Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Mayari

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayari: $1,484 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Mayari
🇨🇺 Cuba
$1,484
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Mayari

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Montevideo versus $1,484 in Mayari.

  • Montevideo $1,813
  • Mayari $1,484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in Montevideo versus $2,453 in Mayari.

  • Montevideo $2,782
  • Mayari $2,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,750 in Montevideo versus $3,423 in Mayari.

  • Montevideo $3,750
  • Mayari $3,423

Living in Montevideo is roughly 22% more expensive than in Mayari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 35% above, Mayari 11% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.26 UYU 613
$5.87 CUP 141
159.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 UYU 2,707
$19.85 CUP 476
239.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.37 UYU 577
$6.42 CUP 154
123.83%
Cappuccino
$4.64 UYU 186
$1.32 CUP 31.74
251.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 UYU 110
$2.14 CUP 51.5
27.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 UYU 83.9
$1.23 CUP 29.49
69.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.75 UYU 191
$2.52 CUP 60.5
88.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 UYU 147
$2.95 CUP 70.8
24.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 UYU 55.4
$3.01 CUP 72.2
-54.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 UYU 111
$0.77 CUP 18.40
259.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 UYU 67.7
$2.43 CUP 58.3
-30.45%
Eggs
$4.52 UYU 182
$3.07 CUP 73.7
47.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 UYU 569
$5.81 CUP 139
143.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.07 UYU 485
$5.23 CUP 125
130.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.16 UYU 488
$11.96 CUP 287
1.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 UYU 115
$5.05 CUP 121
-43.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 UYU 110
$1.18 CUP 28.41
133.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 UYU 69.4
$1.42 CUP 34.11
21.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$1.42 CUP 33.97
128.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.0
$1.93 CUP 46.37
7.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.0
$2.88 CUP 69.1
-28.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 UYU 55.4
$1.02 CUP 24.39
35.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 UYU 74.4
$1.12 CUP 26.88
65.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.57 UYU 224
$3.55 CUP 85.1
56.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.89 UYU 357
$9.86 CUP 237
-9.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 UYU 92.1
$1.71 CUP 40.96
33.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 UYU 108
$1.99 CUP 47.78
35.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 UYU 61.2
$0.19 CUP 4.46
700.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.7 UYU 2,958
$20.16 CUP 484
265.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.82 UYU 73.3
$2.29 CUP 55.1
-20.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.02
$0.41 CUP 9.92
-2.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.66 UYU 428
$19.78 CUP 475
-46.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.22 UYU 89.0
$1.24 CUP 29.74
79.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
$70.0K CUP 1.7M
-61.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
$80.4K CUP 1.9M
-54.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 UYU 7,662
$35.53 CUP 853
437.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.40 UYU 819
$40.35 CUP 968
-49.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.14 UYU 1,772
$252 CUP 6,052
-82.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 UYU 2,174
$39.42 CUP 946
37.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.68 UYU 790
$14.92 CUP 358
31.90%
Cinema Ticket
$12.33 UYU 495
$0.98 CUP 23.61
1158.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$613 UYU 24.6K
$119 CUP 2,859
414.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K UYU 443.6K
$17.2K CUP 412.2K
-35.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 UYU 4,128
$54.3 CUP 1,303
89.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 UYU 2,251
$40.33 CUP 968
39.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 UYU 4,993
$45.69 CUP 1,096
172.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 UYU 5,207
$49.17 CUP 1,180
163.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$705 UYU 28.3K
$211 CUP 5,069
233.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
$679 CUP 16.3K
-15.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 UYU 45.7K
$376 CUP 9,016
203.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
$1,737 CUP 41.7K
-41.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,349 UYU 134.4K
$390 CUP 9,357
758.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,942 UYU 78.0K
$354 CUP 8,506
447.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Mayari
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
$21.80 CUP 523
5538.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
10
-42.60%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mayari: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Mayari
$679 17.9% $103
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Mayari
$246 26.1% $87
Eating Out
Montevideo
$271
Mayari
$114 57.9% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$255
Mayari
$328 28.5% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Mayari
$85 54.1% $101
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Mayari
$25 69.8% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$79
Mayari
$41 47.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Montevideo and $211 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 5538% 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: $67.0 in Montevideo vs $20.00 in Mayari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $246 per month, with Mayari cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇨🇺 Mayari
🕒 Local time
01:55 1:55 AM
00:55 12:55 AM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
29,259
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.92 CUP (100 CUP = 3.72 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Mayari 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Mayari

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 Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montevideo or Mayari?
Mayari wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mayari the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Montevideo or in Mayari?
Average pay runs 5538% higher in Montevideo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Montevideo compared to Mayari?
Rent for a central apartment: $705 in Montevideo versus $211 in Mayari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Montevideo and in Mayari?
Dining out is cheaper in Mayari – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $67.0 in Montevideo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Montevideo compared to Mayari?
All in, you'll spend $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $1,484 in Mayari – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Montevideo or in Mayari?
At $1,484 in Mayari versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mayari but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Mayari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montevideo or Mayari?
Both work as nomad bases, but Mayari delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,484 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mayari hard to pass up.
How safe is Montevideo compared to Mayari?
Safety-wise, Montevideo and Mayari are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Mayari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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