Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Tamarindo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
Learn more

Tamarindo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Tamarindo

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Tamarindo $2,127

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $3,081 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Tamarindo $3,081

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $4,035 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Tamarindo $4,035

Montevideo is about 17% cheaper than Tamarindo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montevideo and Tamarindo sit above the global median – Montevideo by 31%, Tamarindo by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$12.18 ₡5,463

24.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$62.3 ₡28.0K

10.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$11.87 ₡5,324

23.42%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$4.34 ₡1,948

2.76%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.65 ₡1,188

0.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.91 ₡856

4.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.27 ₡1,465

47.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.56 ₡2,043

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$2.42 ₡1,085

-43.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$3.12 ₡1,400

-8.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.42 ₡1,088

-27.69%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.47 ₡1,556

34.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$10.53 ₡4,721

31.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$10.52 ₡4,716

13.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$14.17 ₡6,354

-15.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$5.21 ₡2,336

-46.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.60 ₡717

71.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$3.54 ₡1,588

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$3.90 ₡1,747

-16.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$2.55 ₡1,141

-22.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$3.71 ₡1,665

-44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.09 ₡487

25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$3.07 ₡1,376

-38.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$5.20 ₡2,331

7.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$13.18 ₡5,912

-33.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.78 ₡1,249

-18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.09 ₡1,385

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$2.07 ₡929

-26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$85.4 ₡38.3K

-13.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.38 ₡1,065

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.63 ₡729

-75.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$6.64 ₡2,978

55.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.50 ₡675

42.00%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$22.4K ₡10.0M

21.22%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$34.7K ₡15.6M

4.47%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$93.5 ₡41.9K

101.30%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$30.01 ₡13.5K

-31.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$59.1 ₡26.5K

-24.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$101 ₡45.3K

-46.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$26.01 ₡11.7K

-24.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.90 ₡3,543

51.27%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$575 ₡257.7K

10.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$9,081 ₡4.1M

21.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$71.5 ₡32.1K

42.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$26.29 ₡11.8K

118.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$120 ₡53.7K

5.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$131 ₡58.9K

-2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$1,921 ₡861.5K

-62.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$960 ₡430.6K

-40.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$2,738 ₡1.2M

-58.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$1,371 ₡614.9K

-25.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$5,341 ₡2.4M

-36.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$3,241 ₡1.5M

-39.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$949 ₡425.7K

31.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tamarindo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Tamarindo

$960 45.1% 69.1% $392

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Tamarindo

$378 17.8% 13.9% $46

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Tamarindo

$229 10.8% 15% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Tamarindo

$183 8.6% 28% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Tamarindo

$157 7.4% 15.8% $29

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Tamarindo

$104 4.9% 23.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Tamarindo

$117 5.5% 50% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $1,921 in Tamarindo. 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 31% higher in Montevideo, 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $62.0 in Tamarindo. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $378 in Tamarindo – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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 = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Tamarindo 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Tamarindo

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 Tamarindo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tamarindo is pricier by about 20%, 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 $3,191 in Tamarindo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Montevideo and $575 in Tamarindo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Tamarindo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Tamarindo at $2,127. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tamarindo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tamarindo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.