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: $1,639 in Montevideo versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,510 in Montevideo versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,381 in Montevideo versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 11% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 23% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.87 UYU 638

$13.14 MX$229

20.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 UYU 2,205

$53.5 MX$934

2.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 UYU 490

$9.33 MX$163

30.65%

Cappuccino

$4.14 UYU 167

$3.70 MX$64.5

11.89%

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

$2.25 UYU 90.3

$1.60 MX$27.98

40.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UYU 71.6

$1.12 MX$19.49

58.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 UYU 180

$3.14 MX$54.7

42.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 UYU 151

$4.85 MX$84.5

-22.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 UYU 51.1

$1.65 MX$28.84

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 116

$2.71 MX$47.34

5.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 UYU 66.7

$1.91 MX$33.29

-13.09%

Eggs

$4.91 UYU 197

$2.59 MX$45.17

89.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.80 UYU 555

$9.81 MX$171

40.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.67 UYU 429

$8.43 MX$147

26.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.88 UYU 437

$11.93 MX$208

-8.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 UYU 125

$2.95 MX$51.5

5.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 UYU 97.5

$1.74 MX$30.35

39.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 UYU 60.2

$2.04 MX$35.66

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 UYU 148

$2.06 MX$35.93

79.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 UYU 87.2

$2.15 MX$37.49

0.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 UYU 78.7

$2.26 MX$39.33

-13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 UYU 53.0

$1.39 MX$24.17

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 UYU 67.9

$1.12 MX$19.47

50.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 UYU 213

$4.22 MX$73.6

25.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.82 UYU 355

$17.51 MX$305

-49.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 UYU 92.4

$1.71 MX$29.82

34.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 UYU 119

$3.63 MX$63.4

-18.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 UYU 52.3

$0.35 MX$6.15

271.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 UYU 2,217

$19.32 MX$337

185.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 UYU 62.7

$1.38 MX$24.00

13.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 UYU 138

$0.28 MX$4.81

1128.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.55 UYU 505

$5.28 MX$92.0

137.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 UYU 75.6

$1.36 MX$23.69

38.24%

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

$34.3K UYU 1.4M

$19.1K MX$333.2K

79.40%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$23.6K MX$411.7K

55.40%

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

$175 UYU 7,045

$40.53 MX$707

332.22%

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

$16.34 UYU 657

$27.38 MX$478

-40.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.56 UYU 1,993

$30.38 MX$530

63.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 UYU 2,449

$52.2 MX$911

16.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.09 UYU 687

$26.48 MX$462

-35.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.39 UYU 418

$6.19 MX$108

67.85%

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

$487 UYU 19.6K

$425 MX$7,414

14.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,026 UYU 363.0K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-15.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 UYU 3,797

$58.3 MX$1,017

61.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 UYU 1,920

$44.57 MX$777

7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 UYU 4,585

$103 MX$1,805

10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 UYU 4,888

$109 MX$1,897

11.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 UYU 24.7K

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-39.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 UYU 19.4K

$623 MX$10.9K

-22.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 UYU 44.0K

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 UYU 33.3K

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-32.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 UYU 144.2K

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-5.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 UYU 91.8K

$2,110 MX$36.8K

8.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,283 UYU 51.6K

$1,052 MX$18.4K

21.94%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Montevideo and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 22% 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: $55.0 in Montevideo vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $293 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,639 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $614 in Montevideo versus $1,014 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 185% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $487 in Montevideo versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,639 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 11% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.