Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Santa Ana

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,018 in Santa Ana, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
Learn more

Santa Ana Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Santa Ana

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Santa Ana

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $2,018 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Santa Ana $2,018

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $3,233 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Santa Ana $3,233

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $4,447 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Santa Ana $4,447

Montevideo is about 12% cheaper than Santa Ana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Montevideo and Santa Ana sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Santa Ana by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$12.04 ₡5,401

25.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$62.6 ₡28.1K

10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$11.78 ₡5,285

24.36%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$4.40 ₡1,975

1.36%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.14 ₡959

24.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.37 ₡613

45.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.36 ₡1,508

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.27 ₡1,917

-11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.21 ₡993

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.12 ₡1,400

-8.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.51 ₡1,127

-30.28%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.47 ₡1,554

34.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$10.87 ₡4,876

27.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$10.40 ₡4,664

15.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$14.19 ₡6,364

-15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$5.10 ₡2,289

-45.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.65 ₡742

66.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$4.65 ₡2,086

-61.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.98 ₡1,785

-18.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.93 ₡1,761

-49.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.60 ₡1,615

-42.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.12 ₡500

22.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.80 ₡808

4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$6.11 ₡2,738

-8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$17.77 ₡7,970

-50.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.88 ₡1,293

-21.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.69 ₡1,207

2.23%

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

$2.49 ₡1,116

-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

$8.59 ₡3,852

20.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.55 ₡694

37.42%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

25.52%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$34.6K ₡15.5M

4.82%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$93.7 ₡42.0K

101.07%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$32.78 ₡14.7K

-37.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$50.0 ₡22.4K

-10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$157 ₡70.4K

-65.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$22.25 ₡9,980

-11.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.78 ₡3,490

53.60%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$983 ₡440.6K

-35.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-36.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$65.4 ₡29.3K

56.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$56.0 ₡25.1K

2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$127 ₡57.2K

-0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$132 ₡59.0K

-2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$1,055 ₡473.0K

-31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$885 ₡396.9K

-35.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$2,955 ₡1.3M

-61.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,844 ₡827.1K

-44.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$2,727 ₡1.2M

24.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$1,657 ₡743.2K

17.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$1,402 ₡628.9K

-11.25%

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 Santa Ana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Santa Ana

$885 43.9% 55.9% $317

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Santa Ana

$379 18.8% 14.2% $47

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Santa Ana

$224 11.1% 16.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Santa Ana

$176 8.7% 30.4% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Santa Ana

$171 8.5% 8.2% $15

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Santa Ana

$10 * 0.5% 87.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Santa Ana

$173 8.6% 122% $95

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 $1,055 in Santa Ana. 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 13% higher in Santa Ana, 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 $63.0 in Santa Ana. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $379 in Santa Ana – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Santa Ana

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

13,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Santa Ana 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Santa Ana

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 Santa Ana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Ana is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $3,027 in Santa Ana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, 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 $63.0 in Santa Ana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Santa Ana, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Santa Ana at $2,018. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Ana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montevideo – 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 Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Ana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.