Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $676 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Loja

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $676 in Loja, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Loja $676

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,067 in Loja, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Loja $1,067

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,459 in Loja, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Loja $1,459

Montevideo costs about 162% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Loja is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$3.08 $3.08

392.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$20.71 $20.71

233.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$5.44 $5.44

169.30%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.22 $2.22

100.90%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.77 $0.77

246.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.45 $0.45

344.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.22 $1.22

295.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.17 $3.17

19.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.51 $1.51

90.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.32 $1.32

32.58%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$1.92 $1.92

143.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$5.79 $5.79

139.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$4.15 $4.15

188.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$5.96 $5.96

100.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$1.69 $1.69

64.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.05 $1.05

160.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.18 $1.18

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.07 $1.07

202.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.06 $1.06

85.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.07 $1.07

93.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.51 $0.51

168.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.13 $1.13

66.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$5.23 $5.23

6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$6.86 $6.86

27.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.52 $1.52

48.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.05 $3.05

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.31 $0.31

393.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$30.33 $30.33

144.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.27 $1.27

50.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.09 $1.09

-63.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$9.88 $9.88

4.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$0.78 $0.78

173.08%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$14.8K $14.8K

82.85%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$28.7K $28.7K

26.29%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$19.65 $19.65

858.27%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$11.63 $11.63

76.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$26.57 $26.57

68.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$30.27 $30.27

78.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$14.88 $14.88

32.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.46 $7.46

60.19%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$183 $183

246.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$2,017 $2,017

448.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$52.8 $52.8

93.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$47.03 $47.03

22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$79.1 $79.1

59.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$71.2 $71.2

79.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$237 $237

203.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$170 $170

233.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$389 $389

194.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$310 $310

229.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$554 $554

512.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$323 $323

502.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$496 $496

150.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.5

-32.47%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Loja

$170 25.2% 70% $398

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Loja

$167 24.7% 49.6% $164

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Loja

$85 12.6% 68.4% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Loja

$58 8.6% 77.2% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Loja

$113 16.7% 39.6% $74

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Loja

$38 5.7% 54.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Loja

$45 6.7% 42% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $237 in Loja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 151% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $21.00 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $167 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

19:36 7:36 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

180,617

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Loja 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Loja

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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo, $676 in Loja – roughly 162% 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 $1,014 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 145% less in Loja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $183 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Loja 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 $676 in Loja 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 Loja. 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.