Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and San Pedro

For one person, living costs are similar in Montevideo and in San Pedro: $1,771 and $1,707 a month, rent and utilities included.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro
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San Pedro Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

San Pedro

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,707 in San Pedro, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
San Pedro $1,707

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,825 in San Pedro, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
San Pedro $2,825

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $3,943 in San Pedro, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
San Pedro $3,943

Montevideo costs about 4% more than San Pedro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montevideo and San Pedro sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, San Pedro by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$12.40 ₡5,563

22.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$62.5 ₡28.0K

10.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$11.85 ₡5,314

23.63%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$4.38 ₡1,964

1.83%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.73 ₡1,226

-2.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.85 ₡829

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.27 ₡1,467

47.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.42 ₡1,984

-14.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.39 ₡1,074

-43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.04 ₡1,363

-5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.50 ₡1,123

-30.00%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.48 ₡1,560

34.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$10.84 ₡4,862

28.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$10.52 ₡4,718

13.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$14.17 ₡6,355

-15.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$5.11 ₡2,291

-45.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.57 ₡705

74.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$4.80 ₡2,153

-63.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.79 ₡1,699

-14.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.86 ₡1,732

-48.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.73 ₡1,674

-44.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.09 ₡487

25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$3.10 ₡1,388

-39.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$5.97 ₡2,677

-6.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$19.99 ₡8,963

-56.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.75 ₡1,235

-17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.55 ₡1,590

-22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$1.47 ₡661

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.49 ₡1,119

-23.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.56 ₡698

-74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$8.84 ₡3,964

16.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.51 ₡676

41.06%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$21.7K ₡9.7M

25.08%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.6K ₡16.0M

1.89%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$94.6 ₡42.4K

98.96%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$35.67 ₡16.0K

-42.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$60.3 ₡27.0K

-25.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$69.6 ₡31.2K

-22.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.62 ₡3,417

56.82%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$985 ₡441.6K

-35.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$17.3K ₡7.8M

-36.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$71.4 ₡32.0K

43.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$55.2 ₡24.8K

4.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$129 ₡57.9K

-1.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$131 ₡58.9K

-2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$818 ₡366.9K

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$610 ₡273.6K

-6.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,985 ₡890.2K

-42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,447 ₡649.1K

-29.31%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

San Pedro

$610 35.7% 7.4% $42

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

San Pedro

$400 23.5% 20.7% $69

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

San Pedro

$231 13.5% 14.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

San Pedro

$191 11.2% 24.9% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

San Pedro

$174 10.2% 6.5% $12

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

San Pedro

$16 * 1% 80.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

San Pedro

$85 5% 8.9% $7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $818 in San Pedro. 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $62.0 in San Pedro. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $400 in San Pedro – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 San Pedro

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

23:24 11:24 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

27,477

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo San Pedro 5,800 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
San Pedro

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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 4%, 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 $2,561 in San Pedro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pedro, 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 $69.0 in Montevideo and $62.0 in San Pedro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Montevideo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro, where all-in costs run around $1,707, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In San Pedro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Pedro – 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 Pedro. 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.