Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Sioux City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,192 in Sioux City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Sioux City, IA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,192
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Sioux City, IA

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 Sioux City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $2,192 in Sioux City, IA, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,813
  • Sioux City, IA $2,192

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $3,334 in Sioux City, IA, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,782
  • Sioux City, IA $3,334

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $4,477 in Sioux City, IA, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,750
  • Sioux City, IA $4,477

Montevideo is about 17% cheaper than Sioux City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montevideo and Sioux City, IA sit above the global median – Montevideo by 35%, Sioux City, IA by 64%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.26 UYU 613
$20.27 $20.27
-24.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 UYU 2,711
$54.2 $54.2
24.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.37 UYU 578
$10.45 $10.45
37.51%
Cappuccino
$4.64 UYU 187
$6.02 $6.02
-22.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 UYU 110
$2.15 $2.15
26.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 UYU 84.0
$1.77 $1.77
18.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.75 UYU 191
$4.98 $4.98
-4.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 UYU 147
$5.90 $5.90
-37.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 UYU 55.5
$0.88 $0.88
56.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 UYU 112
$2.97 $2.97
-6.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 UYU 67.8
$3.23 $3.23
-47.68%
Eggs
$4.52 UYU 182
$3.52 $3.52
28.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 UYU 570
$8.35 $8.35
69.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.07 UYU 485
$7.58 $7.58
59.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.16 UYU 489
$16.89 $16.89
-28.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 UYU 116
$4.80 $4.80
-40.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 UYU 110
$1.58 $1.58
74.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 UYU 69.5
$4.21 $4.21
-58.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$3.95 $3.95
-17.97%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$1.88 $1.88
10.11%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$4.78 $4.78
-56.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 UYU 55.4
$2.32 $2.32
-40.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 UYU 74.5
$2.17 $2.17
-14.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.57 UYU 224
$9.13 $9.13
-38.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.89 UYU 357
$15.11 $15.11
-41.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 UYU 92.2
$1.68 $1.68
36.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 UYU 109
$2.96 $2.96
-8.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 UYU 61.3
$1.85 $1.85
-17.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.7 UYU 2,962
$47.11 $47.11
56.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.82 UYU 73.4
$1.99 $1.99
-8.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.05
$1.26 $1.26
-68.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.66 UYU 429
$20.21 $20.21
-47.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.22 UYU 89.2
$0.87 $0.87
155.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
$36.3K $36.3K
-26.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
$24.9K $24.9K
47.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 UYU 7,674
$165 $165
15.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.40 UYU 820
$52.4 $52.4
-61.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.14 UYU 1,775
$68.9 $68.9
-35.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 UYU 2,177
$98.8 $98.8
-45.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.68 UYU 791
$20.20 $20.20
-2.57%
Cinema Ticket
$12.33 UYU 496
$15.17 $15.17
-18.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$613 UYU 24.7K
$1,089 $1,089
-43.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
$11.8K $11.8K
-6.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 UYU 4,134
$43.23 $43.23
137.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 UYU 2,255
$21.84 $21.84
156.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 UYU 5,000
$76.7 $76.7
62.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 UYU 5,214
$88.8 $88.8
46.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$705 UYU 28.4K
$947 $947
-25.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
$945 $945
-39.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
$1,480 $1,480
-23.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
$1,690 $1,690
-39.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
$1,540 $1,540
117.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
$1,535 $1,535
26.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Sioux City, IA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
$3,593 $3,593
-65.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.57
-12.63%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sioux City, IA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Sioux City, IA
$945 64.2% $369
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Sioux City, IA
$344 3.6% $12
Eating Out
Montevideo
$271
Sioux City, IA
$318 17.3% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$255
Sioux City, IA
$286 12.1% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Sioux City, IA
$104 44.2% $82
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Sioux City, IA
$63 24.9% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$79
Sioux City, IA
$129 63.9% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $947 in Sioux City, IA. 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 Sioux City, IA, 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 $67.0 in Montevideo versus $54.0 in Sioux City, IA. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $344 in Sioux City, IA – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA
🕒 Local time
07:17 7:17 AM
05:17 5:17 AM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
85,797
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Sioux City, IA 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Sioux City, IA

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 Sioux City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sioux City, IA cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Sioux City, IA is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $3,288 in Sioux City, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Montevideo and $1,089 in Sioux City, IA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Montevideo and in Sioux City, IA?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Sioux City, IA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Sioux City, IA?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Sioux City, IA at $2,192. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sioux City, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montevideo or Sioux City, IA more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Montevideo or Sioux City, IA?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sioux City, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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