Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,099 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Johnson City, TN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Johnson City, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,099
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $2,099 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Johnson City, TN $2,099

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $3,126 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Johnson City, TN $3,126

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $4,153 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Johnson City, TN $4,153

Montevideo is about 16% cheaper than Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montevideo and Johnson City, TN sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Johnson City, TN by 55%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 609
$14.27 $14.27
6.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,776
$54.1 $54.1
27.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 588
$9.89 $9.89
48.13%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$5.32 $5.32
-16.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$2.94 $2.94
-9.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.4
$1.95 $1.95
2.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$4.90 $4.90
-1.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 152
$5.86 $5.86
-35.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.8
$1.01 $1.01
34.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$3.92 $3.92
-26.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.2
$3.87 $3.87
-54.78%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$3.20 $3.20
46.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 557
$7.31 $7.31
89.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 481
$13.57 $13.57
-11.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 480
$12.99 $12.99
-7.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 111
$7.75 $7.75
-64.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.79 $1.79
53.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.2
$3.94 $3.94
-55.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$3.61 $3.61
-10.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.2
$3.50 $3.50
-43.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$4.20 $4.20
-50.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.1
$2.24 $2.24
-38.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.3
$2.31 $2.31
-18.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 224
$8.06 $8.06
-30.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 352
$13.10 $13.10
-32.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.9
$1.70 $1.70
32.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 110
$4.42 $4.42
-37.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.5
$2.46 $2.46
-37.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,980
$37.08 $37.08
100.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.7
$5.37 $5.37
-64.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.18
$1.48 $1.48
-72.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
$15.07 $15.07
-31.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$0.88 $0.88
142.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
$32.1K $32.1K
-15.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
$21.7K $21.7K
67.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,557
$176 $176
6.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 824
$52.0 $52.0
-60.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,798
$63.3 $63.3
-29.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,166
$47.50 $47.50
13.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 793
$19.61 $19.61
0.71%
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 480
$11.77 $11.77
1.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$1,224 $1,224
-48.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
$14.6K $14.6K
-24.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,099
$36.93 $36.93
176.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,309
$30.74 $30.74
87.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,079
$86.9 $86.9
45.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,131
$95.3 $95.3
34.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.8K
$1,085 $1,085
-33.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
$912 $912
-37.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
$2,031 $2,031
-43.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
$1,583 $1,583
-35.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
$2,201 $2,201
54.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
$2,159 $2,159
-9.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
$3,505 $3,505
-64.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.49
-11.56%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Johnson City, TN
$912 60.6% $344
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Johnson City, TN
$389 17.3% $57
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Johnson City, TN
$263 2.1% $5.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Johnson City, TN
$291 14.9% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Johnson City, TN
$112 39.7% $74
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Johnson City, TN
$60 29.2% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Johnson City, TN
$71 8.8% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $1,085 in Johnson City, TN. 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 182% higher in Johnson City, TN, 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 $54.0 in Johnson City, TN. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $389 in Johnson City, TN – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN
🕒 Local time
08:52 8:52 AM
07:52 7:52 AM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
66,027
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Johnson City, TN 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Johnson City, TN cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $3,148 in Johnson City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Montevideo or in Johnson City, TN?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $54.0 in Johnson City, TN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Montevideo and in Johnson City, TN?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,771 in Montevideo and $2,099 in Johnson City, TN. That's a gap of about 19%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Johnson City, TN?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Johnson City, TN at $2,099. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johnson City, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montevideo or Johnson City, TN more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Montevideo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Montevideo or Johnson City, TN?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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