Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Puebla

For one person, living is cheaper in Puebla: $1,161 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Puebla
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Puebla Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Puebla

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Puebla

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $1,161 in Puebla, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Puebla $1,161

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $1,853 in Puebla, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Puebla $1,853

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $2,545 in Puebla, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Puebla $2,545

Montevideo costs about 56% more than Puebla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 35% above the global median, while Puebla is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$9.88 MX$180

54.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,707

$48.13 MX$876

40.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 577

$9.43 MX$171

52.39%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 186

$3.35 MX$60.9

38.51%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.54 MX$28.05

77.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 83.9

$1.19 MX$21.59

75.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$2.85 MX$51.9

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$3.85 MX$70.1

-4.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.58 MX$28.77

-12.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 111

$3.10 MX$56.3

-10.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.7

$1.85 MX$33.67

-8.65%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$3.46 MX$62.9

30.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 569

$6.70 MX$122

111.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$5.77 MX$105

109.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 488

$11.22 MX$204

8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.72 MX$49.42

5.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.73 MX$31.44

58.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$1.96 MX$35.68

-11.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.05 MX$37.30

58.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$2.10 MX$38.22

-1.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$2.02 MX$36.81

2.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.53 MX$27.89

-9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.4

$1.31 MX$23.91

41.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$5.22 MX$95.0

6.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$14.06 MX$256

-36.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.1

$1.43 MX$26.02

60.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 108

$2.57 MX$46.66

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.2

$0.56 MX$10.25

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,958

$24.50 MX$446

200.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

$5.46 MX$99.2

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.02

$1.98 MX$36.04

-79.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 428

$15.74 MX$286

-32.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.0

$1.51 MX$27.45

47.02%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$21.5K MX$391.6K

24.25%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$25.1K MX$456.0K

46.58%

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

$191 UYU 7,662

$62.1 MX$1,129

207.51%

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

$20.40 UYU 819

$18.96 MX$345

7.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,772

$23.89 MX$434

84.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,174

$42.50 MX$773

27.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 790

$13.53 MX$246

45.45%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 495

$5.69 MX$103

116.70%

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

$416 MX$7,562

47.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

$20.2K MX$367.3K

-45.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,128

$58.4 MX$1,062

76.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,251

$62.0 MX$1,128

-9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,993

$102 MX$1,846

22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,207

$96.8 MX$1,761

33.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.3K

$639 MX$11.6K

10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$354 MX$6,439

62.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

$882 MX$16.0K

29.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$664 MX$12.1K

52.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

$1,660 MX$30.2K

101.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

$905 MX$16.5K

114.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$663 MX$12.1K

85.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

10.96

-47.63%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Puebla: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Puebla

$354 31% 38.5% $221

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Puebla

$265 23.2% 20.2% $67

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Puebla

$180 15.8% 33.5% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Puebla

$105 9.2% 58.9% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Puebla

$143 12.5% 22.8% $42

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Puebla

$42 3.7% 49.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Puebla

$54 4.7% 31.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $639 in Puebla. 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 85% 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 $48.00 in Puebla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $265 – making Puebla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Puebla

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

00:21 12:21 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

1,542,232

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Puebla 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Puebla

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 Puebla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 56%, 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 $1,741 in Puebla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puebla, 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 $416 in Puebla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puebla, where all-in costs run around $1,161, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Puebla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puebla – 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 Puebla. 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.