Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Quito

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Quito $979

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Quito $2,234

Montevideo costs about 85% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 35% above the global median, while Quito is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$6.14 $6.14

148.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,707

$53.9 $53.9

25.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 577

$7.81 $7.81

83.99%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 186

$3.42 $3.42

35.67%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.44 $1.44

89.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 83.9

$1.14 $1.14

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$3.48 $3.48

36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$5.89 $5.89

-37.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$1.14 $1.14

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 111

$1.54 $1.54

79.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.7

$1.51 $1.51

11.92%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$2.16 $2.16

109.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 569

$6.40 $6.40

121.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$5.48 $5.48

120.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 488

$7.81 $7.81

55.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.33 $2.33

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.24 $1.24

121.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$1.31 $1.31

32.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.14 $1.14

184.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$1.21 $1.21

71.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$1.02 $1.02

102.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$0.93 $0.93

48.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.4

$1.05 $1.05

76.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

$6.02 $6.02

-7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$9.93 $9.93

-10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.1

$1.59 $1.59

44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 108

$3.08 $3.08

-12.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.2

$0.37 $0.37

310.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,958

$20.95 $20.95

251.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

$1.54 $1.54

18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.02

$1.53 $1.53

-73.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 428

$10.01 $10.01

6.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.0

$0.87 $0.87

155.17%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$21.0K $21.0K

27.45%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$28.6K $28.6K

28.69%

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

$191 UYU 7,662

$28.97 $28.97

558.75%

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

$20.40 UYU 819

$17.57 $17.57

16.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,772

$28.14 $28.14

56.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,174

$46.48 $46.48

16.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 790

$17.70 $17.70

11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 495

$6.38 $6.38

93.26%

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

$746 $746

-17.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

$9,015 $9,015

22.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,128

$68.8 $68.8

49.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,251

$50.4 $50.4

11.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,993

$117 $117

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,207

$109 $109

18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.3K

$478 $478

47.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$313 $313

83.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

$967 $967

17.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

$549 $549

84.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

$1,763 $1,763

89.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

$720 $720

169.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$597 $597

105.97%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Quito

$313 31.8% 45.6% $262

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Quito

$198 20.1% 40.6% $135

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Quito

$153 15.5% 43.6% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Quito

$75 7.6% 70.8% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Quito

$156 15.8% 16.3% $30

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Quito

$32 3.2% 62.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Quito

$59 6% 24.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $478 in Quito. 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 106% 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 $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

00:07 12:07 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

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Between locations

Montevideo Quito 4,500 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Quito

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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $1,468 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, 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 $746 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% 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 Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – 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 Quito. 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.