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: $1,677 in Montevideo versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,515 in Montevideo versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,353 in Montevideo versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Montevideo is roughly 13% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montevideo 25% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 UYU 638

$12.98 MX$226

24.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 UYU 2,176

$53.1 MX$923

3.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 UYU 477

$9.72 MX$169

23.87%

Cappuccino

$4.26 UYU 169

$3.75 MX$65.2

13.60%

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

$2.20 UYU 87.1

$1.57 MX$27.30

40.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 UYU 67.1

$1.13 MX$19.64

49.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 UYU 170

$3.18 MX$55.3

34.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 UYU 143

$4.66 MX$81.1

-22.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UYU 49.80

$1.62 MX$28.21

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 UYU 111

$2.71 MX$47.09

3.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 UYU 65.3

$1.88 MX$32.70

-12.23%

Eggs

$4.92 UYU 195

$2.51 MX$43.65

96.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 UYU 534

$10.08 MX$175

33.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 UYU 425

$8.29 MX$144

29.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 UYU 443

$11.94 MX$208

-6.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 UYU 124

$2.86 MX$49.77

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 UYU 98.1

$1.75 MX$30.45

41.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 UYU 61.4

$2.08 MX$36.27

-25.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 UYU 148

$1.97 MX$34.27

89.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 UYU 85.3

$2.16 MX$37.58

-0.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 UYU 74.8

$2.18 MX$37.94

-13.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 UYU 54.0

$1.39 MX$24.20

-2.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 UYU 65.8

$1.12 MX$19.57

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 UYU 201

$4.20 MX$73.1

20.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 UYU 403

$14.25 MX$248

-28.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 UYU 93.5

$1.76 MX$30.68

34.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 UYU 117

$3.68 MX$64.1

-20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 UYU 50.9

$0.39 MX$6.71

230.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.9 UYU 2,213

$18.66 MX$325

199.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 UYU 61.1

$1.39 MX$24.12

10.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 UYU 138

$0.30 MX$5.29

1060.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.29 UYU 487

$5.42 MX$94.3

126.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 UYU 72.1

$1.35 MX$23.50

34.81%

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

$33.7K UYU 1.3M

$18.9K MX$328.6K

78.64%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$23.2K MX$402.8K

59.94%

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

$173 UYU 6,835

$40.82 MX$710

322.64%

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

$16.74 UYU 663

$27.50 MX$479

-39.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.89 UYU 1,937

$30.38 MX$529

60.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.4 UYU 2,432

$53.4 MX$930

14.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 UYU 692

$26.30 MX$458

-33.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 UYU 422

$6.27 MX$109

70.02%

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

$477 UYU 18.9K

$436 MX$7,588

9.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,942 UYU 354.3K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-14.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 UYU 3,722

$56.8 MX$988

65.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.23 UYU 1,911

$44.79 MX$779

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 UYU 4,430

$103 MX$1,789

8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 UYU 4,958

$108 MX$1,878

15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 UYU 24.8K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 UYU 19.6K

$620 MX$10.8K

-20.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 UYU 43.0K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-49.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 UYU 31.9K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-34.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,508 UYU 139.0K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-9.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,251 UYU 89.2K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-3.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 49.3K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

16.62%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Montevideo and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 17% 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 $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $286 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Montevideo pays 17% 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: $626 in Montevideo versus $1,000 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 199% less than in Montevideo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $477 in Montevideo versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,677 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 13% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.