Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Sabana Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabana Grande: $1,322 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Sabana Grande
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Sabana Grande Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Sabana Grande

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Sabana Grande

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Montevideo vs $1,322 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

Montevideo $1,784
Sabana Grande $1,322

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Montevideo vs $2,076 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

Montevideo $2,756
Sabana Grande $2,076

A family of three spends $3,728 per month in Montevideo vs $2,830 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

Montevideo $3,728
Sabana Grande $2,830

Montevideo costs about 35% more than Sabana Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 32% above the global median, while Sabana Grande is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$18.84 $18.84

-21.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$80.6 $80.6

-13.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$9.04 $9.04

62.39%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$3.67 $3.67

26.70%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.85 $1.85

48.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$1.50 $1.50

38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$3.06 $3.06

56.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$5.07 $5.07

-28.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$2.18 $2.18

-36.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$3.57 $3.57

-19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$2.41 $2.41

-29.46%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$7.34 $7.34

-37.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$12.41 $12.41

14.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$9.51 $9.51

22.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$13.57 $13.57

-9.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$4.98 $4.98

-44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$2.53 $2.53

12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$4.98 $4.98

-63.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$4.74 $4.74

-32.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$3.84 $3.84

-49.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$4.00 $4.00

-46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$3.53 $3.53

-59.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$1.65 $1.65

17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$11.96 $11.96

-54.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$15.75 $15.75

-43.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$3.10 $3.10

-27.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$4.11 $4.11

-31.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$2.43 $2.43

-21.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$1.48 $1.48

-70.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$41.52 $41.52

-74.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$1.17 $1.17

81.20%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$34.8K $34.8K

-23.12%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$28.4K $28.4K

30.25%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$327 $327

-41.07%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$69.6 $69.6

-69.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$68.8 $68.8

-34.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$10.44 $10.44

17.82%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$810 $810

-22.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$12.3K $12.3K

-11.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$56.5 $56.5

83.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$60.4 $60.4

-4.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$107 $107

16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$112 $112

17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.55

-12.37%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sabana Grande: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

Sabana Grande

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

Sabana Grande

$414 31.3% 24.2% $81

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

Sabana Grande

$261 19.7% 3% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

Sabana Grande

$465 35.2% 80% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

Sabana Grande

$151 11.5% 19.6% $37

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Sabana Grande

$9.8 * 0.7% 88.3% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

Sabana Grande

$21 * 1.6% 72.3% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montevideo versus $81.0 in Sabana Grande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $414 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇵🇷 Sabana Grande

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

20:27 8:27 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

25,000

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

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Between locations

Montevideo Sabana Grande 6,000 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Sabana Grande

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 Sabana Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Montevideo and $1,983 in Sabana Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montevideo and $81.0 in Sabana Grande. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Montevideo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sabana Grande, where all-in costs run around $1,322, than in Montevideo at $1,784. In Sabana Grande it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sabana Grande – 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 Sabana Grande. 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.