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: $1,787 in Montevideo versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,687 in Montevideo versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Montevideo versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 7% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 30% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.88 UYU 599

$12.14 MX$206

22.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 UYU 2,450

$53.9 MX$914

12.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 UYU 560

$11.09 MX$188

25.43%

Cappuccino

$4.36 UYU 175

$4.10 MX$69.5

6.34%

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

$2.78 UYU 112

$1.68 MX$28.53

65.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 UYU 81.8

$1.39 MX$23.55

46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.73 UYU 190

$3.33 MX$56.5

42.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 UYU 151

$5.88 MX$99.7

-36.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 UYU 53.3

$1.85 MX$31.41

-28.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 UYU 117

$3.17 MX$53.8

-8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 UYU 69.9

$2.07 MX$35.13

-15.94%

Eggs

$4.84 UYU 195

$2.93 MX$49.67

65.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 UYU 571

$12.59 MX$214

12.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 UYU 462

$10.11 MX$172

13.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.74 UYU 472

$16.09 MX$273

-27.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 UYU 117

$3.39 MX$57.5

-14.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 UYU 112

$2.08 MX$35.26

34.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.7

$2.12 MX$35.97

-18.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 UYU 127

$2.41 MX$40.95

30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$2.13 MX$36.11

-6.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 UYU 86.6

$2.01 MX$34.02

6.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 UYU 58.0

$1.55 MX$26.21

-7.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 UYU 76.5

$1.36 MX$23.15

39.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 UYU 215

$5.77 MX$97.8

-7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 UYU 348

$17.74 MX$301

-51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 UYU 91.3

$2.07 MX$35.11

9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 UYU 115

$4.61 MX$78.3

-38.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.1

$0.37 MX$6.21

310.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.2 UYU 2,988

$21.18 MX$359

250.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 UYU 74.3

$2.05 MX$34.84

-9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.45

$0.58 MX$9.79

-29.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 UYU 427

$6.07 MX$103

74.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 UYU 87.5

$1.55 MX$26.34

40.00%

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

$27.3K UYU 1.1M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

19.33%

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

$37.3K UYU 1.5M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

37.01%

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

$194 UYU 7,799

$67.4 MX$1,144

187.38%

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

$17.71 UYU 713

$30.62 MX$520

-42.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.14 UYU 1,817

$37.24 MX$632

21.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 UYU 2,154

$61.5 MX$1,043

-12.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 UYU 796

$27.12 MX$460

-27.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 UYU 482

$7.11 MX$121

68.21%

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

$622 UYU 25.0K

$456 MX$7,739

36.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K UYU 428.1K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-22.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 UYU 3,907

$74.2 MX$1,259

30.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,312

$57.0 MX$967

0.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 UYU 4,930

$115 MX$1,958

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 UYU 5,340

$122 MX$2,061

9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 UYU 30.7K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-33.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 UYU 24.1K

$709 MX$12.0K

-15.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 UYU 48.0K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-53.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 UYU 38.6K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-26.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,581 UYU 144.2K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-10.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,916 UYU 77.1K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-10.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,247 UYU 50.2K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

15.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.49

11.3

-51.42%

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

Last update for Montevideo: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Montevideo and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 15% 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: $61.0 in Montevideo vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $331 vs $345, with Montevideo cheaper for home cooking.

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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,787 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Montevideo, 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: $762 in Montevideo versus $1,148 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 250% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $622 in Montevideo versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,787 in Montevideo, a $3,000 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 7% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.