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: $1,806 in Montevideo versus $1,345 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,668 in Montevideo versus $2,179 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Montevideo versus $3,014 in Maldonado.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 34% more expensive than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Maldonado is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.05 UYU 605

$14.69 UYU 591

2.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 UYU 2,541

$55.1 UYU 2,218

14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.11 UYU 527

$10.99 UYU 442

19.29%

Cappuccino

$4.56 UYU 183

$4.53 UYU 182

0.66%

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

$2.69 UYU 108

$2.60 UYU 104

3.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 UYU 78.7

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 UYU 186

$3.62 UYU 146

27.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 UYU 147

$3.71 UYU 149

-1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 UYU 54.0

$1.18 UYU 47.46

13.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.79 UYU 112

2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.6

$1.79 UYU 71.9

-2.23%

Eggs

$4.79 UYU 193

$4.03 UYU 162

18.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 UYU 579

$14.37 UYU 578

0.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 UYU 480

$11.63 UYU 468

2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 UYU 465

$11.63 UYU 468

-0.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 UYU 114

$2.90 UYU 116

-2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$2.18 UYU 87.6

27.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 UYU 71.0

$1.83 UYU 73.5

-3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 UYU 121

$3.15 UYU 127

-4.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 UYU 86.1

$2.04 UYU 82.2

4.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 UYU 87.4

$1.99 UYU 80.1

9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 UYU 58.6

$1.40 UYU 56.4

4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 UYU 79.6

$1.89 UYU 76.1

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 UYU 223

$5.45 UYU 219

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 UYU 334

$8.01 UYU 322

3.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 UYU 90.2

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 UYU 116

$2.74 UYU 110

5.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 UYU 62.3

$1.36 UYU 54.9

13.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.6 UYU 3,042

$49.26 UYU 1,982

53.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 UYU 72.7

$3.42 UYU 138

-47.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.34

$0.43 UYU 17.41

-4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.35 UYU 417

$9.98 UYU 402

3.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 UYU 84.2

$1.94 UYU 78.2

7.73%

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

$27.2K UYU 1.1M

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

-1.05%

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

$37.6K UYU 1.5M

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

1.69%

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

$188 UYU 7,548

$113 UYU 4,552

65.85%

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

$16.86 UYU 678

$16.99 UYU 684

-0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.26 UYU 1,821

$45.82 UYU 1,844

-1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.88 UYU 1,967

$48.71 UYU 1,960

0.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 UYU 764

$30.07 UYU 1,210

-36.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$12.35 UYU 497

-0.16%

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

$640 UYU 25.8K

$492 UYU 19.8K

30.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K UYU 433.7K

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

60.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 UYU 3,804

$90.6 UYU 3,647

4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 UYU 2,281

$37.96 UYU 1,527

49.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 UYU 4,952

$122 UYU 4,900

1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,296

$117 UYU 4,693

12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 UYU 30.6K

$427 UYU 17.2K

77.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 UYU 24.2K

$317 UYU 12.8K

89.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 UYU 48.0K

$910 UYU 36.6K

31.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 UYU 39.4K

$587 UYU 23.6K

66.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,484 UYU 140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 UYU 75.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,211 UYU 48.7K

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

20.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.49

9.80%

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

Last update for Montevideo: August 31, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $760 in Montevideo and $427 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 20% 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: $63.0 in Montevideo vs $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $321 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,806 vs $1,345 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $760 in Montevideo versus $427 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $640 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 4% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,806 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 34% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.