Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $315 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

Jump to prices

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in St John

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $315 in St John, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
St John $315

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $928 in St John, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
St John $928

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $1,540 in St John, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
St John $1,540

Montevideo costs about 476% more than St John, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 35% above the global median, while St John is 77% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$20.15 $20.15

-24.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$174 $174

-61.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$7.10 $7.10

-34.65%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$3.02 $3.02

-9.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$2.05 $2.05

1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$8.16 $8.16

-41.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$8.05 $8.05

-54.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$1.57 $1.57

41.40%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

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

$191 UYU 7,674

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

$20.40 UYU 820

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

$13.4K $13.4K

-17.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

$12.9K $12.9K

-74.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

$5,080 $5,080

-75.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

7.05

-18.58%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for St John: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

St John

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

St John

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 313% higher in St John, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo versus $174 in St John. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

00:55 12:55 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

2,743

💱 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo St John 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
St John

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 476%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $472 in St John. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,813 in Montevideo and $315 in St John. That's a gap of about 476%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo and $174 in St John. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St John, where all-in costs run around $315, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In St John it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St John – 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 St John. 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.