Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Santiago de los Caballeros

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago de los Caballeros: $914 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Santiago de los Caballeros
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Santiago de los Caballeros Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Santiago de los Caballeros

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$914

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Santiago de los Caballeros

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 Santiago de los Caballeros actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $914 in Santiago de los Caballeros, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Santiago de los Caballeros $914

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,405 in Santiago de los Caballeros, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Santiago de los Caballeros $1,405

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,896 in Santiago de los Caballeros, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Santiago de los Caballeros $1,896

Montevideo costs about 94% more than Santiago de los Caballeros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Santiago de los Caballeros is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$8.05 DOP 493

88.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$40.71 DOP 2,494

69.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$6.97 DOP 427

110.19%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$1.77 DOP 108

151.98%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.71 DOP 43.29

276.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.38 DOP 23.10

426.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.44 DOP 149

97.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.25 DOP 199

16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.15 DOP 70.7

18.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.52 DOP 93.1

88.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.55 DOP 95.1

12.90%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$1.49 DOP 91.3

214.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$6.29 DOP 385

120.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$3.59 DOP 220

233.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$4.84 DOP 297

147.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$3.13 DOP 192

-11.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$0.82 DOP 50.1

234.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$2.74 DOP 168

-35.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.79 DOP 110

81.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.95 DOP 120

1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.15 DOP 132

-3.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$0.87 DOP 53.5

57.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.98 DOP 60.3

91.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.83 DOP 296

15.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$10.46 DOP 641

-16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.54 DOP 155

-11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.88 DOP 176

-4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.61 DOP 37.22

150.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$29.59 DOP 1,813

150.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.48 DOP 152

-22.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$2.28 DOP 140

-82.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$5.80 DOP 355

78.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.41 DOP 86.6

51.06%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$15.0K DOP 919.9K

80.52%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$25.0K DOP 1.5M

44.99%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$90.7 DOP 5,555

107.65%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$26.72 DOP 1,637

-23.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$35.93 DOP 2,201

24.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$24.92 DOP 1,526

116.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$5.01 DOP 307

138.52%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$147 DOP 8,992

332.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$5,532 DOP 338.9K

99.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$25.95 DOP 1,590

293.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$44.59 DOP 2,732

29.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$60.9 DOP 3,730

107.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$65.3 DOP 4,001

95.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$664 DOP 40.7K

8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$266 DOP 16.3K

113.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,471 DOP 90.1K

-22.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$457 DOP 28.0K

123.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$947 DOP 58.0K

258.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$886 DOP 54.3K

120.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$522 DOP 32.0K

138.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

-47.82%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santiago de los Caballeros: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$266 29.1% 53.1% $302

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$196 21.4% 41% $136

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$130 14.2% 51.9% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$153 16.8% 39.6% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$89 9.7% 52.5% $98

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$46 5% 45.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Santiago de los Caballeros

$35 3.8% 55.1% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $664 in Santiago de los Caballeros. 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 138% 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 $41.00 in Santiago de los Caballeros. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $196 – making Santiago de los Caballeros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇩🇴 Santiago de los Caballeros

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

23:41 11:41 PM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

1,836,778

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, 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).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Santiago de los Caballeros 6,240 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Santiago de los Caballeros

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 Santiago de los Caballeros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 94%, 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 $1,371 in Santiago de los Caballeros. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santiago de los Caballeros, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $147 in Santiago de los Caballeros. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 70% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago de los Caballeros, where all-in costs run around $914, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Santiago de los Caballeros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santiago de los Caballeros – 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 Santiago de los Caballeros. 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.