

49.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$24.70 ₡11.1K

320.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$57.2 ₡25.6K

0.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$131 ₡58.8K

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$133 ₡59.5K

-0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

$766 ₡343.4K

-6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$520 ₡233.2K

10.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

$1,987 ₡891.0K

-41.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

$1,113 ₡499.1K

-7.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

$399 ₡178.8K

212.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

Jaco Beach

$520 35.9% 9.6% $55

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

Jaco Beach

$328 22.7% 1.7% $5.8

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

Jaco Beach

$214 14.8% 20.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

Jaco Beach

$152 10.5% 41.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

Jaco Beach

$156 10.8% 17.4% $33

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Jaco Beach

$10 * 0.7% 87.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

Jaco Beach

$68 4.7% 9.2% $7

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 $713 in Montevideo and $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 212% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $43.00 in Jaco Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $328 per month, with Jaco Beach cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

16:17 4:17 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Jaco Beach 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Jaco Beach

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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Montevideo, 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: $713 in Montevideo versus $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $629 in Montevideo versus $492 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $70.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Jaco Beach versus $1,784 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jaco Beach but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Jaco Beach the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jaco Beach is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montevideo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Jaco Beach 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 Jaco Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.