Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Saint John's

For one person, living costs are similar in Montevideo and in Saint John's: $1,813 and $1,816 a month, rent and utilities included.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Saint John's
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda
$1,816
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Saint John's

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $1,816 in Saint John's, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,813
  • Saint John's $1,816

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $2,873 in Saint John's, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,782
  • Saint John's $2,873

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $3,929 in Saint John's, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,750
  • Saint John's $3,929

Montevideo and Saint John's have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Montevideo and Saint John's sit above the global median – Montevideo by 35%, Saint John's by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.26 UYU 613
$22.50 EC$60.8
-32.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 UYU 2,711
$75.0 EC$203
-10.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.37 UYU 578
$10.97 EC$29.62
30.99%
Cappuccino
$4.64 UYU 187
$3.80 EC$10.27
22.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 UYU 110
$2.03 EC$5.47
34.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 UYU 84.0
$0.87 EC$2.34
140.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.75 UYU 191
$1.87 EC$5.05
154.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 UYU 147
$4.48 EC$12.09
-18.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 UYU 55.5
$2.18 EC$5.88
-36.70%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 UYU 112
$2.81 EC$7.59
-1.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 UYU 67.8
$1.90 EC$5.14
-11.05%
Eggs
$4.52 UYU 182
$6.63 EC$17.91
-31.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 UYU 570
$8.32 EC$22.46
70.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.07 UYU 485
$8.31 EC$22.44
45.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.16 UYU 489
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 UYU 116
$6.48 EC$17.49
-55.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 UYU 110
$2.42 EC$6.54
13.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 UYU 69.5
$8.12 EC$21.93
-78.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$8.10 EC$21.87
-60.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$2.92 EC$7.88
-29.11%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$2.90 EC$7.84
-28.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 UYU 55.4
$2.64 EC$7.12
-47.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 UYU 74.5
$1.61 EC$4.34
14.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.57 UYU 224
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$8.89 UYU 357
$5.53 EC$14.93
60.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 UYU 92.2
$2.73 EC$7.36
-16.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 UYU 109
$4.55 EC$12.29
-40.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
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
$1.63 EC$4.40
36.20%
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
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 UYU 7,674
$256 EC$692
-25.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.40 UYU 820
$40.32 EC$109
-49.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.14 UYU 1,775
$81.4 EC$220
-45.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 UYU 2,177
$65.3 EC$176
-17.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.68 UYU 791
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.33 UYU 496
$6.43 EC$17.36
91.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$613 UYU 24.7K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
$1,855 EC$5,009
495.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 UYU 4,134
$49.21 EC$133
108.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 UYU 2,255
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 UYU 5,000
$75.4 EC$204
64.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 UYU 5,214
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$705 UYU 28.4K
$1,036 EC$2,796
-31.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
$680 EC$1,835
-15.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
$1,694 EC$4,573
-32.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
$1,497 EC$4,043
-32.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Saint John's
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
$1,344 EC$3,630
-8.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
5.5
4.36%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Saint John's: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Saint John's
$680 18.1% $104
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Saint John's
$349 * 4.9% $16
Eating Out
Montevideo
$271
Saint John's
$288 6.3% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$255
Saint John's
$378 48.1% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Saint John's
$56 * 69.8% $130
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Saint John's
- * 100%
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$79
Saint John's
$78 0.8% $0.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $1,036 in Saint John's. 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 9% higher in Saint John's. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo versus $75.0 in Saint John's. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $349 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇦🇬 Saint John's
🕒 Local time
08:46 8:46 AM
07:46 7:46 AM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
21,926 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Saint John's 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Saint John's

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 Saint John's: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $2,724 in Saint John's. 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 Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Montevideo and in Saint John's?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Saint John's, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Montevideo or in Saint John's?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo and $75.0 in Saint John's. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Saint John's?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Saint John's at $1,816. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John's it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montevideo or Saint John's more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Montevideo – 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 Saint John's?
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 Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint John's makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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