Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Merida

For one person, living is cheaper in Merida: $1,334 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Merida
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Merida Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Merida

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Merida

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $1,334 in Merida, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Merida $1,334

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $2,174 in Merida, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Merida $2,174

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $3,014 in Merida, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Merida $3,014

Montevideo costs about 36% more than Merida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montevideo and Merida sit above the global median – Montevideo by 35%, Merida by 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$13.90 MX$255

9.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$55.7 MX$1,022

21.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$8.11 MX$149

77.19%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$3.97 MX$73.0

16.88%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.14 MX$21.00

139.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$1.18 MX$21.67

77.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$3.07 MX$56.4

54.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.87 MX$71.1

-5.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$1.60 MX$29.30

-13.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$2.64 MX$48.41

4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$1.73 MX$31.83

-2.31%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$1.97 MX$36.18

129.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$10.31 MX$189

37.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$7.70 MX$141

56.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$12.54 MX$230

-3.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$2.77 MX$50.9

3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.41 MX$25.89

95.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$2.14 MX$39.21

-19.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.08 MX$38.10

55.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.36 MX$43.25

-12.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.83 MX$33.53

13.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.43 MX$26.27

-3.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$1.13 MX$20.80

63.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$4.44 MX$81.4

25.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$10.90 MX$200

-18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.47 MX$27.06

55.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.51 MX$46.08

7.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$0.67 MX$12.36

126.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$19.76 MX$363

272.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$2.73 MX$50.1

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$3.76 MX$69.1

-89.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$8.82 MX$162

20.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$1.58 MX$29.04

40.51%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$21.5K MX$393.9K

24.66%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$24.4K MX$447.1K

50.89%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$113 MX$2,076

68.81%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$21.35 MX$392

-4.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$35.42 MX$650

24.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$30.12 MX$553

79.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$11.83 MX$217

66.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$7.57 MX$139

62.88%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$266 MX$4,880

130.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$3,584 MX$65.8K

208.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$55.6 MX$1,020

84.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$54.2 MX$995

3.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$102 MX$1,869

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$87.2 MX$1,602

48.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$634 MX$11.6K

11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$468 MX$8,585

23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$1,243 MX$22.8K

-8.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$967 MX$17.8K

5.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$2,252 MX$41.4K

48.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$1,234 MX$22.7K

57.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$604 MX$11.1K

103.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.64

-50.69%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Merida: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Merida

$468 34.7% 18.7% $108

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Merida

$270 20% 18.9% $63

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Merida

$216 16% 20.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Merida

$170 12.6% 33.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Merida

$134 10% 27.6% $51

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Merida

$44 3.3% 47.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Merida

$45 3.4% 42.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $634 in Merida. 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 103% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo versus $56.0 in Merida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $270 – making Merida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Merida

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

00:16 12:16 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

975,000

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Merida 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Merida

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 Merida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $2,001 in Merida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Montevideo and $266 in Merida. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Merida, where all-in costs run around $1,334, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Merida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Merida – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Merida. 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.