Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Quevedo

For one person, living is cheaper in Quevedo: $845 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Quevedo
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$845
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Quevedo

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $845 in Quevedo, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Quevedo $845

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,466 in Quevedo, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Quevedo $1,466

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,086 in Quevedo, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Quevedo $2,086

Montevideo costs about 109% more than Quevedo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Quevedo is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 609
$5.91 $5.91
156.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,776
$54.8 $54.8
26.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 588
$7.57 $7.57
93.53%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$3.36 $3.36
32.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$1.42 $1.42
88.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.4
$1.11 $1.11
80.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$3.54 $3.54
36.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 152
$6.04 $6.04
-37.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.8
$1.14 $1.14
19.30%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$1.61 $1.61
78.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.2
$1.51 $1.51
15.89%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$2.17 $2.17
115.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 557
$6.60 $6.60
110.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 481
$5.71 $5.71
109.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 480
$7.68 $7.68
55.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 111
$2.25 $2.25
23.56%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.23 $1.23
122.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.2
$1.32 $1.32
34.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$1.08 $1.08
200.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.2
$1.19 $1.19
65.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$1.07 $1.07
93.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.1
$0.87 $0.87
57.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.3
$1.02 $1.02
84.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 224
$6.13 $6.13
-8.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 352
$10.13 $10.13
-13.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 90.9
$1.57 $1.57
43.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 110
$3.10 $3.10
-11.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.5
$0.33 $0.33
363.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,980
$17.45 $17.45
325.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.7
$1.52 $1.52
25.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.18
$1.49 $1.49
-73.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
$10.15 $10.15
1.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$0.85 $0.85
150.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
$21.3K $21.3K
27.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
$28.0K $28.0K
29.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,557
$28.93 $28.93
550.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 824
$17.60 $17.60
16.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,798
$28.80 $28.80
55.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,166
$34.05 $34.05
58.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 793
$16.89 $16.89
16.93%
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 480
$6.44 $6.44
85.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$227 $227
179.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
$8,815 $8,815
25.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,099
$70.8 $70.8
44.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,309
$50.4 $50.4
14.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,079
$114 $114
11.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,131
$108 $108
18.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.8K
$300 $300
139.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
$192 $192
195.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
$790 $790
45.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
$468 $468
118.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
$1,113 $1,113
204.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
$794 $794
145.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Quevedo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
10.12
-43.28%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quevedo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Quevedo
$192 66.2% $376
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Quevedo
$199 40.1% $133
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Quevedo
$150 44.2% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Quevedo
$75 70.3% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Quevedo
$154 17.1% $32
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Quevedo
$28 67.1% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Quevedo
$47 39.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $300 in Quevedo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $55.0 in Quevedo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $199 – making Quevedo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇪🇨 Quevedo
🕒 Local time
17:30 5:30 PM
15:30 3:30 PM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
300,000
💱 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 Quevedo 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Quevedo

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 Quevedo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quevedo cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,268 in Quevedo. 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 Quevedo, 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 $227 in Quevedo. 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 Quevedo?
Groceries cost about 67% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Quevedo?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Quevedo, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Quevedo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montevideo or Quevedo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Quevedo – 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 Quevedo?
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 Quevedo. 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.

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