Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Joplin, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,032 in Joplin, MO, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Joplin, MO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Joplin, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,032
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Joplin, MO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,032 in Joplin, MO.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Joplin, MO $2,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $2,801 in Joplin, MO.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Joplin, MO $2,801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $3,571 in Joplin, MO.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Joplin, MO $3,571

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 13% less than in Joplin, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 31% above, Joplin, MO 50% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 609
$14.74 $14.74
2.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,776
$59.6 $59.6
16.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 588
$10.69 $10.69
37.04%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$4.59 $4.59
-2.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$1.96 $1.96
36.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.4
$1.92 $1.92
4.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$4.87 $4.87
-0.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 152
$6.14 $6.14
-38.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.8
$0.91 $0.91
49.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$2.79 $2.79
2.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.2
$2.16 $2.16
-18.98%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$3.30 $3.30
41.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 557
$8.99 $8.99
54.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 481
$7.02 $7.02
70.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 480
$17.27 $17.27
-30.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 111
$3.91 $3.91
-28.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.19 $1.19
130.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.2
$2.49 $2.49
-28.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$2.12 $2.12
52.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.2
$1.23 $1.23
60.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$2.32 $2.32
-10.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.1
$1.90 $1.90
-27.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.3
$2.17 $2.17
-13.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 224
$9.64 $9.64
-42.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 352
$15.13 $15.13
-41.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.9
$1.78 $1.78
26.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 110
$1.48 $1.48
85.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.5
$2.06 $2.06
-25.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,980
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.7
$2.44 $2.44
-21.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.18
$1.59 $1.59
-74.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
$40.74 $40.74
-74.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$0.78 $0.78
173.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
$37.4K $37.4K
-27.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
$24.4K $24.4K
48.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,557
$278 $278
-32.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 824
$42.98 $42.98
-52.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,798
$69.2 $69.2
-35.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,166
$14.72 $14.72
266.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 793
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 480
$13.47 $13.47
-11.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$932 $932
-31.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
$16.0K $16.0K
-30.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,099
$40.69 $40.69
151.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,309
$31.86 $31.86
80.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,079
$99.4 $99.4
27.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,131
$70.0 $70.0
82.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.8K
$1,265 $1,265
-43.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
$911 $911
-37.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
$1,694 $1,694
-32.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
$1,265 $1,265
-19.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
$1,441 $1,441
135.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
$1,460 $1,460
33.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Joplin, MO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
$3,370 $3,370
-63.07%
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 Joplin, MO: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Joplin, MO
$911 60.3% $343
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Joplin, MO
$304 8.3% $28
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Joplin, MO
$257 4.4% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Joplin, MO
$390 53.9% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Joplin, MO
$109 41.6% $77
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Joplin, MO
$19 * 77.9% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Joplin, MO
$42 46.5% $36

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 $719 in Montevideo and $1,265 in Joplin, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joplin, MO pays 171% 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: $69.0 in Montevideo vs $60.0 in Joplin, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $304 per month, with Joplin, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Joplin, MO
🕒 Local time
13:32 1:32 PM
11:32 11:32 AM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
51,762
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Joplin, MO 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Joplin, MO

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 Joplin, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Joplin, MO cheaper than Montevideo?
Montevideo is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Montevideo or Joplin, MO?
On paper, salaries run 171% lower in Joplin, MO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Montevideo and Joplin, MO?
Rent for a central apartment: $719 in Montevideo versus $1,265 in Joplin, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Montevideo and in Joplin, MO?
Shoppers in Joplin, MO pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Montevideo and in Joplin, MO?
All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $2,032 in Joplin, MO – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Joplin, MO?
At $1,771 in Montevideo versus $2,032 in Joplin, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Joplin, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Montevideo or Joplin, MO more family-friendly?
For families, Montevideo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Joplin, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Montevideo or Joplin, MO?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Joplin, MO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Joplin, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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