Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Soledad

For one person, living is cheaper in Soledad: $1,307 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Soledad
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,307
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Soledad

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,307 in Soledad, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Soledad $1,307

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,057 in Soledad, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,740
  • Soledad $2,057

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,806 in Soledad, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,708
  • Soledad $2,806

Montevideo costs about 35% more than Soledad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Soledad is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.16 UYU 610
$5.83 COP 18.6K
160.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 UYU 2,780
$42.55 COP 135.3K
62.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 UYU 589
$10.03 COP 31.9K
46.06%
Cappuccino
$4.46 UYU 179
$2.56 COP 8,136
74.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 UYU 107
$2.55 COP 8,119
4.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 UYU 80.5
$2.25 COP 7,155
-11.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 UYU 194
$3.33 COP 10.6K
45.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 UYU 153
$5.15 COP 16.4K
-26.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 UYU 54.9
$1.94 COP 6,155
-29.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 UYU 115
$2.77 COP 8,795
3.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 UYU 70.3
$1.43 COP 4,543
22.38%
Eggs
$4.68 UYU 188
$4.98 COP 15.8K
-6.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 UYU 558
$7.85 COP 25.0K
76.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.98 UYU 482
$9.74 COP 31.0K
23.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 UYU 481
$13.34 COP 42.4K
-10.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 UYU 112
$3.46 COP 11.0K
-19.65%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$1.65 COP 5,235
66.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 UYU 71.3
$2.00 COP 6,361
-11.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$1.68 COP 5,341
92.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 UYU 79.3
$1.25 COP 3,960
57.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.2
$1.36 COP 4,330
52.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 UYU 55.2
$1.08 COP 3,442
26.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 UYU 75.4
$1.19 COP 3,799
57.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 225
$3.55 COP 11.3K
57.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.78 UYU 353
$14.35 COP 45.6K
-38.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 UYU 91.0
$1.41 COP 4,477
60.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 UYU 111
$2.20 COP 7,011
25.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 UYU 61.6
$1.26 COP 4,008
21.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 UYU 2,985
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.8
$1.58 COP 5,017
20.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 UYU 16.21
$3.65 COP 11.6K
-89.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.33 UYU 415
$9.19 COP 29.2K
12.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 UYU 85.7
$1.33 COP 4,240
60.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
$23.1K COP 73.5M
17.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
$34.0K COP 108.0M
6.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 UYU 7,570
$79.3 COP 252.3K
137.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 UYU 826
$11.95 COP 38.0K
71.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.81 UYU 1,801
$25.61 COP 81.5K
74.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 UYU 2,169
$32.77 COP 104.2K
64.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.75 UYU 794
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 UYU 481
$8.05 COP 25.6K
48.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$634 UYU 25.5K
$627 COP 2.0M
1.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K UYU 444.3K
$5,760 COP 18.3M
91.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 UYU 4,106
$92.9 COP 295.3K
9.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 UYU 2,313
$48.49 COP 154.2K
18.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 UYU 5,088
$116 COP 370.5K
8.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 UYU 5,139
$109 COP 347.8K
16.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 UYU 28.9K
$629 COP 2.0M
14.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 UYU 22.8K
$504 COP 1.6M
12.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
$876 COP 2.8M
30.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
$973 COP 3.1M
5.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 UYU 136.4K
$1,768 COP 5.6M
91.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,949 UYU 78.4K
$1,584 COP 5.0M
23.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Soledad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
15
-61.73%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Soledad: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$568
Soledad
$504 11.3% $64
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Soledad
$294 11.4% $38
Eating Out
Montevideo
$269
Soledad
$154 42.9% $116
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$254
Soledad
$117 53.9% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Soledad
$165 11.3% $21
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Soledad
$25 * 70.5% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$78
Soledad
$49 37.2% $29

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 $629 in Soledad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $43.00 in Soledad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $294 – making Soledad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇨🇴 Soledad
🕒 Local time
05:46 5:46 AM
03:46 3:46 AM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
582,156
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 40.2 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.01 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Soledad 5,460 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Soledad

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 Soledad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Soledad cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,960 in Soledad. 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 Soledad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Montevideo or in Soledad?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $43.00 in Soledad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Montevideo and in Soledad?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Soledad?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Soledad, where all-in costs run around $1,307, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Soledad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montevideo or Soledad more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Soledad – 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 Soledad?
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 Soledad. 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.

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