Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and San Fernando

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $1,263 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
61

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

San Fernando

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,263

/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 $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,263 in San Fernando, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
San Fernando $1,263

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,045 in San Fernando, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
San Fernando $2,045

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,827 in San Fernando, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
San Fernando $2,827

Montevideo costs about 40% more than San Fernando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while San Fernando is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$10.22 TTD 68.8

48.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$59.6 TTD 401

16.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$8.00 TTD 53.9

83.13%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.66 TTD 24.65

21.86%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.02 TTD 6.88

161.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.76 TTD 5.09

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.89 TTD 12.69

155.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$2.63 TTD 17.71

44.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.98 TTD 13.33

-31.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.29 TTD 15.41

25.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.92 TTD 19.61

-40.07%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.90 TTD 26.27

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$6.58 TTD 44.24

110.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$10.17 TTD 68.4

17.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$9.04 TTD 60.8

32.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$5.59 TTD 37.61

-50.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.57 TTD 17.31

6.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$3.60 TTD 24.21

-50.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$4.38 TTD 29.43

-26.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$0.75 TTD 5.05

162.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.74 TTD 5.00

179.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.50 TTD 10.11

-8.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.15 TTD 7.73

63.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$5.71 TTD 38.38

-2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$17.92 TTD 121

-51.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.55 TTD 10.43

45.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.93 TTD 19.74

-6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.46 TTD 3.10

232.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$44.31 TTD 298

67.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$0.86 TTD 5.79

122.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$0.92 TTD 6.20

-56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$14.57 TTD 98.0

-29.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.16 TTD 7.81

83.62%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$36.1K TTD 243.1K

-24.98%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$40.3K TTD 270.8K

-9.93%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$44.87 TTD 302

319.66%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$42.63 TTD 287

-51.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$45.78 TTD 308

-2.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$50.5 TTD 340

6.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$22.37 TTD 151

-11.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$8.70 TTD 58.5

37.36%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$402 TTD 2,702

57.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$10.9K TTD 73.0K

1.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$53.6 TTD 360

90.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$37.29 TTD 251

54.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$88.1 TTD 593

43.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$89.7 TTD 603

42.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$517 TTD 3,480

38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$398 TTD 2,675

42.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$914 TTD 6,149

25.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$743 TTD 5,000

37.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$1,991 TTD 13.4K

70.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$1,492 TTD 10.0K

30.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$1,043 TTD 7,019

19.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

5.75

-0.17%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

San Fernando

$398 31.5% 30% $170

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

San Fernando

$320 25.4% 3.4% $11

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

San Fernando

$172 13.6% 36.2% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

San Fernando

$133 10.6% 47.5% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

San Fernando

$121 9.6% 35.1% $65

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

San Fernando

$52 4.1% 38.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

San Fernando

$68 5.4% 12.8% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $517 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.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $60.0 in San Fernando. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $320 – making San Fernando the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇹🇹 San Fernando

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

55,419

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TTD, 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).

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.56 TTD (1 TTD = 0.132 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo San Fernando 5,060 km ≈ 7 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 40%, 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 $1,895 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.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $402 in San Fernando. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $1,263, than in Montevideo at $1,771. 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.