Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Tarija

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarija: $440 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Tarija
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Tarija Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Tarija

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$440

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Tarija

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $440 in Tarija, rent included.

Montevideo $1,813
Tarija $440

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $503 in Tarija, rent included.

Montevideo $2,782
Tarija $503

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $566 in Tarija, rent included.

Montevideo $3,750
Tarija $566

Montevideo costs about 312% more than Tarija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montevideo sits 35% above the global median, while Tarija is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

$2.28 BOB 26.88

569.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

$8.33 BOB 98.0

709.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

$3.92 BOB 46.12

266.58%

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

$1.43 BOB 16.89

224.48%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$1.03 BOB 12.10

165.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

$0.72 BOB 8.47

190.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

$1.37 BOB 16.10

246.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

$1.77 BOB 20.78

107.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.5

$0.48 BOB 5.65

187.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 112

$0.81 BOB 9.49

241.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.8

$0.56 BOB 6.65

201.79%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$1.67 BOB 19.65

170.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

$3.33 BOB 39.17

325.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$2.79 BOB 32.87

332.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$4.05 BOB 47.61

200.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 116

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$1.10 BOB 12.99

150.00%

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

$0.26 BOB 3.04

430.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.5

$0.81 BOB 9.49

128.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

$2.31 BOB 27.20

284.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.2

$1.23 BOB 14.52

86.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

$0.94 BOB 11.07

187.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

$0.18 BOB 2.15

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

$0.47 BOB 5.49

287.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

$0.57 BOB 6.65

-29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$3.26 BOB 38.41

226.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$0.61 BOB 7.13

263.93%

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

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

$12.1K BOB 142.6K

120.73%

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

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

$16.2K BOB 190.6K

126.96%

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

$191 UYU 7,674

$22.49 BOB 265

748.55%

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

$20.40 UYU 820

$18.96 BOB 223

7.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,775

$22.02 BOB 259

100.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

$21.93 BOB 258

146.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

$4.15 BOB 48.90

197.11%

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

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,134

$27.55 BOB 324

273.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,255

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 5,000

$31.98 BOB 376

288.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,214

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

$215 BOB 2,528

228.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$163 BOB 1,921

252.56%

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

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

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 5, 2026

Last update for Tarija: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Tarija

$163 37.1% 71.6% $412

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Tarija

$88 * 20% 73.6% $245

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Tarija

$65 14.7% 76.2% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Tarija

$63 14.4% 75.2% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Tarija

$27 * 6.1% 85.6% $159

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Tarija

$4 * 0.9% 95.2% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Tarija

$30 6.9% 61.6% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Montevideo versus $215 in Tarija. 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 $67.0 in Montevideo versus $8.00 in Tarija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $88.0 – making Tarija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇧🇴 Tarija

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

1 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

108,241

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, 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).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.2 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Tarija 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Tarija

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 Tarija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 312%, 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 $660 in Tarija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tarija, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 278% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Montevideo and $8.00 in Tarija. 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 Tarija, where all-in costs run around $440, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Tarija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tarija – 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 Tarija. 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.