Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Minas

For one person, living is cheaper in Minas: $1,069 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,784
/mo nomad
Minas
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,069
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Minas

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Montevideo vs $1,069 in Minas, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,784
  • Minas $1,069

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Montevideo vs $1,734 in Minas, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,756
  • Minas $1,734

A family of three spends $3,728 per month in Montevideo vs $2,400 in Minas, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,728
  • Minas $2,400

Montevideo costs about 67% more than Minas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Montevideo sits 32% above the global median, while Minas is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.82 UYU 595
$14.86 UYU 597
-0.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.7 UYU 2,797
$69.7 UYU 2,799
-0.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.68 UYU 589
$14.61 UYU 586
0.48%
Cappuccino
$4.65 UYU 186
$4.66 UYU 187
-0.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 UYU 110
$2.77 UYU 111
-1.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 UYU 82.9
$2.01 UYU 80.7
2.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.79 UYU 192
$4.87 UYU 196
-1.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 UYU 146
$3.84 UYU 154
-5.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 UYU 55.8
$1.39 UYU 55.8
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 UYU 116
$2.90 UYU 116
-0.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 UYU 68.1
$1.72 UYU 69.1
-1.16%
Eggs
$4.62 UYU 185
$4.61 UYU 185
0.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.22 UYU 571
$14.12 UYU 567
0.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.62 UYU 466
$11.33 UYU 455
2.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 UYU 491
$12.00 UYU 482
1.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 UYU 111
$2.86 UYU 115
-3.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.85 UYU 114
$2.82 UYU 113
1.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 UYU 72.5
$1.73 UYU 69.5
4.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 UYU 129
$3.09 UYU 124
3.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 UYU 77.8
$1.92 UYU 76.9
1.04%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 UYU 86.5
$2.15 UYU 86.2
0.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 UYU 57.3
$1.43 UYU 57.5
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 UYU 77.9
$1.90 UYU 76.3
2.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.47 UYU 219
$5.34 UYU 214
2.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.95 UYU 359
$8.49 UYU 341
5.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.8
$2.26 UYU 90.6
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 UYU 113
$2.84 UYU 114
-1.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.56 UYU 62.6
$0.76 UYU 30.54
105.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 UYU 2,962
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 UYU 76.2
$1.88 UYU 75.5
1.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 UYU 17.36
$0.40 UYU 16.02
7.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.59 UYU 425
$10.47 UYU 420
1.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 UYU 85.2
$2.16 UYU 86.5
-1.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
$26.4K UYU 1.1M
1.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K UYU 1.5M
$36.8K UYU 1.5M
0.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$193 UYU 7,727
$186 UYU 7,459
3.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.91 UYU 839
$20.60 UYU 827
1.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.89 UYU 1,802
$45.30 UYU 1,818
-0.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 UYU 2,038
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.73 UYU 792
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.30 UYU 494
$12.43 UYU 499
-1.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$629 UYU 25.2K
$615 UYU 24.7K
2.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K UYU 437.3K
$11.0K UYU 443.2K
-1.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 UYU 4,166
$104 UYU 4,185
-0.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 UYU 2,305
$56.9 UYU 2,284
0.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 UYU 5,010
$122 UYU 4,899
2.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 UYU 5,315
$131 UYU 5,247
1.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$713 UYU 28.6K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 UYU 46.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 UYU 41.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,418 UYU 137.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,760 UYU 70.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Minas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,244 UYU 49.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
5.74
-

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Minas: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Minas
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$334
Minas
$329 1.2% $4.1
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Minas
$270 0.4% $1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$258
Minas
$252 2.5% $6.6
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$188
Minas
$186 1.1% $2
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Minas
$6.9 * 91.8% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$75
Minas
$25 * 67% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montevideo versus $70.0 in Minas. Groceries tell a different story – $334 in Montevideo vs $329 in Minas – so Minas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇾 Minas
🕒 Local time
11:20 11:20 AM
11:20 11:20 AM
Same time as Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
38,446
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Minas 110 km
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Minas

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 Minas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Montevideo and in Minas compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,784 in Montevideo, $1,069 in Minas – roughly 67% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Montevideo compared to Minas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Montevideo and $1,604 in Minas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city is more expensive overall: Montevideo or Minas?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,784 in Montevideo and $1,069 in Minas. That's a gap of about 67%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Montevideo and Minas?
Kindergarten costs $629 per month in Montevideo and $615 in Minas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Minas, where all-in costs run around $1,069, than in Montevideo at $1,784. In Minas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Montevideo and Minas?
It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,069 in Minas to $1,784 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Montevideo or Minas safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Montevideo and Minas?
If budget matters most, go with Minas. 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.

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