Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and San José Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and San José

😐 Solo nomad: Montevideo is 16% more expensive than San José without rent, and 64% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Montevideo is 15.8% more expensive than San José without rent, and 55.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
San José
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.90 UYU 620
$16.42 UYU 640
-3.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.2 UYU 2,113
$54.9 UYU 2,142
-1.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.11 UYU 472
$10.81 UYU 422
12.03%
Cappuccino
$4.28 UYU 167
$4.26 UYU 166
0.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 UYU 84.7
$2.22 UYU 86.6
-2.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 UYU 68.8
$1.71 UYU 66.9
2.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.37 UYU 170
$4.27 UYU 167
2.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 UYU 142
$3.70 UYU 144
-1.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
San José
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 UYU 49.50
$1.01 UYU 39.47
25.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.86 UYU 112
$1.97 UYU 76.9
45.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 UYU 65.0
$1.49 UYU 57.9
12.08%
Eggs
$4.70 UYU 183
$2.56 UYU 99.7
83.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.68 UYU 534
$12.33 UYU 481
10.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.98 UYU 428
$7.55 UYU 294
45.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.93 UYU 426
$10.91 UYU 425
0.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 UYU 119
$1.25 UYU 48.67
144.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.46 UYU 95.8
$1.46 UYU 56.8
68.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.55 UYU 60.4
$1.24 UYU 48.29
25.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.59 UYU 140
$1.43 UYU 55.8
151.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.08 UYU 81.1
$1.02 UYU 39.66
103.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 UYU 72.6
$1.26 UYU 48.98
47.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 53.5
$1.35 UYU 52.7
1.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 UYU 65.7
$1.66 UYU 64.8
1.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.20 UYU 203
$5.12 UYU 200
1.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.25 UYU 400
$10.43 UYU 407
-1.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 UYU 88.8
$2.37 UYU 92.6
-3.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 UYU 113
$3.01 UYU 117
-3.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
San José
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.30 UYU 50.6
$1.25 UYU 48.61
4.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 UYU 2,210
$43.66 UYU 1,703
29.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.55 UYU 60.6
$1.51 UYU 58.9
2.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.44 UYU 134
$1.51 UYU 59.0
127.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.54 UYU 489
$10.91 UYU 426
14.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.83 UYU 71.4
$1.83 UYU 71.3
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K UYU 1.3M
$34.8K UYU 1.4M
-3.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.5K UYU 1.4M
$36.9K UYU 1.4M
-0.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
San José
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 UYU 6,672
$174 UYU 6,805
-1.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.86 UYU 657
$16.56 UYU 646
1.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.1 UYU 1,955
$49.55 UYU 1,932
1.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
San José
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.9 UYU 2,413
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.57 UYU 685
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.39 UYU 405
$10.59 UYU 413
-1.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
San José
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 UYU 19.1K
$480 UYU 18.7K
2.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,759 UYU 341.6K
$8,930 UYU 348.3K
-1.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
San José
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.9 UYU 3,663
$93.3 UYU 3,640
0.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.17 UYU 1,840
$47.53 UYU 1,854
-0.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 UYU 4,512
$115 UYU 4,490
0.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 UYU 4,810
$124 UYU 4,829
-0.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
San José
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 UYU 24.0K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 UYU 19.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,085 UYU 42.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$813 UYU 31.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,510 UYU 136.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,225 UYU 86.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
San José
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,167 UYU 45.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.68
5.68
-

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

Last update for Montevideo: February 28, 2026

Last update for San José: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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