Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Maldonado

For one person, living is cheaper in Maldonado: $1,368 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
Learn more

Maldonado Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Maldonado

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo versus $1,368 in Maldonado.

Montevideo $1,784
Maldonado $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Montevideo versus $2,178 in Maldonado.

Montevideo $2,756
Maldonado $2,178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Montevideo versus $2,988 in Maldonado.

Montevideo $3,728
Maldonado $2,988

Living in Montevideo is roughly 30% more expensive than in Maldonado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 32% above, Maldonado 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$14.87 UYU 597

-0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$54.9 UYU 2,202

27.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$13.91 UYU 558

5.54%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$4.57 UYU 183

1.75%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.65 UYU 106

3.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$2.10 UYU 84.2

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$2.95 UYU 118

62.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$3.62 UYU 145

0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$1.13 UYU 45.19

23.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$2.70 UYU 109

7.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$1.77 UYU 71.1

-3.95%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$3.98 UYU 160

16.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$14.11 UYU 566

0.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$11.31 UYU 454

2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$11.61 UYU 466

5.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$2.79 UYU 112

-0.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$2.14 UYU 86.0

33.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$1.75 UYU 70.2

3.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$3.15 UYU 126

1.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$2.00 UYU 80.2

-3.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$2.00 UYU 80.4

8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$1.43 UYU 57.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$1.95 UYU 78.3

-0.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$5.51 UYU 221

-0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$8.13 UYU 326

10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$2.32 UYU 93.3

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$2.71 UYU 109

3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

$1.41 UYU 56.8

10.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

$48.89 UYU 1,962

50.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$3.40 UYU 136

-44.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$0.44 UYU 17.53

-2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$10.25 UYU 411

3.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$2.24 UYU 89.9

-5.36%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$26.6K UYU 1.1M

0.62%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

0.04%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$116 UYU 4,644

66.40%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$19.18 UYU 770

9.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$45.04 UYU 1,808

-0.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

$48.23 UYU 1,936

5.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

$30.20 UYU 1,212

-34.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$12.05 UYU 484

2.07%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$496 UYU 19.9K

26.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$6,515 UYU 261.5K

67.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$90.3 UYU 3,625

14.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$37.34 UYU 1,498

53.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$125 UYU 5,014

-0.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$118 UYU 4,729

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

$426 UYU 17.1K

67.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$315 UYU 12.7K

82.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

$919 UYU 36.9K

26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

$601 UYU 24.1K

71.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

$2,803 UYU 112.5K

21.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

$1,541 UYU 61.8K

14.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

$1,014 UYU 40.7K

22.72%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

Maldonado

$315 23.1% 45.2% $260

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

Maldonado

$317 23.2% 5% $17

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

Maldonado

$257 18.8% 4.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

Maldonado

$180 13.2% 30.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

Maldonado

$167 12.2% 11.5% $22

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Maldonado

$60 4.4% 28.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

Maldonado

$72 5.3% 4% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Montevideo and $426 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 23% 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: $70.0 in Montevideo vs $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $317 per month, with Maldonado cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

62,592

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Maldonado 110 km

From you

Montevideo
Maldonado

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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Maldonado differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,784 vs $1,368 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $713 in Montevideo versus $426 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $629 in Montevideo versus $496 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 $1,368 in Maldonado versus $1,784 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 30% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.