Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Puerto Vallarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Vallarta: $1,635 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Vallarta
Learn more

Puerto Vallarta Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Puerto Vallarta

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Puerto Vallarta $1,635

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $2,465 in Puerto Vallarta, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Puerto Vallarta $2,465

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $3,295 in Puerto Vallarta, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Puerto Vallarta $3,295

Montevideo costs about 11% more than Puerto Vallarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montevideo and Puerto Vallarta sit above the global median – Montevideo by 35%, Puerto Vallarta by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$13.94 MX$256

9.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$57.4 MX$1,054

17.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$10.90 MX$200

31.83%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$4.06 MX$74.5

14.29%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.95 MX$35.86

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$1.39 MX$25.45

50.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$3.09 MX$56.7

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$4.34 MX$79.7

-15.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$1.91 MX$34.99

-27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$3.49 MX$64.1

-20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$2.02 MX$37.07

-16.34%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$2.25 MX$41.33

100.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$9.93 MX$182

42.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$11.00 MX$202

9.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$16.15 MX$296

-24.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

$2.86 MX$52.5

0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.54 MX$28.23

78.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$1.93 MX$35.50

-10.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.12 MX$38.99

52.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.34 MX$43.02

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.19 MX$58.5

-35.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.39 MX$25.55

-0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$1.15 MX$21.16

60.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$4.48 MX$82.3

24.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$10.88 MX$200

-18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.87 MX$34.42

22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$2.71 MX$49.77

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$0.62 MX$11.42

145.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

$21.37 MX$392

244.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$4.60 MX$84.4

-60.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$3.01 MX$55.3

-86.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$4.48 MX$82.3

137.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$1.56 MX$28.71

42.31%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$21.4K MX$393.8K

24.70%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$24.7K MX$453.5K

48.75%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$85.6 MX$1,572

122.87%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$26.25 MX$482

-22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$32.63 MX$599

35.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$36.80 MX$676

47.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

$15.19 MX$279

29.56%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$8.75 MX$161

40.91%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

$328 MX$6,021

86.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$6,190 MX$113.6K

78.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$55.0 MX$1,010

86.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

$34.89 MX$641

60.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$103 MX$1,897

20.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

$97.8 MX$1,796

32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$1,303 MX$23.9K

-45.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$699 MX$12.8K

-17.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

$2,040 MX$37.5K

-44.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$1,145 MX$21.0K

-11.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$5,090 MX$93.4K

-34.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

$2,598 MX$47.7K

-25.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$948 MX$17.4K

29.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.7

-50.94%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Puerto Vallarta

$699 43.2% 21.4% $123

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Puerto Vallarta

$316 19.5% 5.1% $17

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Puerto Vallarta

$230 14.2% 15.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Puerto Vallarta

$145 8.9% 43.4% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Puerto Vallarta

$131 8.1% 29.5% $55

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Puerto Vallarta

$44 2.7% 47.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Puerto Vallarta

$54 3.4% 31.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $1,303 in Puerto Vallarta. 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 30% 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 $57.0 in Puerto Vallarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $316 – making Puerto Vallarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

224,166

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Puerto Vallarta 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Puerto Vallarta

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 Puerto Vallarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $2,452 in Puerto Vallarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Vallarta, 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 $328 in Puerto Vallarta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 Puerto Vallarta, where all-in costs run around $1,635, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Puerto Vallarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Vallarta – 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 Puerto Vallarta. 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.