Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and San Fernando

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $1,130 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

San Fernando

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in San Fernando

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Montevideo vs $1,130 in San Fernando, rent included.

Montevideo $1,784
San Fernando $1,130

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Montevideo vs $1,832 in San Fernando, rent included.

Montevideo $2,756
San Fernando $1,832

A family of three spends $3,728 per month in Montevideo vs $2,534 in San Fernando, rent included.

Montevideo $3,728
San Fernando $2,534

Montevideo costs about 58% more than San Fernando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 32% above the global median, while San Fernando is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$10.75 MX$199

37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$43.30 MX$800

60.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$8.42 MX$156

74.35%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$3.63 MX$67.0

28.10%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.42 MX$26.21

92.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$1.06 MX$19.52

95.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$2.42 MX$44.65

97.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$4.15 MX$76.7

-12.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$1.60 MX$29.59

-13.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$2.68 MX$49.57

7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$1.71 MX$31.53

-0.58%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$2.53 MX$46.78

82.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$8.19 MX$151

73.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$8.27 MX$153

40.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$11.60 MX$214

5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$2.67 MX$49.25

3.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$1.60 MX$29.50

78.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$1.97 MX$36.32

-8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$1.84 MX$33.96

73.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$1.97 MX$36.36

-1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$1.82 MX$33.57

18.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$1.43 MX$26.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$1.14 MX$21.00

70.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$4.32 MX$79.9

26.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$10.48 MX$194

-14.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$1.79 MX$33.11

26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$3.20 MX$59.2

-12.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

$0.64 MX$11.85

143.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$2.56 MX$47.39

-25.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$2.01 MX$37.15

-78.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$10.82 MX$200

-2.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$1.49 MX$27.45

42.28%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$21.0K MX$387.5K

27.75%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$23.7K MX$438.6K

55.85%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$57.0 MX$1,054

237.64%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$22.91 MX$423

-8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$29.54 MX$546

51.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

$33.60 MX$621

51.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

$20.12 MX$372

-1.94%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$5.23 MX$96.6

135.18%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$220 MX$4,060

186.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$4,534 MX$83.8K

140.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$54.3 MX$1,003

91.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$40.69 MX$752

41.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$98.8 MX$1,825

26.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$90.3 MX$1,669

46.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

$612 MX$11.3K

16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$383 MX$7,076

50.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

$1,030 MX$19.0K

13.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

$779 MX$14.4K

32.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

$1,910 MX$35.3K

78.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

$1,160 MX$21.4K

51.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.3

-49.20%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

San Fernando

$383 33.9% 33.4% $192

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

San Fernando

$266 23.5% 20.4% $68

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

San Fernando

$185 16.4% 31.2% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

San Fernando

$109 9.7% 57.6% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

San Fernando

$128 11.3% 32.1% $61

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

San Fernando

$15 * 1.3% 82% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

San Fernando

$44 3.9% 41.6% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $713 in Montevideo versus $612 in San Fernando. 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 $70.0 in Montevideo versus $43.00 in San Fernando. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $266 – making San Fernando the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 San Fernando

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

11,867

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Montevideo San Fernando 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
San Fernando

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 San Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Montevideo and $1,695 in San Fernando. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montevideo and $43.00 in San Fernando. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% 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 San Fernando, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Montevideo at $1,784. In San Fernando it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Fernando – 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 San Fernando. 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.