Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and San German

For one person, living is cheaper in San German: $1,313 a month against $1,771 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 San German
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San German Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

San German

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,313 in San German, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
San German $1,313

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,073 in San German, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
San German $2,073

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,832 in San German, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
San German $2,832

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

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while San German is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$19.07 $19.07

-20.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$83.1 $83.1

-16.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$9.08 $9.08

61.34%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.55 $3.55

25.63%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.82 $1.82

46.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.51 $1.51

32.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.97 $2.97

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$5.01 $5.01

-24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.15 $2.15

-36.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.54 $3.54

-18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.34 $2.34

-25.21%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$7.37 $7.37

-36.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$12.35 $12.35

12.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$9.36 $9.36

27.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$13.16 $13.16

-9.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$5.04 $5.04

-44.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.62 $2.62

4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$4.74 $4.74

-62.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$4.69 $4.69

-30.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.74 $3.74

-47.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$4.00 $4.00

-48.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$3.48 $3.48

-60.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.60 $1.60

17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$12.11 $12.11

-53.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$15.62 $15.62

-43.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.99 $2.99

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$4.09 $4.09

-32.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.43 $2.43

-21.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.54 $1.54

-74.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$41.21 $41.21

-74.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.19 $1.19

78.99%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$39.3K $39.3K

-31.10%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$27.8K $27.8K

30.23%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$318 $318

-40.73%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$70.4 $70.4

-70.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$70.6 $70.6

-36.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$10.48 $10.48

14.03%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$811 $811

-21.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$12.4K $12.4K

-10.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$56.5 $56.5

80.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$60.1 $60.1

-4.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$109 $109

15.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$115 $115

10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$2,798 $2,798

-55.52%

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 12, 2026

Last update for San German: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

San German

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

San German

$409 31.2% 23.4% $78

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

San German

$261 19.8% 3.2% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

San German

$459 34.9% 80.8% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

San German

$154 11.7% 17.5% $33

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

San German

$10 * 0.8% 88% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

San German

$21 * 1.6% 73.1% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 125% higher in San German, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $83.0 in San German. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $409 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇵🇷 San German

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

15:54 3:54 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

35,000

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo San German 6,000 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
San German

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 German: 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 $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,970 in San German. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $83.0 in San German. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Montevideo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San German, where all-in costs run around $1,313, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In San German it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San German – 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 German. 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.