Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Normal, IL and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,784 a month against $2,269 in Normal, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Normal, IL
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Normal, IL Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Normal, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Normal, IL and in Montevideo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Normal, IL and in Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,269 per month in Normal, IL vs $1,784 in Montevideo, rent included.

Normal, IL $2,269
Montevideo $1,784

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Normal, IL vs $2,756 in Montevideo, rent included.

Normal, IL $3,356
Montevideo $2,756

A family of three spends $4,443 per month in Normal, IL vs $3,728 in Montevideo, rent included.

Normal, IL $4,443
Montevideo $3,728

Normal, IL costs about 27% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Normal, IL and Montevideo sit above the global median – Normal, IL by 67%, Montevideo by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 $11.29

$14.82 UYU 595

-23.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 $50.5

$69.7 UYU 2,797

-27.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$14.68 UYU 589

-33.11%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$4.65 UYU 186

10.54%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$2.74 UYU 110

24.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.07 UYU 82.9

-23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 $5.27

$4.79 UYU 192

10.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.63 UYU 146

67.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.39 UYU 55.8

-42.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.89 UYU 116

-9.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.70 UYU 68.1

89.41%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$4.62 UYU 185

-16.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 $8.95

$14.22 UYU 571

-37.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 $12.56

$11.62 UYU 466

8.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 $18.70

$12.23 UYU 491

52.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$2.77 UYU 111

136.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.85 UYU 114

-56.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$1.81 UYU 72.5

261.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.20 UYU 129

59.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.94 UYU 77.8

74.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.16 UYU 86.5

49.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.43 UYU 57.3

43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.94 UYU 77.9

19.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.32 $11.32

$5.47 UYU 219

106.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$8.95 UYU 359

22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.26 UYU 90.8

-19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.81 UYU 113

7.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.56 UYU 62.6

64.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.0 $93.0

$73.8 UYU 2,962

25.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 $5.86

$1.90 UYU 76.2

208.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.43 UYU 17.36

153.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.21 $18.21

$10.59 UYU 425

71.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.12 UYU 85.2

-57.08%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

2.22%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-28.23%

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

$274 $274

$193 UYU 7,727

42.32%

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

$97.9 $97.9

$20.91 UYU 839

367.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$44.89 UYU 1,802

43.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.78 $39.78

$50.8 UYU 2,038

-21.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 $11.80

$12.30 UYU 494

-4.07%

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

$1,055 $1,055

$629 UYU 25.2K

67.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.33 $30.33

$104 UYU 4,166

-70.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 $39.25

$57.4 UYU 2,305

-31.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 $68.4

$125 UYU 5,010

-45.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$132 UYU 5,315

15.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 $994

$713 UYU 28.6K

39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 $895

$575 UYU 23.1K

55.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 $1,761

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

51.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 $1,624

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

57.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,700 $9,700

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

183.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,253 $4,253

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

241.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.74

14.11%

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

Last update for Normal, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Normal, IL

$895 39.4%

Montevideo

$575 32.2% 35.7% $319

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Normal, IL

$436 19.2%

Montevideo

$258 14.5% 40.8% $178

Groceries & Markets

Normal, IL

$390 17.2%

Montevideo

$334 18.7% 14.4% $56

Eating Out

Normal, IL

$240 10.6%

Montevideo

$269 15.1% 12.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Normal, IL

$131 5.8%

Montevideo

$188 10.6% 43.9% $57

Getting Around

Normal, IL

$115 5.1%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 26.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Normal, IL

$63 2.8%

Montevideo

$75 4.2% 18.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Normal, IL versus $713 in Montevideo. 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 242% higher in Normal, IL, 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 $50.0 in Normal, IL versus $70.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Normal, IL vs $334 in Montevideo – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Normal, IL

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

00:12 12:12 AM

2 h ahead of Normal, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,497

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Normal, IL Montevideo 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Normal, IL
Montevideo

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

Normal, IL vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Normal, IL is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,404 per month in Normal, IL and $2,676 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $1,055 per month in Normal, IL and $629 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Normal, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,784, than in Normal, IL at $2,269. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Normal, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Normal, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.