Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
Learn more

Machala Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Machala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $654 in Machala.

Montevideo $1,771
Machala $654

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,045 in Machala.

Montevideo $2,740
Machala $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $1,436 in Machala.

Montevideo $3,708
Machala $1,436

Living in Montevideo is roughly 171% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Machala is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$2.69 $2.69

463.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$25.09 $25.09

175.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$5.21 $5.21

181.19%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.70 $2.70

65.19%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.84 $0.84

217.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.75 $0.75

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.94 $1.94

148.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.80 $3.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.10 $1.10

23.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.05 $1.05

173.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$0.96 $0.96

82.29%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$1.50 $1.50

212.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$3.34 $3.34

315.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$4.12 $4.12

190.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$4.80 $4.80

149.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$1.54 $1.54

80.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$0.64 $0.64

328.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$0.74 $0.74

139.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$0.53 $0.53

511.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$0.38 $0.38

418.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.49 $0.49

322.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.37 $0.37

270.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.99 $0.99

89.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.39 $4.39

27.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$7.59 $7.59

15.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.51 $1.51

49.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.11 $2.11

30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.33 $0.33

363.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$22.38 $22.38

231.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.47 $1.47

29.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.80 $1.80

-77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$7.98 $7.98

29.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$0.59 $0.59

261.02%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$18.1K $18.1K

49.73%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$21.9K $21.9K

65.79%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$50.8 $50.8

270.45%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$15.01 $15.01

36.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$26.60 $26.60

68.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$43.11 $43.11

25.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$30.17 $30.17

-34.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$4.91 $4.91

143.38%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$133 $133

375.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$5,667 $5,667

95.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$65.9 $65.9

55.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$39.72 $39.72

44.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$79.8 $79.8

58.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$67.6 $67.6

89.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$193 $193

271.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$132 $132

330.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$349 $349

228.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$265 $265

286.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$458 $458

172.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

14.80%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Machala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Machala

$132 20.2% 76.8% $436

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Machala

$136 20.7% 59% $196

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Machala

$93 14.3% 65.4% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Machala

$92 14.1% 63.6% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Machala

$114 17.4% 38.9% $72

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Machala

$34 5.2% 59.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Machala

$53 8.1% 32% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Montevideo and $193 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 172% 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 $25.00 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $136 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

22:21 10:21 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

231,260

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

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Between locations

Montevideo Machala 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 172% 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 $193 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Montevideo versus $654 in Machala – a 171% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $654 in Machala versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Machala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montevideo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Machala 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 Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.