Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Providence, RI

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $3,387 in Providence, RI, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Providence, RI
🇺🇸 United States
$3,387
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Providence, RI

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $3,387 in Providence, RI, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Providence, RI $3,387

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $4,631 in Providence, RI, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Providence, RI $4,631

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $5,875 in Providence, RI, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Providence, RI $5,875

Montevideo is about 48% cheaper than Providence, RI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Montevideo and Providence, RI sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Providence, RI by 151%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 609
$18.28 $18.28
-17.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,776
$95.3 $95.3
-27.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 588
$13.70 $13.70
6.93%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$5.49 $5.49
-18.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$2.92 $2.92
-8.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.4
$2.03 $2.03
-1.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$4.94 $4.94
-2.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 152
$8.17 $8.17
-53.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.8
$1.05 $1.05
29.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$3.29 $3.29
-12.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.2
$5.26 $5.26
-66.73%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$4.89 $4.89
-4.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 557
$11.09 $11.09
25.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 481
$14.18 $14.18
-15.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 480
$17.48 $17.48
-31.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 111
$4.77 $4.77
-41.72%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.38 $1.38
98.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.2
$5.48 $5.48
-67.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$4.81 $4.81
-32.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.2
$3.25 $3.25
-39.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$3.66 $3.66
-43.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.1
$2.34 $2.34
-41.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.3
$2.03 $2.03
-7.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 224
$13.54 $13.54
-58.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 352
$13.53 $13.53
-35.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.9
$2.05 $2.05
10.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 110
$4.29 $4.29
-35.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.5
$2.06 $2.06
-25.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,980
$70.6 $70.6
5.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.7
$5.07 $5.07
-62.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.18
$1.40 $1.40
-71.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
$30.46 $30.46
-66.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$1.03 $1.03
106.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
$37.1K $37.1K
-26.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
$26.4K $26.4K
37.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,557
$318 $318
-40.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 824
$69.7 $69.7
-70.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,798
$84.1 $84.1
-46.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,166
$55.1 $55.1
-1.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 793
$59.2 $59.2
-66.63%
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 480
$14.68 $14.68
-18.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$1,500 $1,500
-57.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
$16.7K $16.7K
-33.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,099
$54.1 $54.1
88.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,309
$38.42 $38.42
49.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,079
$80.2 $80.2
57.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,131
$99.2 $99.2
28.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.8K
$2,379 $2,379
-69.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
$1,888 $1,888
-69.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
$3,081 $3,081
-62.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
$2,582 $2,582
-60.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
$3,392 $3,392
0.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
$3,322 $3,322
-41.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Providence, RI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
$3,661 $3,661
-66.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.64
-13.55%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Providence, RI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Providence, RI
$1.9K 233% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Providence, RI
$415 25.3% $84
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Providence, RI
$314 16.7% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Providence, RI
$472 86% $218
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Providence, RI
$122 34.3% $64
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Providence, RI
$91 7.9% $6.6
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Providence, RI
$84 8.4% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $2,379 in Providence, RI. 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 194% higher in Providence, RI, 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $95.0 in Providence, RI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $415 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Providence, RI
🕒 Local time
14:36 2:36 PM
13:36 1:36 PM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
179,472
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Providence, RI 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Providence, RI

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 Providence, RI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Providence, RI cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Providence, RI is pricier by about 91%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $5,081 in Providence, RI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $1,500 in Providence, RI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Montevideo and in Providence, RI?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Providence, RI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Providence, RI?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Providence, RI at $3,387. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Providence, RI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montevideo or Providence, RI more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Montevideo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Montevideo or Providence, RI?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Providence, RI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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