Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
Learn more

Manta Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Manta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Montevideo versus $678 in Manta.

Montevideo $1,771
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Montevideo versus $1,157 in Manta.

Montevideo $2,740
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Montevideo versus $1,636 in Manta.

Montevideo $3,708
Manta $1,636

Living in Montevideo is roughly 161% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montevideo is 31% above, Manta is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$2.96 $2.96

412.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$52.2 $52.2

32.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$5.39 $5.39

171.80%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.92 $2.92

52.74%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.52 $0.52

413.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.38 $0.38

426.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.97 $2.97

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.72 $3.72

2.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.03 $1.03

32.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.91 $1.91

50.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$0.98 $0.98

78.57%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.13 $2.13

119.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$2.98 $2.98

365.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$2.98 $2.98

302.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$6.83 $6.83

75.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$0.97 $0.97

186.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$0.78 $0.78

251.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$0.71 $0.71

149.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$0.78 $0.78

315.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$0.52 $0.52

278.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.48 $0.48

331.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.69 $0.69

98.55%

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

$4.08 $4.08

37.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$6.89 $6.89

27.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.03 $1.03

119.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.20 $2.20

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.50 $0.50

206.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.70 $1.70

12.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.74 $1.74

-77.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$9.27 $9.27

11.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$0.72 $0.72

195.83%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$20.7K $20.7K

31.17%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$30.8K $30.8K

17.75%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$97.1 $97.1

93.86%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$11.13 $11.13

84.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$25.84 $25.84

73.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$20.23 $20.23

166.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$34.58 $34.58

-42.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$4.89 $4.89

144.38%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$369 $369

71.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$5,783 $5,783

91.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$55.2 $55.2

85.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$40.87 $40.87

40.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$101 $101

25.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$61.8 $61.8

106.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$303 $303

136.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$141 $141

301.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$917 $917

24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$334 $334

206.16%

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

$474 $474

162.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

10.05

-42.89%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Manta

$141 20.9% 75.1% $427

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Manta

$143 21.1% 56.9% $189

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Manta

$101 14.9% 62.6% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Manta

$134 19.8% 47.1% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Manta

$116 17.2% 37.6% $70

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 85.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Manta

$30 4.4% 61.4% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $719 in Montevideo and $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 163% 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 $52.0 in Manta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $143 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

217,553

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Manta 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 163% 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 $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Montevideo versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $69.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,771 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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 Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.