Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,749 in Montevideo versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Montevideo versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,582 in Montevideo versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Montevideo costs roughly 24% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 28% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 UYU 613

$17.59 €15.33

-13.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 UYU 2,503

$62.9 €54.8

-0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.86 UYU 557

$11.58 €10.10

19.69%

Cappuccino

$4.39 UYU 176

$3.10 €2.70

41.61%

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

$2.77 UYU 111

$2.49 €2.17

11.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 UYU 81.4

$1.74 €1.52

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 UYU 199

$3.48 €3.03

42.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 UYU 147

$3.44 €3.00

6.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.3

$1.15 €1.00

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 UYU 113

$1.91 €1.66

47.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.3

$1.50 €1.31

15.33%

Eggs

$4.74 UYU 191

$3.98 €3.47

19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 UYU 545

$13.29 €11.59

2.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 UYU 463

$8.01 €6.98

43.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.75 UYU 472

$18.04 €15.73

-34.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 UYU 114

$2.35 €2.05

20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 UYU 111

$1.75 €1.53

57.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 UYU 68.9

$1.85 €1.62

-7.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 UYU 126

$2.55 €2.22

22.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$1.84 €1.61

7.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 UYU 86.5

$2.10 €1.83

2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 UYU 54.4

$1.49 €1.30

-9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 UYU 77.4

$0.82 €0.71

134.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$7.10 €6.19

-21.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 UYU 331

$5.91 €5.15

39.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 UYU 93.6

$1.31 €1.15

77.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 UYU 115

$2.13 €1.86

33.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.7

$2.36 €2.05

-35.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 UYU 2,998

$46.62 €40.63

60.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 UYU 72.7

$4.08 €3.55

-55.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 UYU 17.67

$1.14 €0.99

-61.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.69 UYU 430

$17.09 €14.90

-37.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 UYU 89.0

$2.31 €2.01

-4.33%

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

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

$34.1K €29.7K

-19.44%

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

$37.8K UYU 1.5M

$41.4K €36.1K

-8.62%

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

$192 UYU 7,721

$169 €147

13.98%

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

$18.93 UYU 761

$19.33 €16.85

-2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.31 UYU 1,821

$33.51 €29.21

35.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 UYU 2,074

$48.84 €42.57

5.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$19.43 €16.94

1.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$9.57 €8.34

24.87%

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

$608 UYU 24.4K

$696 €607

-12.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K UYU 429.3K

$17.4K €15.1K

-38.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 UYU 4,030

$105 €91.8

-4.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 UYU 2,279

$47.75 €41.62

18.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,994

$101 €87.6

23.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 UYU 5,330

$124 €108

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 UYU 29.6K

$1,662 €1,449

-55.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 UYU 23.0K

$1,246 €1,086

-54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 UYU 46.8K

$2,965 €2,584

-60.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 UYU 38.1K

$2,049 €1,786

-53.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,415 UYU 137.3K

$7,834 €6,829

-56.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,873 UYU 75.3K

$4,464 €3,892

-58.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,164 UYU 46.8K

$1,632 €1,422

-28.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

3.78

48.15%

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

Last update for Montevideo: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Montevideo and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 40% 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: $62.0 in Montevideo vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $277, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Lisbon differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,749 vs $2,296 including rent). Montevideo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Montevideo versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Montevideo versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,749 in Montevideo versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montevideo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Montevideo 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 Lisbon 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 Montevideo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.