Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Salento

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $797 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Salento
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Salento Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Salento

🇨🇴 Colombia

$797

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Salento

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $797 in Salento, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Salento $797

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,210 in Salento, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Salento $1,210

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,624 in Salento, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Salento $1,624

Montevideo costs about 122% more than Salento, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Salento is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$3.84 COP 12.2K

294.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$23.68 COP 75.1K

192.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$7.19 COP 22.8K

103.76%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$1.52 COP 4,806

193.42%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.93 COP 2,935

187.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.57 COP 1,804

250.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.19 COP 3,782

305.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$2.16 COP 6,837

75.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.09 COP 3,457

24.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.24 COP 3,939

131.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.18 COP 3,739

48.31%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.15 COP 6,818

117.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$4.39 COP 13.9K

216.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$5.13 COP 16.3K

133.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$7.31 COP 23.2K

63.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$2.51 COP 7,970

10.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.05 COP 3,326

160.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.37 COP 4,343

29.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.05 COP 3,336

208.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.11 COP 3,527

77.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.13 COP 3,583

83.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.82 COP 2,608

67.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.68 COP 2,160

176.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$2.37 COP 7,525

135.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$9.63 COP 30.5K

-8.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.10 COP 3,482

105.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.76 COP 5,586

56.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.73 COP 2,310

109.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$30.33 COP 96.2K

144.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.41 COP 4,478

35.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.71 COP 5,433

-76.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$6.11 COP 19.4K

69.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$0.99 COP 3,135

115.15%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$18.1K COP 57.3M

50.01%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$25.1K COP 79.5M

44.70%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$81.4 COP 258.1K

131.36%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$8.90 COP 28.2K

130.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$22.59 COP 71.6K

98.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$23.61 COP 74.9K

128.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$3.96 COP 12.6K

201.77%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$238 COP 753.3K

167.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$5,861 COP 18.6M

88.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$59.3 COP 188.0K

72.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$32.37 COP 102.6K

77.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$82.0 COP 260.1K

54.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$72.6 COP 230.1K

76.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$269 COP 853.9K

166.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$239 COP 758.9K

137.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$524 COP 1.7M

118.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$424 COP 1.3M

141.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$1,420 COP 4.5M

138.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$1,087 COP 3.4M

79.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

13.06

-56.05%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Salento: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Salento

$239 30% 57.9% $329

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Salento

$172 21.6% 48% $159

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Salento

$87 10.9% 67.8% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Salento

$113 14.2% 55.5% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Salento

$111 13.9% 40.5% $76

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Salento

$43 5.4% 48.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Salento

$32 4% 59.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $269 in Salento. 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 $24.00 in Salento. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $172 – making Salento the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇴 Salento

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

23:36 11:36 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

9,748

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Salento 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Salento

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 Salento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 122%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,195 in Salento. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salento, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $238 in Salento. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salento, where all-in costs run around $797, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Salento it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salento – 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 Salento. 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.