Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Montevideo despite lower rent and utilities.

85

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,784 per month in Montevideo vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Montevideo $2,784
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,797 per month in Montevideo vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Montevideo $3,797
Medellin $3,186

Montevideo costs about 8% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montevideo and Medellin sit above the global median – Montevideo by 30%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.63 UYU 628

$8.09 COP 26.1K

93.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 UYU 2,811

$47.05 COP 151.7K

48.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 UYU 583

$9.50 COP 30.6K

52.74%

Cappuccino

$4.43 UYU 178

$3.01 COP 9,722

47.18%

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

$2.49 UYU 100

$1.80 COP 5,801

38.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 UYU 78.4

$1.41 COP 4,554

38.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 UYU 192

$3.18 COP 10.2K

50.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 148

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-36.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UYU 50.6

$1.51 COP 4,869

-16.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 UYU 120

$2.38 COP 7,667

25.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 UYU 70.0

$1.77 COP 5,712

-1.69%

Eggs

$4.80 UYU 193

$2.89 COP 9,320

66.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 UYU 565

$10.19 COP 32.9K

37.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 UYU 456

$9.87 COP 31.8K

14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-30.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 UYU 114

$1.55 COP 5,005

82.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 UYU 65.4

$2.18 COP 7,039

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 UYU 128

$2.18 COP 7,041

45.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 UYU 81.1

$1.96 COP 6,328

3.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 UYU 85.5

$1.59 COP 5,125

33.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 UYU 55.9

$1.15 COP 3,694

20.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 78.2

$1.24 COP 4,009

56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 UYU 215

$3.96 COP 12.8K

34.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 UYU 334

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-39.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 UYU 94.3

$1.66 COP 5,352

41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 UYU 113

$2.26 COP 7,281

23.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 UYU 62.4

$1.17 COP 3,766

32.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.9 UYU 3,011

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-3.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$1.27 COP 4,089

50.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.54

$2.05 COP 6,603

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.38 UYU 417

$8.55 COP 27.6K

21.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 UYU 89.5

$1.35 COP 4,343

65.19%

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

$26.5K UYU 1.1M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-22.11%

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

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

3.40%

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

$184 UYU 7,388

$170 COP 547.0K

8.35%

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

$20.15 UYU 810

$13.55 COP 43.7K

48.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.24 UYU 1,738

$28.07 COP 90.5K

54.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 UYU 1,948

$43.70 COP 140.9K

10.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.71 UYU 792

$17.19 COP 55.4K

14.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 UYU 487

$6.91 COP 22.3K

75.25%

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

$636 UYU 25.6K

$797 COP 2.6M

-20.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 441.9K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

20.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 UYU 4,048

$84.7 COP 273.2K

18.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 UYU 2,288

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-1.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 UYU 4,934

$135 COP 435.2K

-9.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,238

$97.9 COP 315.6K

33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 UYU 30.0K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-38.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 UYU 23.3K

$642 COP 2.1M

-9.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-36.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 UYU 45.2K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

11.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 UYU 146.8K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-12.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 UYU 81.5K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

6.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

$657 COP 2.1M

95.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

10.94

-48.35%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$581 32.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 10.5% $61

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$330 18.6%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 10.1% $33

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 37.4% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$247 14%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 14.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$185 10.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 8.6% $16

Getting Around

Montevideo

$85 4.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 9.9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$73 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 20.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $747 in Montevideo versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 95% higher in Montevideo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Montevideo versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.23 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 40.19 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.88 UYU (100 UYU = 2.23 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Medellin 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,657 per month in Montevideo and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $747 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Montevideo and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,771 in Montevideo and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 7% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,771 in Montevideo and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $1,771 in Montevideo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.