Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Traverse City, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,679 in Traverse City, MI, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Traverse City, MI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,679
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Traverse City, MI

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 Traverse City, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Montevideo vs $2,679 in Traverse City, MI, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,813
  • Traverse City, MI $2,679

A couple spends around $2,782 per month in Montevideo vs $3,967 in Traverse City, MI, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,782
  • Traverse City, MI $3,967

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Montevideo vs $5,256 in Traverse City, MI, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,750
  • Traverse City, MI $5,256

Montevideo is about 32% cheaper than Traverse City, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montevideo and Traverse City, MI sit above the global median – Montevideo by 35%, Traverse City, MI by 100%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.26 UYU 613
$21.73 $21.73
-29.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 UYU 2,711
$76.3 $76.3
-11.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.37 UYU 578
$11.52 $11.52
24.74%
Cappuccino
$4.64 UYU 187
$4.65 $4.65
-0.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 UYU 110
$2.57 $2.57
6.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 UYU 84.0
$2.20 $2.20
-5.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.75 UYU 191
$5.12 $5.12
-7.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 UYU 147
$6.57 $6.57
-44.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 UYU 55.5
$0.77 $0.77
79.22%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 UYU 112
$3.00 $3.00
-7.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 UYU 67.8
$4.73 $4.73
-64.27%
Eggs
$4.52 UYU 182
$2.76 $2.76
63.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 UYU 570
$19.38 $19.38
-26.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.07 UYU 485
$16.77 $16.77
-28.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.16 UYU 489
$21.96 $21.96
-44.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 UYU 116
$6.61 $6.61
-56.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 UYU 110
$1.29 $1.29
113.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 UYU 69.5
$3.82 $3.82
-54.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 UYU 130
$6.95 $6.95
-53.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$2.70 $2.70
-23.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 UYU 83.1
$3.22 $3.22
-35.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 UYU 55.4
$2.36 $2.36
-41.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 UYU 74.5
$2.75 $2.75
-32.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.57 UYU 224
$5.92 $5.92
-5.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.89 UYU 357
$15.02 $15.02
-40.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 UYU 92.2
$1.96 $1.96
16.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 UYU 109
$6.85 $6.85
-60.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 UYU 61.3
$5.86 $5.86
-74.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.7 UYU 2,962
$29.64 $29.64
148.52%
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
$1.00 $1.00
122.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
$35.4K $35.4K
-24.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
$25.7K $25.7K
42.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 UYU 7,674
$120 $120
58.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.40 UYU 820
$36.58 $36.58
-44.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.14 UYU 1,775
$66.5 $66.5
-33.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 UYU 2,177
$63.7 $63.7
-15.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.68 UYU 791
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.33 UYU 496
$9.78 $9.78
26.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$613 UYU 24.7K
$1,039 $1,039
-40.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
$10.9K $10.9K
1.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 UYU 4,134
$58.7 $58.7
75.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 UYU 2,255
$41.45 $41.45
35.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 UYU 5,000
$103 $103
21.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 UYU 5,214
$87.8 $87.8
47.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$705 UYU 28.4K
$2,008 $2,008
-64.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$575 UYU 23.1K
$1,412 $1,412
-59.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
$3,793 $3,793
-69.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
$2,289 $2,289
-55.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
$5,030 $5,030
-33.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
$3,623 $3,623
-46.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
$2,746 $2,746
-55.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.74
6.32
-9.18%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Traverse City, MI: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$575
Traverse City, MI
$1.4K 145% $836
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$332
Traverse City, MI
$477 43.5% $145
Eating Out
Montevideo
$271
Traverse City, MI
$322 18.7% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$255
Traverse City, MI
$223 12.6% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$186
Traverse City, MI
$131 29.6% $55
Getting Around
Montevideo
$84
Traverse City, MI
$53 * 36.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$79
Traverse City, MI
$83 5.7% $4.5

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 $2,008 in Traverse City, MI. 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 123% higher in Traverse City, MI, 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 $67.0 in Montevideo versus $76.0 in Traverse City, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $477 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇺🇸 Traverse City, MI
🕒 Local time
11:34 11:34 AM
10:34 10:34 AM
1 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
15,678
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Traverse City, MI 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Traverse City, MI

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 Traverse City, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Traverse City, MI cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Traverse City, MI is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Montevideo and $4,018 in Traverse City, MI. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Montevideo and $1,039 in Traverse City, MI. 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 Traverse City, MI?
Groceries cost about 43% more in Traverse City, MI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Traverse City, MI?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Traverse City, MI at $2,679. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Traverse City, MI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montevideo or Traverse City, MI more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Montevideo or Traverse City, MI?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Traverse City, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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