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: $1,632 in Montevideo versus $1,325 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,480 in Montevideo versus $2,090 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Montevideo versus $2,856 in Maldonado.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 23% more expensive than Maldonado, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 22% above, Maldonado is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.85 UYU 638

$16.02 UYU 645

-1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 UYU 2,197

$54.8 UYU 2,205

-0.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 UYU 488

$11.03 UYU 444

9.88%

Cappuccino

$4.23 UYU 170

$4.15 UYU 167

1.93%

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

$2.19 UYU 88.1

$2.27 UYU 91.3

-3.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 UYU 68.2

$1.75 UYU 70.7

-3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 UYU 182

$2.39 UYU 96.3

89.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 UYU 145

$3.69 UYU 149

-2.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 UYU 51.3

$1.13 UYU 45.41

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$2.86 UYU 115

-3.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 UYU 63.8

$1.55 UYU 62.3

1.94%

Eggs

$4.79 UYU 193

$4.63 UYU 186

3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.41 UYU 540

$13.74 UYU 553

-2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.67 UYU 430

$10.77 UYU 434

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 UYU 452

$10.97 UYU 442

2.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 UYU 121

$2.19 UYU 88.2

36.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 UYU 98.0

$2.39 UYU 96.2

1.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 62.2

$1.57 UYU 63.4

-1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 UYU 148

$3.54 UYU 142

3.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 UYU 84.8

$1.77 UYU 71.4

19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 UYU 75.9

$1.93 UYU 77.6

-2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.0

$1.20 UYU 48.24

14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 UYU 68.9

$1.61 UYU 64.9

6.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 UYU 205

$5.25 UYU 212

-2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 UYU 405

$3.55 UYU 143

183.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 UYU 94.9

$1.88 UYU 75.8

25.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 UYU 118

$2.65 UYU 107

10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 UYU 52.0

$1.32 UYU 53.2

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 UYU 2,247

$44.20 UYU 1,780

26.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 UYU 64.3

$1.49 UYU 60.2

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.63 UYU 146

$2.10 UYU 84.5

72.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.43 UYU 500

$11.22 UYU 452

10.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 UYU 73.0

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

$34.5K UYU 1.4M

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

0.31%

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

$36.0K UYU 1.4M

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

0.53%

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

$170 UYU 6,864

$155 UYU 6,262

9.62%

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

$16.51 UYU 665

$16.93 UYU 682

-2.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.77 UYU 2,004

$43.30 UYU 1,744

14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 UYU 2,489

$45.88 UYU 1,848

34.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 UYU 711

$29.76 UYU 1,199

-40.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 UYU 421

$7.95 UYU 320

31.45%

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

$482 UYU 19.4K

$478 UYU 19.2K

0.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,873 UYU 357.3K

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

23.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 UYU 3,821

$85.1 UYU 3,427

11.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.22 UYU 1,902

$46.83 UYU 1,886

0.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 UYU 4,502

$88.9 UYU 3,581

25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 UYU 4,964

$91.4 UYU 3,682

34.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 UYU 25.3K

$366 UYU 14.7K

71.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 UYU 19.8K

$285 UYU 11.5K

72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 UYU 44.8K

$890 UYU 35.8K

24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 UYU 32.2K

$600 UYU 24.2K

33.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,582 UYU 144.2K

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

134.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,272 UYU 91.5K

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

74.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,334 UYU 53.7K

$886 UYU 35.7K

50.55%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $628 in Montevideo and $366 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 51% 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 $55.0 in Maldonado. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $297, with Maldonado 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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Maldonado differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,632 vs $1,325 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Montevideo pays 51% more on average, 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: $628 in Montevideo versus $366 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $482 in Montevideo versus $478 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,325 in Maldonado versus $1,632 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 23% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.