Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Rivera

For one person, living is cheaper in Rivera: $219 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Rivera

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Rivera

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $219 in Rivera, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Rivera $219

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $427 in Rivera, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Rivera $427

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $634 in Rivera, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Rivera $634

Montevideo costs about 728% more than Rivera, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 35% above the global median, while Rivera is 84% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$24.35 UYU 979

-37.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$29.22 UYU 1,175

130.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.35 UYU 54.2

102.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$1.10 UYU 44.10

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.13 UYU 45.25

102.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

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

$191 UYU 7,674

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

$20.40 UYU 820

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.5

-11.69%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rivera: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Rivera

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Rivera

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Rivera

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Rivera

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Rivera

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Rivera

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Rivera

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo versus $29.00 in Rivera. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $17.00 – making Rivera the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇺🇾 Rivera

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

Same time as Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

64,485

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Montevideo Rivera 450 km

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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 Rivera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 728%, 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 $329 in Rivera. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 1904% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo and $29.00 in Rivera. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rivera, where all-in costs run around $219, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Rivera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rivera – 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 Rivera. 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.