Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Santa Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $1,891 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Santa Cruz despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,891 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Santa Cruz $1,891

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,891 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Santa Cruz $2,891

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $3,890 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Santa Cruz $3,890

Montevideo is about 6% cheaper than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montevideo and Santa Cruz sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Santa Cruz by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

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

$2.67 UYU 107

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.09 AWG 3.74

-34.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.71 AWG 4.85

5.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$4.52 AWG 8.08

-61.28%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$4.64 AWG 8.31

0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$7.92 AWG 14.17

75.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$7.65 AWG 13.69

56.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$6.48 AWG 11.60

84.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$4.54 AWG 8.13

-38.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$4.36 AWG 7.81

-37.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$8.08 AWG 14.45

-78.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$6.60 AWG 11.80

-50.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$6.88 AWG 12.31

-71.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.91 AWG 3.42

8.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$3.03 AWG 5.43

-54.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$4.37 AWG 7.82

-56.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$10.45 AWG 18.70

-46.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$19.07 AWG 34.12

-53.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.56 AWG 4.57

-11.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.10 AWG 5.55

-11.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$1.92 AWG 3.43

-20.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$157 AWG 281

-52.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$19.50 AWG 34.89

-90.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$19.79 AWG 35.41

-47.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$140 AWG 251

34.31%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$71.4 AWG 128

-71.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$207 AWG 371

-78.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$70.2 AWG 126

-23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$46.90 AWG 83.9

-57.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$8.44 AWG 15.10

41.59%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$139 AWG 248

357.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$77.2 AWG 138

32.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$111 AWG 198

-48.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$140 AWG 250

-9.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$139 AWG 248

-7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$1,271 AWG 2,274

-43.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$565 AWG 1,010

0.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,532 AWG 2,742

-25.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,389 AWG 2,485

-26.31%

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

$3,638 AWG 6,511

-65.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Santa Cruz

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Santa Cruz

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Santa Cruz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Santa Cruz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Santa Cruz

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Santa Cruz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Santa Cruz

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $1,271 in Santa Cruz. 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 192% higher in Santa Cruz, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

01:57 1:57 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

15,236

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Santa Cruz 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Santa Cruz

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 Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Cruz is pricier by about 7%, 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 $2,837 in Santa Cruz. 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.

Public transport costs about 112% less in Montevideo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz at $1,891. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz 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 Cruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.