Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Maldonado Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Maldonado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,667 in Montevideo versus $1,299 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,511 in Montevideo versus $2,116 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,354 in Montevideo versus $2,933 in Maldonado.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 28% more expensive than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 25% above, Maldonado is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 UYU 655

$16.01 UYU 643

1.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.4 UYU 2,226

$54.5 UYU 2,190

1.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 UYU 490

$11.04 UYU 444

10.42%

Cappuccino

$4.26 UYU 171

$4.19 UYU 168

1.67%

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

$2.19 UYU 88.0

$2.16 UYU 86.7

1.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UYU 68.7

$1.71 UYU 68.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.47 UYU 180

$2.43 UYU 97.8

83.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 UYU 149

$3.65 UYU 147

1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 UYU 50.3

$1.13 UYU 45.31

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 UYU 117

$2.79 UYU 112

4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 UYU 65.6

$1.60 UYU 64.3

1.87%

Eggs

$4.96 UYU 199

$4.75 UYU 191

4.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 UYU 535

$13.69 UYU 550

-2.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.83 UYU 435

$10.71 UYU 430

1.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 UYU 441

$10.87 UYU 437

0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 UYU 124

$2.20 UYU 88.5

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 UYU 94.8

$2.40 UYU 96.6

-1.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 UYU 60.3

$1.54 UYU 62.1

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 UYU 144

$3.49 UYU 140

2.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 UYU 83.5

$1.79 UYU 71.8

16.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 78.1

$1.96 UYU 78.8

-1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 UYU 52.7

$1.24 UYU 49.67

5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$1.59 UYU 64.0

8.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 UYU 210

$5.29 UYU 213

-1.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 UYU 352

$8.04 UYU 323

8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 UYU 93.8

$1.96 UYU 78.7

18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 UYU 117

$2.67 UYU 107

8.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 UYU 52.1

$1.38 UYU 55.3

-5.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 UYU 2,263

$44.18 UYU 1,776

27.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 UYU 62.0

$1.44 UYU 57.8

6.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.63 UYU 146

$2.09 UYU 84.1

73.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.37 UYU 497

$11.21 UYU 450

10.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 UYU 73.4

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

$33.7K UYU 1.4M

$34.6K UYU 1.4M

-2.66%

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

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

$36.6K UYU 1.5M

-1.97%

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

$175 UYU 7,025

$155 UYU 6,218

12.99%

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

$16.95 UYU 681

$16.47 UYU 662

2.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.42 UYU 1,946

$42.44 UYU 1,705

14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 UYU 2,478

$46.40 UYU 1,865

32.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 UYU 714

$29.58 UYU 1,189

-39.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 UYU 419

$7.91 UYU 318

31.73%

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

$489 UYU 19.6K

$492 UYU 19.8K

-0.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,967 UYU 360.4K

$7,401 UYU 297.4K

21.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 UYU 3,844

$86.6 UYU 3,479

10.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.66 UYU 1,915

$47.65 UYU 1,915

0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 UYU 4,603

$88.5 UYU 3,557

29.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 UYU 4,853

$93.1 UYU 3,743

29.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 UYU 24.5K

$370 UYU 14.9K

64.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 UYU 19.6K

$282 UYU 11.3K

72.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 UYU 44.5K

$886 UYU 35.6K

24.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 UYU 32.9K

$620 UYU 24.9K

31.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,598 UYU 144.6K

$1,511 UYU 60.7K

138.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,274 UYU 91.4K

$1,306 UYU 52.5K

74.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,332 UYU 53.5K

$861 UYU 34.6K

54.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

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

Last update for Montevideo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $611 in Montevideo and $370 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 55% 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: $55.0 in Montevideo vs $54.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $305 per month, with Maldonado cheaper across the board.

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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Maldonado differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,667 vs $1,299 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $611 in Montevideo versus $370 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $489 in Montevideo versus $492 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,299 in Maldonado versus $1,667 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado 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 Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.