Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Las Terrenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Terrenas: $873 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Las Terrenas
Learn more

Las Terrenas Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Las Terrenas

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Las Terrenas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $873 in Las Terrenas.

Montevideo $1,771
Las Terrenas $873

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,843 in Las Terrenas.

Montevideo $2,740
Las Terrenas $1,843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $2,813 in Las Terrenas.

Montevideo $3,708
Las Terrenas $2,813

Living in Montevideo is roughly 103% more expensive than in Las Terrenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Las Terrenas is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$8.27 DOP 506

83.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$41.34 DOP 2,532

67.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$5.09 DOP 312

187.82%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$1.02 DOP 62.7

337.25%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.67 DOP 40.74

298.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.40 DOP 24.74

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.52 DOP 154

91.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.86 DOP 237

-1.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$0.99 DOP 60.5

37.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.13 DOP 69.1

153.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.07 DOP 65.7

63.55%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$1.19 DOP 72.7

293.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$6.09 DOP 373

127.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$3.50 DOP 215

242.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$4.66 DOP 286

156.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$2.25 DOP 138

23.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$0.63 DOP 38.64

334.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$2.17 DOP 133

-18.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.23 DOP 137

45.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$2.18 DOP 134

-9.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.07 DOP 65.4

93.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.94 DOP 57.3

45.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.98 DOP 59.9

91.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.71 DOP 289

18.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$7.04 DOP 431

24.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.35 DOP 144

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.96 DOP 120

40.31%

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

$2.51 DOP 154

-23.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$3.27 DOP 200

-87.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.14 DOP 70.0

86.84%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$19.7K DOP 1.2M

37.63%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$24.2K DOP 1.5M

49.64%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$50.4 DOP 3,084

273.98%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$9.94 DOP 609

106.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$19.91 DOP 1,220

125.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$5.00 DOP 306

139.00%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$100 DOP 6,143

532.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$5,338 DOP 327.0K

107.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$27.30 DOP 1,672

274.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$44.76 DOP 2,742

28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$62.9 DOP 3,856

101.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$66.6 DOP 4,079

92.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$770 DOP 47.2K

-6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$386 DOP 23.7K

46.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,654 DOP 101.3K

-30.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,641 DOP 100.5K

-37.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$1,789 DOP 109.6K

89.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$408 DOP 25.0K

205.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

-47.82%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Las Terrenas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Las Terrenas

$386 44.3% 32% $181

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Las Terrenas

$169 19.3% 49.1% $163

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Las Terrenas

$118 13.6% 56.1% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Las Terrenas

$80 9.2% 68.4% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Las Terrenas

$91 10.4% 51.3% $96

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Las Terrenas

$19 * 2.2% 77.6% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Las Terrenas

$10 * 1.1% 87.2% $68

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 $770 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 205% 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 $41.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $169 per month, with Las Terrenas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇩🇴 Las Terrenas

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

7,713

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

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).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Las Terrenas 6,190 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Las Terrenas

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 Las Terrenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 205% 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: $719 in Montevideo versus $770 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Montevideo versus $100 in Las Terrenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $873 in Las Terrenas versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $873 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Las Terrenas 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 Las Terrenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.