Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and San José

For one person, living is cheaper in San José: $913 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
44

Cost of Living Index in San José
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San José Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

San José

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Montevideo vs $913 in San José, rent included.

Montevideo $1,784
San José $913

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Montevideo vs $1,449 in San José, rent included.

Montevideo $2,756
San José $1,449

A family of three spends $3,728 per month in Montevideo vs $1,985 in San José, rent included.

Montevideo $3,728
San José $1,985

Montevideo costs about 95% more than San José, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 32% above the global median, while San José is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$12.95 UYU 520

14.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$43.87 UYU 1,761

58.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$13.82 UYU 555

6.22%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$4.88 UYU 196

-4.71%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.38 UYU 95.6

15.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$2.19 UYU 87.9

-5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$2.92 UYU 117

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$3.48 UYU 140

4.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$0.99 UYU 39.77

40.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$2.01 UYU 80.7

43.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$1.47 UYU 59.0

15.65%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$2.62 UYU 105

76.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$12.01 UYU 482

18.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$7.26 UYU 291

60.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$12.07 UYU 484

1.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$1.22 UYU 48.77

127.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$1.54 UYU 61.8

85.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$1.21 UYU 48.71

49.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$1.54 UYU 61.7

107.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$0.98 UYU 39.49

97.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$1.28 UYU 51.5

68.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$1.49 UYU 59.7

-4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$1.99 UYU 79.9

-2.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$9.82 UYU 394

-44.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$8.17 UYU 328

9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$3.05 UYU 123

-25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$3.35 UYU 135

-16.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$3.50 UYU 141

-45.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$3.45 UYU 139

-87.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$9.95 UYU 399

6.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$2.15 UYU 86.3

-1.40%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$36.4K UYU 1.5M

-26.42%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$40.1K UYU 1.6M

-7.63%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$113 UYU 4,547

69.92%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$23.78 UYU 955

-12.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$47.11 UYU 1,891

-4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$12.35 UYU 496

-0.40%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$494 UYU 19.8K

27.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$6,691 UYU 268.6K

62.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$88.3 UYU 3,542

17.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$37.57 UYU 1,508

52.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$164 UYU 6,601

-24.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$117 UYU 4,699

13.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

14.80%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Last update for San José: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

San José

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

San José

$256 28.1% 23.1% $77

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

San José

$243 26.7% 9.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

San José

$184 20.2% 28.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

San José

$183 20.1% 2.7% $5

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

San José

$21 * 2.3% 75.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

San José

$25 * 2.7% 67.2% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montevideo versus $44.00 in San José. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $256 – making San José the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇺🇾 San José

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

Same time as Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

36,747

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo San José 79 km

From you

Montevideo
San José

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 José: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Montevideo and $1,369 in San José. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montevideo and $44.00 in San José. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San José, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Montevideo at $1,784. In San José it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San José – 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 José. 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.