Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Montevideo

For one person, living costs are similar in Quebec City and in Montevideo: $1,893 and $1,813 a month, rent and utilities included.

Quebec City
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,893
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,893 per month in Quebec City vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Quebec City $1,893
  • Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $2,839 per month in Quebec City vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Quebec City $2,839
  • Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $3,785 per month in Quebec City vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Quebec City $3,785
  • Montevideo $3,750

Quebec City costs about 4% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Quebec City and Montevideo sit above the global median – Quebec City by 41%, Montevideo by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.19 CA$30.14
$15.26 UYU 613
38.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.1 CA$91.1
$67.4 UYU 2,707
-5.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.97 CA$15.60
$14.37 UYU 577
-23.66%
Cappuccino
$3.66 CA$5.21
$4.64 UYU 186
-21.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.95
$2.73 UYU 110
-24.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 CA$2.01
$2.09 UYU 83.9
-32.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.58 CA$7.93
$4.75 UYU 191
17.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 CA$7.91
$3.67 UYU 147
51.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.12 CA$3.01
$1.38 UYU 55.4
53.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 CA$4.05
$2.77 UYU 111
2.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.25 CA$6.04
$1.69 UYU 67.7
151.48%
Eggs
$3.18 CA$4.52
$4.52 UYU 182
-29.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.87 CA$12.62
$14.17 UYU 569
-37.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 CA$14.96
$12.07 UYU 485
-12.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.39 CA$14.78
$12.16 UYU 488
-14.56%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 CA$5.99
$2.87 UYU 115
46.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 CA$2.26
$2.75 UYU 110
-42.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.70 CA$5.26
$1.73 UYU 69.4
113.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.91 CA$5.56
$3.24 UYU 130
20.68%
Potato (1kg)
$2.86 CA$4.06
$2.07 UYU 83.0
38.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.79 CA$3.97
$2.07 UYU 83.0
34.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.69 CA$3.83
$1.38 UYU 55.4
94.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 CA$2.03
$1.85 UYU 74.4
-22.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.87 CA$21.16
$5.57 UYU 224
166.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.16 CA$15.88
$8.89 UYU 357
25.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.15 CA$4.48
$2.29 UYU 92.1
37.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 CA$4.84
$2.70 UYU 108
25.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.77 CA$3.93
$1.52 UYU 61.2
82.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.6 CA$99.0
$73.7 UYU 2,958
-5.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.90 CA$4.13
$1.82 UYU 73.3
59.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$0.40 UYU 16.02
270.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.24 CA$48.70
$10.66 UYU 428
221.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 CA$1.78
$2.22 UYU 89.0
-43.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K CA$40.2K
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
5.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K CA$30.3K
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
-42.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$100 CA$143
$191 UYU 7,662
-47.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.82 CA$45.26
$20.40 UYU 819
55.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.74 CA$63.6
$44.14 UYU 1,772
1.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.56 CA$49.16
$54.1 UYU 2,174
-36.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.27 CA$21.72
$19.68 UYU 790
-22.41%
Cinema Ticket
$10.87 CA$15.46
$12.33 UYU 495
-11.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$685 CA$975
$613 UYU 24.6K
11.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,148 CA$13.0K
$11.0K UYU 443.6K
-17.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.7 CA$84.9
$103 UYU 4,128
-41.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.2 CA$71.4
$56.1 UYU 2,251
-10.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.7 CA$128
$124 UYU 4,993
-27.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 CA$153
$130 UYU 5,207
-17.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 CA$1,458
$705 UYU 28.3K
45.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 CA$1,101
$575 UYU 23.1K
34.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,565 CA$2,226
$1,139 UYU 45.7K
37.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,278 CA$1,818
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
25.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,737 CA$6,737
$3,349 UYU 134.4K
41.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,731 CA$3,884
$1,942 UYU 78.0K
40.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quebec City
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,037 CA$4,320
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
147.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.44
5.74
-22.65%

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

Last update for Quebec City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quebec City
$774
Montevideo
$575 25.6% $198
Groceries & Markets
Quebec City
$342
Montevideo
$332 2.7% $9.1
Eating Out
Quebec City
$299
Montevideo
$271 9.4% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quebec City
$177
Montevideo
$255 44.5% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Quebec City
$138
Montevideo
$186 34.4% $48
Getting Around
Quebec City
$91
Montevideo
$84 8.2% $7.4
Sport & Entertainment
Quebec City
$56
Montevideo
$79 40% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Quebec City 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 147% higher in Quebec City, 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 $64.0 in Quebec City versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $342 in Quebec City vs $332 in Montevideo – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Quebec City
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
23:49 11:49 PM
00:49 12:49 AM
1 h ahead of Quebec City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
530,168
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quebec City Montevideo 9,210 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quebec City
  • 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
Quebec City vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montevideo cheaper than Quebec City?
Yes – Quebec City is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,839 per month in Quebec City and $2,720 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $685 per month in Quebec City and $613 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Quebec City and in Montevideo?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Quebec City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Quebec City or in Montevideo?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Quebec City at $1,893. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quebec City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Quebec City or Montevideo more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Quebec City or Montevideo?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quebec City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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