Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Paradise

For one person, living is cheaper in Paradise: $1,624 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Montevideo despite lower rent and utilities.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Paradise
Learn more

Paradise Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Paradise

🇬🇾 Guyana

$1,624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Paradise

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $1,624 in Paradise, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Paradise $1,624

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $2,147 in Paradise, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Paradise $2,147

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $2,670 in Paradise, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Paradise $2,670

Montevideo costs about 12% more than Paradise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montevideo and Paradise sit above the global median – Montevideo by 35%, Paradise by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$9.39 GYD 1,950

62.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$65.7 GYD 13.6K

2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$8.53 GYD 1,772

68.46%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$4.40 GYD 913

5.45%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.16 GYD 241

135.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$0.69 GYD 143

202.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.31 GYD 479

105.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$2.46 GYD 511

49.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$3.65 GYD 758

-62.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$1.87 GYD 389

48.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$1.84 GYD 382

-8.15%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$3.43 GYD 712

31.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$10.09 GYD 2,095

40.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$5.77 GYD 1,198

109.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$9.11 GYD 1,892

33.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$4.02 GYD 835

-28.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.28 GYD 474

20.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$2.28 GYD 475

-24.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.48 GYD 515

30.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.45 GYD 302

42.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.97 GYD 409

5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.28 GYD 266

7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$1.67 GYD 348

10.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$2.18 GYD 453

155.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$10.94 GYD 2,272

-18.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.57 GYD 327

45.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.38 GYD 494

13.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$0.59 GYD 122

157.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$29.99 GYD 6,228

145.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$2.41 GYD 500

-24.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$3.30 GYD 686

-87.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$9.69 GYD 2,012

10.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$1.02 GYD 213

117.65%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$15.6K GYD 3.2M

71.12%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$17.8K GYD 3.7M

105.96%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$75.3 GYD 15.6K

153.47%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$27.89 GYD 5,792

-26.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$67.9 GYD 14.1K

-35.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$49.69 GYD 10.3K

8.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$6.09 GYD 1,264

102.46%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$916 GYD 190.3K

-33.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$20.6K GYD 4.3M

-46.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$31.67 GYD 6,577

224.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$47.24 GYD 9,810

18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$63.4 GYD 13.2K

96.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$63.5 GYD 13.2K

104.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$299 GYD 62.1K

135.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$807 GYD 167.7K

-28.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$1,221 GYD 253.7K

-6.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$661 GYD 137.2K

53.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$3,406 GYD 707.4K

-1.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$470 GYD 97.6K

313.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$729 GYD 151.5K

68.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

7.11

-19.27%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Paradise: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Paradise

$807 49% 40.3% $232

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Paradise

$286 17.4% 13.9% $46

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Paradise

$177 10.8% 34.6% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Paradise

$171 10.4% 33% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Paradise

$93 5.6% 50.2% $93

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Paradise

$51 3.1% 38.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Paradise

$62 3.8% 21.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $299 in Paradise. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo versus $66.0 in Paradise. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $286 – making Paradise the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇬🇾 Paradise

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

2,050

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Guyanese Dollar GYD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD

1,000 GYD = 4.29 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GYD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Guyanese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 208 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD). 1 EUR = 233 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.29 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Paradise 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Paradise

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 Paradise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $2,436 in Paradise. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paradise, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Montevideo and $916 in Paradise. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Paradise, where all-in costs run around $1,624, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Paradise it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paradise – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Paradise. 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.