Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: $1,596 a month against $1,771 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $1,596

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,398 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $2,398

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $3,200 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $3,200

Montevideo costs about 11% more than Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montevideo and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$11.94 ₡5,353

26.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$44.58 ₡20.0K

55.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$10.82 ₡4,855

35.40%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$4.03 ₡1,808

10.67%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.38 ₡1,067

12.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.83 ₡819

9.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.37 ₡1,510

43.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.01 ₡1,800

-5.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.08 ₡931

-34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.16 ₡1,418

-9.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.43 ₡1,089

-27.98%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.07 ₡1,378

52.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$6.56 ₡2,942

111.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$7.76 ₡3,479

54.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$14.16 ₡6,350

-15.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$2.59 ₡1,161

7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.12 ₡504

144.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.29 ₡576

37.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.74 ₡781

86.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$2.60 ₡1,165

-24.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.97 ₡881

5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.69 ₡311

98.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$2.00 ₡898

-6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$3.12 ₡1,398

79.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$15.10 ₡6,773

-41.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.86 ₡1,284

-20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.71 ₡1,663

-25.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$1.30 ₡582

17.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$43.11 ₡19.3K

72.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.84 ₡825

3.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.54 ₡693

-74.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.50 ₡3,814

21.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.50 ₡674

42.00%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$22.3K ₡10.0M

21.74%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.0K ₡15.7M

3.47%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$95.5 ₡42.8K

97.09%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$35.40 ₡15.9K

-41.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$32.86 ₡14.7K

36.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$73.5 ₡33.0K

-26.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.71 ₡3,458

54.99%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$972 ₡435.8K

-34.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-35.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$64.6 ₡29.0K

58.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$25.92 ₡11.6K

121.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$97.0 ₡43.5K

30.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$54.5 ₡24.4K

134.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$690 ₡309.3K

4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$659 ₡295.6K

-13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,981 ₡888.2K

-42.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,135 ₡508.8K

-9.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$976 ₡437.6K

27.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$659 41.3% 16.1% $91

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$299 18.8% 9.7% $32

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$218 13.7% 19% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$164 10.3% 35.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$109 6.8% 41.5% $77

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$58 3.6% 31.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$89 5.6% 14.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $690 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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 28% 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $299 – making Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

09:00 9:00 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: 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 $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $2,394 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $972 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, where all-in costs run around $1,596, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon – 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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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.