Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Tacna

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $438 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Tacna

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $438 in Tacna, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Tacna $438

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $627 in Tacna, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Tacna $627

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $816 in Tacna, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Tacna $816

Montevideo costs about 305% more than Tacna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Tacna is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$2.92 PEN 10.02

419.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$14.56 PEN 50.0

374.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$5.06 PEN 17.36

189.53%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.42 PEN 11.75

30.41%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.14 PEN 3.91

134.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.46 PEN 1.56

334.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.97 PEN 10.20

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.45 PEN 11.86

10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.19 PEN 4.10

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.41 PEN 4.86

103.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$0.86 PEN 2.94

103.49%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$1.71 PEN 5.88

173.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$4.45 PEN 15.30

211.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$4.67 PEN 16.05

156.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$8.46 PEN 29.05

41.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.42 PEN 4.86

92.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$0.84 PEN 2.87

110.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$0.75 PEN 2.59

162.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.70 PEN 2.39

168.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.46 PEN 15.32

25.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$6.36 PEN 21.84

38.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.59 PEN 8.88

-12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.28 PEN 0.95

446.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.91 PEN 6.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

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

$188 UYU 7,557

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$18.92 PEN 65.0

8.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$25.96 PEN 89.2

72.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$29.45 PEN 101

83.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$2.62 PEN 9.01

356.11%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$57.7 PEN 198

999.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$20.29 PEN 69.7

403.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$20.61 PEN 70.8

179.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$26.48 PEN 91.0

382.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$70.4 PEN 242

707.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$467 PEN 1,602

166.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tacna: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Tacna

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Tacna

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Tacna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Tacna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Tacna

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Tacna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Tacna

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 167% 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 $15.00 in Tacna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $147 – making Tacna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇵🇪 Tacna

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

11:32 11:32 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

92,972

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Tacna 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Tacna

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 Tacna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 305%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $656 in Tacna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $15.00 in Tacna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 126% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tacna, where all-in costs run around $438, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Tacna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tacna – 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 Tacna. 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.