Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Latacunga

For one person, living is cheaper in Latacunga: $782 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Latacunga
Learn more

Latacunga Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Latacunga

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Latacunga

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $782 in Latacunga, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Latacunga $782

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,269 in Latacunga, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Latacunga $1,269

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,756 in Latacunga, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Latacunga $1,756

Montevideo costs about 127% more than Latacunga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Latacunga is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 610

$2.55 $2.55

494.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,780

$28.41 $28.41

143.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$9.03 $9.03

62.24%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.79 $2.79

59.86%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.87 $0.87

206.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$0.48 $0.48

316.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.05 $3.05

58.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$4.28 $4.28

-11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$1.18 $1.18

15.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.01 $2.01

42.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$0.98 $0.98

78.57%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$1.75 $1.75

167.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$4.87 $4.87

185.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 482

$5.09 $5.09

135.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$9.37 $9.37

27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$1.49 $1.49

86.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.18 $1.18

132.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$1.03 $1.03

71.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$0.96 $0.96

237.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$1.03 $1.03

91.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$0.91 $0.91

127.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$0.52 $0.52

163.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$1.02 $1.02

84.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$5.90 $5.90

-5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$10.09 $10.09

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$1.46 $1.46

54.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 111

$2.22 $2.22

23.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.6

$0.37 $0.37

313.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,985

$16.94 $16.94

338.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$1.32 $1.32

44.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.21

$1.78 $1.78

-77.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$12.05 $12.05

-14.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$0.66 $0.66

222.73%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$20.7K $20.7K

30.92%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$31.3K $31.3K

16.03%

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

$188 UYU 7,570

$39.72 $39.72

374.07%

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

$20.54 UYU 826

$14.95 $14.95

37.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$26.59 $26.59

68.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$27.47 $27.47

96.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

$17.83 $17.83

10.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 481

$7.57 $7.57

57.86%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$378 $378

67.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.3K

$5,776 $5,776

91.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,106

$64.5 $64.5

58.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,313

$40.29 $40.29

42.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,088

$126 $126

0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,139

$91.6 $91.6

39.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$295 $295

143.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$188 $188

201.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$723 $723

58.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$407 $407

151.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.4K

$1,068 $1,068

217.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.4K

$739 $739

163.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

-42.60%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Latacunga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Latacunga

$188 24.1% 66.8% $380

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Latacunga

$186 23.7% 44.1% $146

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Latacunga

$110 14.1% 59% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Latacunga

$81 10.4% 68% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Latacunga

$145 18.6% 22.1% $41

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Latacunga

$29 3.7% 66.1% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Latacunga

$43 5.5% 45.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $295 in Latacunga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $28.00 in Latacunga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $186 – making Latacunga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇪🇨 Latacunga

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

57,127

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 40.2 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.02 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Latacunga 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Latacunga

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 Latacunga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo, $782 in Latacunga – roughly 127% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,173 in Latacunga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Latacunga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $378 in Latacunga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Latacunga, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Latacunga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $782 in Latacunga to $1,771 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Latacunga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.