Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Santa Ana

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Ana: $1,026 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
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Santa Ana Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Santa Ana

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,026

/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 $1,026 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Santa Ana $1,026

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,625 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Santa Ana $1,625

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,225 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Santa Ana $2,225

Montevideo costs about 73% more than Santa Ana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Santa Ana is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 610

$6.80 $6.80

122.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,780

$44.56 $44.56

55.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 589

$6.93 $6.93

111.40%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.64 $3.64

22.53%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.17 $1.17

128.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.5

$0.82 $0.82

143.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.05 $2.05

135.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$3.46 $3.46

9.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$1.80 $1.80

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.86 $2.86

0.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.3

$1.39 $1.39

25.90%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.97 $2.97

57.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 558

$7.49 $7.49

85.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 482

$7.00 $7.00

71.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 481

$10.29 $10.29

16.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$5.02 $5.02

-44.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.38 $1.38

98.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.3

$2.68 $2.68

-33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.55 $3.55

-8.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.3

$2.98 $2.98

-33.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.2

$3.23 $3.23

-35.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$1.01 $1.01

35.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.4

$0.99 $0.99

89.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 225

$3.96 $3.96

41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 353

$11.77 $11.77

-25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 91.0

$2.17 $2.17

4.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 111

$2.98 $2.98

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.6

$0.29 $0.29

427.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,985

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.8

$5.96 $5.96

-67.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.21

$2.94 $2.94

-86.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$19.64 $19.64

-47.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.7

$0.95 $0.95

124.21%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$22.8K $22.8K

18.87%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$26.8K $26.8K

35.53%

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

$188 UYU 7,570

$40.10 $40.10

369.58%

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

$20.54 UYU 826

$20.97 $20.97

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,801

$38.73 $38.73

15.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,169

$34.57 $34.57

56.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 794

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 481

$4.97 $4.97

140.44%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$162 $162

290.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 444.3K

$4,797 $4,797

130.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,106

$67.5 $67.5

51.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,313

$46.93 $46.93

22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,088

$120 $120

5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,139

$117 $117

8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.9K

$640 $640

12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$271 $271

109.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,019 $1,019

12.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$448 $448

128.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$457 $457

172.53%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Ana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Santa Ana

$271 26.4% 52.3% $297

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Santa Ana

$286 27.9% 13.8% $46

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Santa Ana

$144 14% 46.5% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Santa Ana

$100 9.7% 60.7% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Santa Ana

$158 15.5% 14.9% $28

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Santa Ana

$22 * 2.1% 74.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Santa Ana

$45 4.3% 42.9% $33

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 $640 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 173% higher in Montevideo, 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 $45.00 in Santa Ana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $286 – making Santa Ana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇸🇻 Santa Ana

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

167,200

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 40.2 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.07 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Santa Ana 6,480 km ≈ 9 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 – Montevideo is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,538 in Santa Ana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Ana, 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 $45.00 in Santa Ana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Ana, where all-in costs run around $1,026, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Santa Ana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Ana – 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 Santa Ana. 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.