Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reston, VA and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $3,292 in Reston, VA, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

159

Cost of Living Index in Reston, VA
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Reston, VA Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Reston, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,292

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,292 per month in Reston, VA vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Reston, VA $3,292
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $5,194 per month in Reston, VA vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Reston, VA $5,194
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $7,096 per month in Reston, VA vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Reston, VA $7,096
Montevideo $3,708

Reston, VA costs about 86% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Reston, VA and Montevideo sit above the global median – Reston, VA by 144%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.47 $28.47

$15.16 UYU 609

87.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$69.2 UYU 2,776

72.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$14.65 UYU 588

-32.70%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$4.46 UYU 179

37.22%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$2.67 UYU 107

10.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.00 UYU 80.4

30.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$4.83 UYU 194

45.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 $7.43

$3.80 UYU 152

95.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.87 UYU 115

51.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.75 UYU 70.2

159.43%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$4.68 UYU 188

13.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$13.88 UYU 557

21.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$11.98 UYU 481

40.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.06 $23.06

$11.97 UYU 480

92.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$2.78 UYU 111

147.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.74 UYU 110

-37.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.77 UYU 71.2

131.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.24 UYU 130

80.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.97 UYU 79.2

48.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.07 UYU 83.1

79.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.37 UYU 55.1

117.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.88 UYU 75.3

34.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 $14.04

$5.59 UYU 224

151.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.79 $17.79

$8.78 UYU 352

102.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.75 UYU 110

69.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.53 UYU 61.5

166.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 $129

$74.3 UYU 2,980

74.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.91 UYU 76.7

104.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.40 UYU 16.18

305.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.89 $24.89

$10.33 UYU 415

140.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-53.05%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

11.57%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-33.89%

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

$215 $215

$188 UYU 7,557

13.95%

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

$63.1 $63.1

$20.54 UYU 824

207.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.3 $78.3

$44.81 UYU 1,798

74.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 $100

$54.0 UYU 2,166

85.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.79 $29.79

$19.75 UYU 793

50.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 $16.04

$11.95 UYU 480

34.23%

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

$3,165 $3,165

$634 UYU 25.5K

398.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.8K $40.8K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

268.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 $76.0

$102 UYU 4,099

-25.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 $43.32

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-24.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$127 UYU 5,079

-18.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$128 UYU 5,131

-3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,377 $2,377

$719 UYU 28.8K

230.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$568 UYU 22.8K

178.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,616 $3,616

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

215.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,125 $3,125

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

205.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,387 $6,387

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

88.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,379 $4,379

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

124.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,376 $6,376

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

412.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.74

15.51%

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

Last update for Reston, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reston, VA

$1.6K 48.1%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 64.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Reston, VA

$503 15.3%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 34.1% $171

Eating Out

Reston, VA

$403 12.2%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 33.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reston, VA

$356 10.8%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 28.7% $102

Getting Around

Reston, VA

$158 4.8%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 46.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Reston, VA

$156 4.7%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 19.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Reston, VA

$132 4%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 41.1% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,377 in Reston, VA versus $719 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 412% higher in Reston, VA, 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 $119 in Reston, VA versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $503 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Reston, VA

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

1 h ahead of Reston, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,404

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Reston, VA Montevideo 8,500 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Reston, VA
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

Reston, VA vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Reston, VA is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,938 per month in Reston, VA and $2,656 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 $3,165 per month in Reston, VA and $634 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Reston, VA, 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 $1,771, than in Reston, VA at $3,292. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reston, VA 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, Reston, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.