Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and La Paz

For one person, living is cheaper in La Paz: $532 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
26

Cost of Living Index in La Paz
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La Paz Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

La Paz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $532 in La Paz.

Montevideo $1,813
La Paz $532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $811 in La Paz.

Montevideo $2,782
La Paz $811

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $1,090 in La Paz.

Montevideo $3,750
La Paz $1,090

Living in Montevideo is roughly 241% more expensive than in La Paz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 35% above, La Paz is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$2.33 BOB 27.37

554.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$10.03 BOB 118

572.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$4.43 BOB 52.2

224.38%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$1.77 BOB 20.79

162.15%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$0.72 BOB 8.49

279.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$0.51 BOB 5.98

309.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$1.39 BOB 16.36

241.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$2.57 BOB 30.19

42.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$0.74 BOB 8.76

86.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$0.95 BOB 11.19

191.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$0.84 BOB 9.90

101.19%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$1.31 BOB 15.39

245.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$3.83 BOB 45.12

269.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$3.66 BOB 43.11

229.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$4.76 BOB 56.1

155.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$1.81 BOB 21.26

58.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$0.53 BOB 6.28

418.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$0.53 BOB 6.24

226.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$0.82 BOB 9.63

295.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.64 BOB 7.50

223.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.56 BOB 6.57

269.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$0.58 BOB 6.82

137.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$0.72 BOB 8.43

156.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$2.05 BOB 24.17

171.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$3.26 BOB 38.32

172.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.41 BOB 16.64

62.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$1.72 BOB 20.19

56.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$0.23 BOB 2.71

560.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$17.90 BOB 211

311.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$1.11 BOB 13.01

63.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$0.95 BOB 11.13

-57.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$9.21 BOB 108

15.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$0.54 BOB 6.37

311.11%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$9,859 BOB 116.0K

171.27%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$13.0K BOB 153.1K

182.51%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$24.84 BOB 292

668.28%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$15.13 BOB 178

34.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$19.86 BOB 234

122.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$17.36 BOB 204

211.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$10.48 BOB 123

87.79%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$4.20 BOB 49.39

193.57%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$135 BOB 1,592

353.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$1,435 BOB 16.9K

670.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$17.38 BOB 205

491.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$27.10 BOB 319

106.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$44.71 BOB 526

178.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$37.41 BOB 440

246.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$277 BOB 3,258

154.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$182 BOB 2,143

215.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$414 BOB 4,876

174.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$326 BOB 3,837

211.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$1,225 BOB 14.4K

173.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$520 BOB 6,119

273.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$273 BOB 3,213

350.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

7.94

-27.71%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for La Paz: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

La Paz

$182 33.8% 68.4% $393

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

La Paz

$119 22.1% 64.2% $213

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

La Paz

$70 13% 74.2% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

La Paz

$60 11.1% 76.6% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

La Paz

$57 10.6% 69.3% $129

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

La Paz

$25 4.6% 70.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

La Paz

$26 4.8% 67.3% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $277 in La Paz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 350% 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: $67.0 in Montevideo vs $10.00 in La Paz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $119 per month, with La Paz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇧🇴 La Paz

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

715,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.2 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo La Paz 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
La Paz

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and La Paz differ by about 241% in total monthly costs ($1,813 vs $532 including rent). La Paz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 350% 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: $705 in Montevideo versus $277 in La Paz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $532 in La Paz – a 241% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in La Paz runs roughly 312% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $532 in La Paz versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in La Paz but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes La Paz 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 La Paz 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 241% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.