Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Tunja

For one person, living is cheaper in Tunja: $1,294 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Tunja
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Tunja Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Tunja

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Tunja

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,294 in Tunja, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Tunja $1,294

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,992 in Tunja, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Tunja $1,992

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,689 in Tunja, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Tunja $2,689

Montevideo costs about 37% more than Tunja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Tunja is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$7.61 COP 24.1K

99.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$41.83 COP 132.6K

65.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$10.53 COP 33.4K

39.13%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.56 COP 8,122

74.22%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.38 COP 4,380

93.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.84 COP 2,661

138.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.09 COP 6,614

131.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.81 COP 12.1K

-0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.60 COP 5,075

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.48 COP 7,874

15.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.63 COP 5,169

7.36%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.35 COP 10.6K

39.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$7.90 COP 25.0K

75.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$7.52 COP 23.9K

59.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$9.94 COP 31.5K

20.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$3.48 COP 11.0K

-20.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.76 COP 5,590

55.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.90 COP 6,028

-6.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.74 COP 5,527

86.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.47 COP 4,673

34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.41 COP 4,471

46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.31 COP 4,152

4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.15 COP 3,654

63.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.36 COP 13.8K

28.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$12.70 COP 40.3K

-30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.44 COP 4,559

56.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.93 COP 9,295

-6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.80 COP 2,541

91.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$0.96 COP 3,042

98.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$2.32 COP 7,352

-82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$9.59 COP 30.4K

7.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.28 COP 4,067

66.41%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$23.8K COP 75.4M

14.07%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.4K COP 112.4M

2.30%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$123 COP 391.0K

52.70%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$16.02 COP 50.8K

28.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$30.03 COP 95.2K

49.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$36.92 COP 117.0K

46.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$7.75 COP 24.6K

54.19%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$499 COP 1.6M

27.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$7,621 COP 24.2M

45.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$83.2 COP 263.8K

22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$47.16 COP 149.5K

21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$145 COP 458.5K

-12.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$105 COP 334.4K

21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$642 COP 2.0M

12.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$475 COP 1.5M

19.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$1,022 COP 3.2M

12.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$882 COP 2.8M

15.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$1,682 COP 5.3M

101.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$1,710 COP 5.4M

13.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

12.81

-55.19%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tunja: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Tunja

$475 36.7% 16.4% $93

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Tunja

$261 20.2% 21.3% $71

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Tunja

$150 11.6% 44.2% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Tunja

$169 13.1% 33.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Tunja

$171 13.2% 8.1% $15

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Tunja

$16 * 1.2% 81.3% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Tunja

$52 4.1% 32.7% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $642 in Tunja. 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $42.00 in Tunja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $261 – making Tunja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇴 Tunja

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

05:42 5:42 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

200,000

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Tunja 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Tunja

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 Tunja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,942 in Tunja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo and $42.00 in Tunja. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 Tunja, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Tunja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tunja – 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 Tunja. 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.