Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Upala

For one person, living is cheaper in Upala: $1,421 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Upala
Learn more

Upala Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Upala

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Upala

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Montevideo vs $1,421 in Upala, rent included.

Montevideo $1,784
Upala $1,421

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Montevideo vs $2,267 in Upala, rent included.

Montevideo $2,756
Upala $2,267

A family of three spends $3,728 per month in Montevideo vs $3,112 in Upala, rent included.

Montevideo $3,728
Upala $3,112

Montevideo costs about 26% more than Upala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Montevideo and Upala sit above the global median – Montevideo by 32%, Upala by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 UYU 595

$12.15 ₡5,448

21.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,797

$54.3 ₡24.4K

28.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.68 UYU 589

$11.68 ₡5,238

25.68%

Cappuccino

$4.65 UYU 186

$3.68 ₡1,650

26.36%

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

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.74 ₡781

57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 UYU 82.9

$1.81 ₡812

14.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 UYU 192

$3.35 ₡1,503

42.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 UYU 146

$4.33 ₡1,944

-16.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$2.18 ₡976

-36.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$1.61 ₡722

79.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.1

$2.53 ₡1,134

-32.81%

Eggs

$4.62 UYU 185

$2.67 ₡1,198

73.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 UYU 571

$3.22 ₡1,444

341.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 UYU 466

$6.54 ₡2,931

77.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 UYU 491

$8.73 ₡3,914

40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 UYU 111

$1.72 ₡772

61.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 UYU 114

$0.69 ₡308

313.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 UYU 72.5

$2.78 ₡1,246

-34.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$2.71 ₡1,213

18.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$3.75 ₡1,680

-48.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$2.65 ₡1,186

-18.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.3

$1.09 ₡488

31.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.9

$2.70 ₡1,209

-28.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 UYU 219

$6.10 ₡2,736

-10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 UYU 359

$8.87 ₡3,980

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.8

$2.65 ₡1,188

-14.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 UYU 113

$3.57 ₡1,603

-21.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 UYU 62.6

$1.29 ₡579

20.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.2

$2.49 ₡1,115

-23.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.36

$1.63 ₡733

-73.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 UYU 425

$6.41 ₡2,873

65.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.2

$1.41 ₡633

50.35%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$22.3K ₡10.0M

20.30%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$35.0K ₡15.7M

5.65%

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

$193 UYU 7,727

$56.6 ₡25.4K

240.44%

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

$20.91 UYU 839

$36.14 ₡16.2K

-42.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 UYU 1,802

$21.59 ₡9,684

107.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 UYU 2,038

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-29.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 UYU 494

$7.53 ₡3,375

63.35%

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

$629 UYU 25.2K

$997 ₡447.0K

-36.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-35.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,166

$32.85 ₡14.7K

215.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 UYU 2,305

$22.25 ₡9,981

158.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,010

$127 ₡57.1K

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 UYU 5,315

$33.14 ₡14.9K

299.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 UYU 28.6K

$797 ₡357.5K

-10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$635 ₡285.0K

-9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

$1,883 ₡844.6K

-38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

$1,264 ₡566.7K

-18.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Upala: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.2%

Upala

$635 44.7% 10.4% $60

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$334 18.7%

Upala

$256 18% 23.3% $78

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.1%

Upala

$216 15.2% 19.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$258 14.5%

Upala

$114 8% 55.8% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$188 10.6%

Upala

$97 6.8% 48.5% $91

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Upala

$16 * 1.1% 81.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$75 4.2%

Upala

$87 6.1% 15% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $713 in Montevideo versus $797 in Upala. 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 $70.0 in Montevideo versus $54.0 in Upala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $256 – making Upala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇷 Upala

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

20:43 8:43 PM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

15,000

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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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Between locations

Montevideo Upala 5,930 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Upala

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 Upala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Montevideo and $2,132 in Upala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Upala, 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 $70.0 in Montevideo and $54.0 in Upala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 Upala, where all-in costs run around $1,421, than in Montevideo at $1,784. In Upala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Upala – 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 Upala. 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.