Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oranjestad and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,327 in Oranjestad, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Oranjestad
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Oranjestad Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,327

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oranjestad 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 Oranjestad and in Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,327 per month in Oranjestad vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

Oranjestad $2,327
Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $4,208 per month in Oranjestad vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

Oranjestad $4,208
Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $6,089 per month in Oranjestad vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

Oranjestad $6,089
Montevideo $3,750

Oranjestad costs about 28% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Oranjestad and Montevideo sit above the global median – Oranjestad by 74%, Montevideo by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.18 AWG 39.71

$15.26 UYU 613

45.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 AWG 142

$67.4 UYU 2,711

17.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 AWG 18.16

$14.37 UYU 578

-29.44%

Cappuccino

$4.29 AWG 7.68

$4.64 UYU 187

-7.54%

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

$1.41 AWG 2.52

$2.73 UYU 110

-48.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 AWG 2.97

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-20.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 AWG 5.24

$4.75 UYU 191

-38.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 AWG 7.33

$3.67 UYU 147

11.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AWG 3.30

$1.38 UYU 55.5

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 AWG 5.24

$2.77 UYU 112

5.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 AWG 5.21

$1.69 UYU 67.8

72.19%

Eggs

$5.40 AWG 9.66

$4.52 UYU 182

19.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 AWG 22.59

$14.17 UYU 570

-10.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 AWG 16.50

$12.07 UYU 485

-23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 AWG 21.54

$12.16 UYU 489

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 AWG 8.37

$2.87 UYU 116

63.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 AWG 4.13

$2.75 UYU 110

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 AWG 9.15

$1.73 UYU 69.5

195.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 AWG 6.38

$3.24 UYU 130

9.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 AWG 3.91

$2.07 UYU 83.1

5.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 AWG 3.67

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 AWG 4.78

$1.38 UYU 55.4

93.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 AWG 2.84

$1.85 UYU 74.5

-14.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 AWG 17.75

$5.57 UYU 224

77.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 AWG 17.36

$8.89 UYU 357

9.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 AWG 7.07

$2.29 UYU 92.2

72.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 AWG 7.74

$2.70 UYU 109

60.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 AWG 3.83

$1.52 UYU 61.3

40.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.14 AWG 54.0

$73.7 UYU 2,962

-59.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.86 AWG 30.18

$1.82 UYU 73.4

826.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.83 AWG 6.86

$0.40 UYU 16.05

857.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.95 AWG 44.67

$10.66 UYU 429

134.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 AWG 3.65

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-8.11%

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

$25.9K AWG 46.4K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-3.13%

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

$34.7K AWG 62.2K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-5.48%

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

$252 AWG 451

$191 UYU 7,674

32.02%

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

$48.35 AWG 86.6

$20.40 UYU 820

137.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 AWG 187

$44.14 UYU 1,775

136.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 AWG 111

$54.1 UYU 2,177

15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.38 AWG 47.22

$19.68 UYU 791

34.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 AWG 21.52

$12.33 UYU 496

-2.51%

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

$254 AWG 455

$613 UYU 24.7K

-58.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,657 AWG 15.5K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

-21.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 AWG 106

$103 UYU 4,134

-42.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 AWG 91.9

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-8.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AWG 195

$124 UYU 5,000

-12.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 AWG 186

$130 UYU 5,214

-19.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 AWG 1,673

$705 UYU 28.4K

32.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 AWG 1,676

$575 UYU 23.1K

62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,703 AWG 4,839

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

137.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,031 AWG 5,426

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

198.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,210 AWG 3,956

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-34.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 AWG 3,121

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-10.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,706 AWG 3,053

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

38.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.74

8.89%

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

Last update for Oranjestad: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oranjestad

$936 40.6%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 38.6% $361

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oranjestad

$405 17.5%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 36.9% $149

Groceries & Markets

Oranjestad

$365 15.8%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 8.9% $32

Eating Out

Oranjestad

$294 12.8%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 7.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Oranjestad

$145 6.3%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 27.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Oranjestad

$86 3.7%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 8.7% $7.5

Getting Around

Oranjestad

$75 3.2%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 11.8% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $935 in Oranjestad versus $705 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 39% higher in Oranjestad, 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 $79.0 in Oranjestad versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

05:15 5:15 AM

1 h ahead of Oranjestad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000 Capital

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.498 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.498 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Oranjestad Montevideo 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Oranjestad
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

Oranjestad vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Oranjestad is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,491 per month in Oranjestad and $2,720 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 $254 per month in Oranjestad and $613 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Oranjestad, 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 $1,813, than in Oranjestad at $2,327. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oranjestad 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, Oranjestad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.