Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Mercedes Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Mercedes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,787 per month in Montevideo vs $1,300 in Mercedes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,687 per month in Montevideo vs $2,012 in Mercedes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,588 per month in Montevideo vs $2,725 in Mercedes, rent included.

Montevideo costs about 37% more than Mercedes, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Montevideo sits 30% above the global median, while Mercedes is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.88 UYU 599

$14.87 UYU 598

0.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 UYU 2,450

$63.2 UYU 2,543

-3.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 UYU 560

$13.19 UYU 531

5.46%

Cappuccino

$4.36 UYU 175

$4.60 UYU 185

-5.22%

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

$2.78 UYU 112

$2.68 UYU 108

3.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 UYU 81.8

$1.90 UYU 76.4

6.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.73 UYU 190

$4.73 UYU 191

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 UYU 151

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 UYU 53.3

$1.35 UYU 54.2

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 UYU 117

$2.81 UYU 113

3.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 UYU 69.9

$1.43 UYU 57.5

21.68%

Eggs

$4.84 UYU 195

$2.80 UYU 113

72.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 UYU 571

$13.87 UYU 558

2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 UYU 462

$11.66 UYU 469

-1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.74 UYU 472

$7.52 UYU 303

56.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 UYU 117

$2.00 UYU 80.3

45.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 UYU 112

$2.48 UYU 99.8

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.7

$1.15 UYU 46.42

50.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 UYU 127

$2.90 UYU 117

8.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$2.07 UYU 83.5

-3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 UYU 86.6

$2.06 UYU 82.9

4.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 UYU 58.0

$1.40 UYU 56.2

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 UYU 76.5

$1.72 UYU 69.1

10.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 UYU 215

$5.11 UYU 206

4.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 UYU 348

$8.03 UYU 323

7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 UYU 91.3

$2.36 UYU 95.2

-3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 UYU 115

$2.77 UYU 111

2.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.2 UYU 2,988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 UYU 74.3

$1.88 UYU 75.5

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.45

$0.44 UYU 17.55

-6.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 UYU 427

$10.69 UYU 430

-0.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 UYU 87.5

$2.14 UYU 86.1

1.40%

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

$27.3K UYU 1.1M

$27.0K UYU 1.1M

1.29%

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

$37.3K UYU 1.5M

$37.5K UYU 1.5M

-0.51%

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

$194 UYU 7,799

$188 UYU 7,581

2.87%

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

$17.71 UYU 713

$17.26 UYU 695

2.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.14 UYU 1,817

$44.75 UYU 1,802

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 UYU 2,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 UYU 796

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 UYU 482

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

$622 UYU 25.0K

$629 UYU 25.3K

-1.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K UYU 428.1K

$10.5K UYU 422.9K

1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 UYU 3,907

$95.7 UYU 3,853

1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,312

$56.3 UYU 2,268

1.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 UYU 4,930

$121 UYU 4,860

1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 UYU 5,340

$130 UYU 5,223

2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 UYU 30.7K

$565 UYU 22.7K

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 UYU 24.1K

$303 UYU 12.2K

96.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 UYU 48.0K

$633 UYU 25.5K

88.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 UYU 38.6K

$443 UYU 17.8K

116.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,581 UYU 144.2K

$3,044 UYU 122.5K

17.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,916 UYU 77.1K

$2,023 UYU 81.4K

-5.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,247 UYU 50.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.49

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

Last update for Montevideo: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mercedes: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $762 in Montevideo versus $565 in Mercedes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Montevideo versus $63.0 in Mercedes. Groceries tell a different story – $331 in Montevideo vs $295 in Mercedes – so Mercedes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Mercedes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo costs about 37% more than Mercedes, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,680 per month in Montevideo and $1,950 in Mercedes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mercedes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Montevideo and $63.0 in Mercedes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mercedes, where all-in costs run around $1,300, than in Montevideo at $1,787. In Mercedes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mercedes costs $1,300 versus $1,787 in Montevideo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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