Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Montevideo versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,495 in Montevideo versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,344 in Montevideo versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 14% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 22% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 UYU 658

$12.98 MX$224

25.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.0 UYU 2,272

$52.6 MX$909

6.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 UYU 498

$9.43 MX$163

30.22%

Cappuccino

$4.11 UYU 166

$3.57 MX$61.7

15.13%

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

$2.26 UYU 91.4

$1.61 MX$27.75

40.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 UYU 71.5

$1.15 MX$19.95

53.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 UYU 178

$3.15 MX$54.4

39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 UYU 152

$4.86 MX$84.0

-23.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 UYU 48.94

$1.70 MX$29.38

-28.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 UYU 115

$2.64 MX$45.55

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 UYU 67.6

$1.90 MX$32.90

-12.11%

Eggs

$4.80 UYU 195

$2.54 MX$43.93

88.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 UYU 558

$10.08 MX$174

36.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 UYU 439

$8.29 MX$143

30.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 UYU 454

$11.57 MX$200

-3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 UYU 126

$3.03 MX$52.3

2.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 UYU 97.1

$1.71 MX$29.56

39.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 UYU 60.8

$2.05 MX$35.41

-26.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 UYU 152

$2.06 MX$35.61

82.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 UYU 87.0

$2.06 MX$35.68

4.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 78.8

$2.17 MX$37.51

-10.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 UYU 53.8

$1.40 MX$24.25

-5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 UYU 69.3

$1.12 MX$19.39

52.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 UYU 212

$4.29 MX$74.2

21.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 UYU 411

$15.41 MX$266

-34.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 UYU 93.4

$1.67 MX$28.95

37.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 UYU 122

$3.69 MX$63.7

-18.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 UYU 52.3

$0.38 MX$6.60

239.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 UYU 2,275

$19.06 MX$329

194.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 UYU 63.1

$1.38 MX$23.86

13.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 UYU 141

$0.28 MX$4.78

1139.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 UYU 501

$5.42 MX$93.6

127.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 UYU 76.0

$1.28 MX$22.13

46.09%

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

$34.0K UYU 1.4M

$19.0K MX$328.1K

79.39%

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

$36.9K UYU 1.5M

$23.5K MX$405.5K

57.47%

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

$170 UYU 6,873

$41.02 MX$709

313.31%

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

$16.98 UYU 688

$26.92 MX$465

-36.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.75 UYU 1,976

$29.69 MX$513

64.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 UYU 2,512

$52.3 MX$905

18.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.74 UYU 719

$26.23 MX$453

-32.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 UYU 422

$6.18 MX$107

68.28%

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

$486 UYU 19.7K

$427 MX$7,382

13.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,923 UYU 361.7K

$10.7K MX$184.9K

-16.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 UYU 3,826

$56.8 MX$982

66.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.75 UYU 1,895

$44.83 MX$775

4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 UYU 4,531

$105 MX$1,807

6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 UYU 5,009

$106 MX$1,831

16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 UYU 25.1K

$995 MX$17.2K

-37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 UYU 19.7K

$621 MX$10.7K

-21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 UYU 44.4K

$2,126 MX$36.7K

-48.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 UYU 32.9K

$1,254 MX$21.7K

-35.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,553 UYU 144.1K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-8.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,245 UYU 91.0K

$2,096 MX$36.2K

7.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,317 UYU 53.4K

$1,107 MX$19.1K

18.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

11.34

-49.91%

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

Last update for Montevideo: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Montevideo and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 19% 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: $56.0 in Montevideo vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo and Mexico City differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Montevideo pays 19% more on average, 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: $619 in Montevideo versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 194% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $486 in Montevideo versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,646 in Montevideo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montevideo and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.