Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Zacatecas

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $738 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
Learn more

Zacatecas Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Zacatecas

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $738 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Zacatecas $738

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,170 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Zacatecas $1,170

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $1,602 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Zacatecas $1,602

Montevideo costs about 140% more than Zacatecas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Zacatecas is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$6.12 MX$113

147.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$31.70 MX$586

118.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$7.50 MX$139

95.33%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.96 MX$54.7

50.68%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.21 MX$22.31

120.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.72 MX$13.31

177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$1.86 MX$34.45

159.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.08 MX$75.4

-6.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.37 MX$25.41

-0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.21 MX$40.91

29.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.54 MX$28.52

13.64%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$2.29 MX$42.31

104.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$7.32 MX$135

89.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$6.12 MX$113

95.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$9.25 MX$171

29.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$1.75 MX$32.31

58.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.66 MX$30.63

65.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$2.02 MX$37.30

-12.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.46 MX$27.05

121.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$2.00 MX$36.98

-1.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.76 MX$32.50

17.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.52 MX$28.04

-9.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.84 MX$15.60

123.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$4.29 MX$79.4

30.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$10.67 MX$197

-17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.67 MX$30.90

35.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.38 MX$62.5

-18.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.53 MX$9.88

188.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

$16.52 MX$305

349.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$2.21 MX$40.77

-13.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$1.08 MX$19.91

-62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$12.28 MX$227

-15.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.45 MX$26.79

46.90%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$21.1K MX$390.6K

28.26%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$24.5K MX$452.6K

48.07%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$23.16 MX$428

713.04%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$8.38 MX$155

145.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$25.17 MX$465

78.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$25.02 MX$462

115.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

$8.17 MX$151

141.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$4.39 MX$81.1

172.21%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$256 MX$4,736

147.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$3,234 MX$59.8K

241.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$45.26 MX$836

125.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$40.19 MX$743

43.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$91.6 MX$1,692

38.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$43.08 MX$796

196.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$242 MX$4,467

197.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$162 MX$2,994

250.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$383 MX$7,074

199.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$249 MX$4,606

310.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$571 MX$10.5K

241.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$407 MX$7,527

205.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

10.8

-46.85%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Zacatecas

$162 22% 71.5% $406

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Zacatecas

$228 30.9% 31.3% $104

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Zacatecas

$132 17.9% 50.9% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Zacatecas

$57 7.7% 77.6% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Zacatecas

$99 13.4% 46.8% $87

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Zacatecas

$26 3.6% 68.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Zacatecas

$34 4.6% 56.6% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $242 in Zacatecas. 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 206% higher in Montevideo, 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $32.00 in Zacatecas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $228 – making Zacatecas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

06:27 6:27 AM

3 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

138,444

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montevideo Zacatecas 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Zacatecas

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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 140%, 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 $1,107 in Zacatecas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zacatecas, 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 $256 in Zacatecas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zacatecas, where all-in costs run around $738, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Zacatecas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zacatecas – 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 Zacatecas. 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.