Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,620 a month against $1,764 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Montevideo despite lower rent and utilities.

Montevideo, Uruguay
Sydney, NS, Canada
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,764
/mo nomad
Sydney, NS
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,620
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Sydney, NS

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

A single person spends $1,764 per month in Montevideo vs $1,620 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,764
  • Sydney, NS $1,620

A couple spends around $2,751 per month in Montevideo vs $2,580 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,751
  • Sydney, NS $2,580

A family of three spends $3,738 per month in Montevideo vs $3,539 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,738
  • Sydney, NS $3,539

Montevideo costs about 9% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montevideo and Sydney, NS sit above the global median – Montevideo by 30%, Sydney, NS by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.45 UYU 622
$11.58 CA$16.29
33.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 UYU 2,701
$63.3 CA$89.0
6.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.41 UYU 580
$7.29 CA$10.25
97.67%
Cappuccino
$4.53 UYU 182
$2.80 CA$3.93
61.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 UYU 104
$2.23 CA$3.14
16.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 UYU 74.6
$2.09 CA$2.93
-11.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.74 UYU 191
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 UYU 146
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 UYU 50.2
$2.51 CA$3.53
-50.20%
White Bread (500g)
$3.03 UYU 122
$2.57 CA$3.62
17.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 UYU 67.7
$2.48 CA$3.48
-32.26%
Eggs
$4.62 UYU 186
$3.29 CA$4.63
40.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.25 UYU 573
$6.61 CA$9.29
115.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.38 UYU 458
$8.45 CA$11.88
34.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.21 UYU 491
$13.02 CA$18.31
-6.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 UYU 115
$7.36 CA$10.35
-61.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 UYU 108
$1.12 CA$1.57
139.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.71 UYU 68.7
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$3.09 UYU 124
$1.41 CA$1.99
119.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 UYU 80.0
$0.99 CA$1.39
101.01%
Onion (1kg)
$2.13 UYU 85.6
$2.13 CA$3.00
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 UYU 56.5
$6.28 CA$8.83
-77.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 UYU 80.2
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 UYU 225
$17.99 CA$25.31
-68.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.26 UYU 332
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 UYU 90.4
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 UYU 113
$4.17 CA$5.87
-32.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.62 UYU 65.1
$1.09 CA$1.53
48.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 UYU 2,979
$48.78 CA$68.6
51.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.89 UYU 76.0
$4.27 CA$6.00
-55.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 UYU 42.01
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.65 UYU 509
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 UYU 86.8
$1.16 CA$1.63
86.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.2K UYU 1.1M
$26.4K CA$37.1K
-0.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.5K UYU 1.5M
$19.0K CA$26.7K
92.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$184 UYU 7,403
$88.8 CA$125
107.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.28 UYU 856
$36.35 CA$51.1
-41.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.23 UYU 1,699
$73.3 CA$103
-42.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.74 UYU 1,960
$49.08 CA$69.0
-0.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.16 UYU 771
$3.51 CA$4.93
445.87%
Cinema Ticket
$12.21 UYU 491
$7.02 CA$9.87
73.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$630 UYU 25.3K
$721 CA$1,014
-12.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K UYU 461.0K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.4 UYU 3,999
$70.1 CA$98.6
41.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.0 UYU 2,292
$66.1 CA$92.9
-13.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 UYU 4,923
$99.3 CA$140
23.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 UYU 5,394
$109 CA$153
22.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$749 UYU 30.1K
$913 CA$1,284
-17.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 UYU 22.9K
$715 CA$1,005
-20.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 UYU 51.4K
$1,789 CA$2,515
-28.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,072 UYU 43.1K
$1,418 CA$1,994
-24.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,580 UYU 144.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,075 UYU 83.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Sydney, NS
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,280 UYU 51.5K
$2,553 CA$3,590
-49.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.65
5.8
-2.59%

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

Last update for Montevideo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$569
Sydney, NS
$715 25.5% $145
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$330
Sydney, NS
$266 * 19.4% $64
Eating Out
Montevideo
$270
Sydney, NS
$165 * 38.8% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$248
Sydney, NS
$198 19.8% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Sydney, NS
$155 16.6% $31
Getting Around
Montevideo
$88
Sydney, NS
$57 * 34.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$73
Sydney, NS
$63 13.7% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $749 in Montevideo versus $913 in Sydney, NS. 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 99% higher in Sydney, NS, 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 in Montevideo versus $63 in Sydney, NS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $266 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇨🇦 Sydney, NS
🕒 Local time
17:49 5:49 PM
16:49 4:49 PM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
30,960
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 40.22 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.95 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Sydney, NS 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sydney, NS cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 9%, 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 $2,645 per month in Montevideo and $2,430 in Sydney, NS. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $749 there versus $913 in Sydney, NS.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $630 per month in Montevideo and $721 in Sydney, NS. 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 Sydney, NS?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Montevideo, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $2,000 enough for either Montevideo or Sydney, NS?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,764 in Montevideo and $1,620 in Sydney, NS, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Montevideo or in Sydney, NS?
It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,620 in Sydney, NS to $1,764 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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