Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,666 in Raleigh, NC, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Raleigh, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,666
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,666 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Raleigh, NC $2,666
  • Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $3,913 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Raleigh, NC $3,913
  • Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Raleigh, NC $5,159
  • Montevideo $3,750

Raleigh, NC costs about 47% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Raleigh, NC and Montevideo sit above the global median – Raleigh, NC by 99%, Montevideo by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.68 $23.68
$15.26 UYU 613
55.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.9 $98.9
$67.4 UYU 2,711
46.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.92 $10.92
$14.37 UYU 578
-24.01%
Cappuccino
$5.80 $5.80
$4.64 UYU 187
25.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 $2.88
$2.73 UYU 110
5.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.09 UYU 84.0
5.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.09 $6.09
$4.75 UYU 191
28.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 $7.10
$3.67 UYU 147
93.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$1.38 UYU 55.5
-33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.85 $3.85
$2.77 UYU 112
38.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.10 $3.10
$1.69 UYU 67.8
83.43%
Eggs
$4.70 $4.70
$4.52 UYU 182
3.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.26 $15.26
$14.17 UYU 570
7.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.82 $9.82
$12.07 UYU 485
-18.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.08 $18.08
$12.16 UYU 489
48.68%
Apples (1kg)
$6.54 $6.54
$2.87 UYU 116
127.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.25 $1.25
$2.75 UYU 110
-54.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.58 $4.58
$1.73 UYU 69.5
164.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.90 $5.90
$3.24 UYU 130
82.10%
Potato (1kg)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.07 UYU 83.1
45.41%
Onion (1kg)
$3.65 $3.65
$2.07 UYU 83.1
76.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.38 UYU 55.4
50.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.85 UYU 74.5
20.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.60 $9.60
$5.57 UYU 224
72.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.94 $14.94
$8.89 UYU 357
68.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.29 UYU 92.2
-3.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 $2.73
$2.70 UYU 109
1.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.39 $1.39
$1.52 UYU 61.3
-8.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.65 $40.65
$73.7 UYU 2,962
-44.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 $2.99
$1.82 UYU 73.4
64.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.94 $1.94
$0.40 UYU 16.05
385.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.35 $18.35
$10.66 UYU 429
72.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$2.22 UYU 89.2
-56.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.3K $36.3K
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
35.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
-31.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$193 $193
$191 UYU 7,674
1.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.0 $57.0
$20.40 UYU 820
179.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.1 $67.1
$44.14 UYU 1,775
51.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.25 $36.25
$54.1 UYU 2,177
-33.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.10 $5.10
$19.68 UYU 791
-74.09%
Cinema Ticket
$15.28 $15.28
$12.33 UYU 496
23.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,463 $1,463
$613 UYU 24.7K
138.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K $24.2K
$11.0K UYU 444.3K
119.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 $53.5
$103 UYU 4,134
-47.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.9 $58.9
$56.1 UYU 2,255
4.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 $92.6
$124 UYU 5,000
-25.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$142 $142
$130 UYU 5,214
9.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,750 $1,750
$705 UYU 28.4K
148.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,298 $1,298
$575 UYU 23.1K
125.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,055 $3,055
$1,139 UYU 45.8K
168.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 $2,028
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
99.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,971 $3,971
$3,349 UYU 134.6K
18.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,149 $2,149
$1,942 UYU 78.1K
10.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Raleigh, NC
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,299 $4,299
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
249.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.61
5.74
15.16%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: 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
Raleigh, NC
$1.3K
Montevideo
$575 55.7% $722
Groceries & Markets
Raleigh, NC
$414
Montevideo
$332 19.7% $81
Eating Out
Raleigh, NC
$357
Montevideo
$271 24% $86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Raleigh, NC
$317
Montevideo
$255 19.4% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Raleigh, NC
$156
Montevideo
$186 19% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Raleigh, NC
$67
Montevideo
$79 17.9% $12
Getting Around
Raleigh, NC
$59
Montevideo
$84 41.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,750 in Raleigh, NC 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 250% higher in Raleigh, NC, 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 $99.0 in Raleigh, NC versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
06:17 6:17 AM
07:17 7:17 AM
1 h ahead of Raleigh, NC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
431,746
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Raleigh, NC Montevideo 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Raleigh, NC
  • 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
Raleigh, NC vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montevideo cheaper than Raleigh, NC?
Yes – Raleigh, NC is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,998 per month in Raleigh, NC 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 $1,463 per month in Raleigh, NC 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 Raleigh, NC and in Montevideo?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Raleigh, NC, 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 Raleigh, NC or in Montevideo?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Raleigh, NC at $2,666. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Raleigh, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Raleigh, NC 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, Raleigh, NC 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, Raleigh, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Raleigh, NC vs other spots: cost of living compared

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