Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and La Paz Centro

For one person, living is cheaper in La Paz Centro: $818 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in La Paz Centro
Learn more

La Paz Centro Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

La Paz Centro

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in La Paz Centro

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 La Paz Centro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $818 in La Paz Centro.

Montevideo $1,771
La Paz Centro $818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,279 in La Paz Centro.

Montevideo $2,740
La Paz Centro $1,279

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $1,740 in La Paz Centro.

Montevideo $3,708
La Paz Centro $1,740

Living in Montevideo is roughly 116% more expensive than in La Paz Centro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, La Paz Centro is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$9.84 NIO 360

54.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$34.80 NIO 1,275

98.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$7.73 NIO 283

89.52%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.66 NIO 97.3

67.67%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.86 NIO 31.45

210.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.69 NIO 25.44

189.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.46 NIO 53.3

230.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$2.31 NIO 84.8

64.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.21 NIO 44.42

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.34 NIO 85.8

22.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.87 NIO 68.4

-6.42%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.31 NIO 84.5

102.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$11.38 NIO 417

21.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$6.51 NIO 239

84.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$7.62 NIO 279

57.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$4.09 NIO 150

-32.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$0.58 NIO 21.38

372.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.78 NIO 65.1

-0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.52 NIO 92.2

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$4.03 NIO 148

-51.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.18 NIO 79.9

-5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.08 NIO 39.68

26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.06 NIO 38.75

77.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$2.66 NIO 97.4

110.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$14.52 NIO 532

-39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.42 NIO 52.1

59.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.19 NIO 80.2

25.57%

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

$1.60 NIO 58.7

19.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.68 NIO 61.4

-76.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$6.76 NIO 248

52.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.30 NIO 47.70

63.85%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$22.8K NIO 835.7K

18.81%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$26.1K NIO 956.7K

38.83%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$151 NIO 5,518

24.98%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$19.84 NIO 727

3.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$32.35 NIO 1,185

38.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$9.15 NIO 335

30.60%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$235 NIO 8,593

170.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$6,136 NIO 224.7K

80.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$60.5 NIO 2,217

68.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$64.3 NIO 2,353

-10.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$122 NIO 4,474

3.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$143 NIO 5,249

-10.80%

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

11.92

-51.85%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for La Paz Centro: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

La Paz Centro

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

La Paz Centro

$260 31.7% 21.7% $72

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

La Paz Centro

$152 18.6% 43.6% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

La Paz Centro

$203 24.8% 20% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

La Paz Centro

$176 21.5% 5.7% $11

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

La Paz Centro

$10 * 1.2% 88.2% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

La Paz Centro

$18 * 2.2% 76.5% $60

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 $35.00 in La Paz Centro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $260 per month, with La Paz Centro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇳🇮 La Paz Centro

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

33,228

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, 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).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo La Paz Centro 6,160 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
La Paz Centro

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 La Paz Centro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Paz Centro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,656 in Montevideo and $1,227 in La Paz Centro 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $818 in La Paz Centro – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $818 in La Paz Centro versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Paz Centro but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes La Paz Centro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, La Paz Centro 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 La Paz Centro 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 La Paz Centro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.