Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salento and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $797 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Salento
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Salento Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Salento

🇨🇴 Colombia

$797

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $797 per month in Salento vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Salento $797
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $1,210 per month in Salento vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Salento $1,210
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $1,624 per month in Salento vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Salento $1,624
Montevideo $3,708

Salento is about 55% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Salento sits 41% below the global median, while Montevideo is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 COP 12.2K

$15.16 UYU 609

-74.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.68 COP 75.1K

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-65.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 COP 22.8K

$14.65 UYU 588

-50.92%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,806

$4.46 UYU 179

-65.92%

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

$0.93 COP 2,935

$2.67 UYU 107

-65.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,804

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-71.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 COP 3,782

$4.83 UYU 194

-75.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 COP 6,837

$3.80 UYU 152

-43.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,457

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-19.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 COP 3,939

$2.87 UYU 115

-56.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,739

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-32.57%

Eggs

$2.15 COP 6,818

$4.68 UYU 188

-54.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 13.9K

$13.88 UYU 557

-68.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 COP 16.3K

$11.98 UYU 481

-57.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 COP 23.2K

$11.97 UYU 480

-38.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 COP 7,970

$2.78 UYU 111

-9.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 COP 3,326

$2.74 UYU 110

-61.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,343

$1.77 UYU 71.2

-22.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 COP 3,336

$3.24 UYU 130

-67.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,527

$1.97 UYU 79.2

-43.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,583

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-45.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 COP 2,608

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-40.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 COP 2,160

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-63.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$5.59 UYU 224

-57.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.63 COP 30.5K

$8.78 UYU 352

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,482

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-51.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,586

$2.75 UYU 110

-36.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 COP 2,310

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-52.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.33 COP 96.2K

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-59.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,478

$1.91 UYU 76.7

-26.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 COP 5,433

$0.40 UYU 16.18

327.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 COP 19.4K

$10.33 UYU 415

-40.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,135

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-53.52%

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

$18.1K COP 57.3M

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-33.34%

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

$25.1K COP 79.5M

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-30.89%

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

$81.4 COP 258.1K

$188 UYU 7,557

-56.78%

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

$8.90 COP 28.2K

$20.54 UYU 824

-56.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 COP 71.6K

$44.81 UYU 1,798

-49.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.61 COP 74.9K

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-56.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$3.96 COP 12.6K

$11.95 UYU 480

-66.86%

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

$238 COP 753.3K

$634 UYU 25.5K

-62.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,861 COP 18.6M

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

-46.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 COP 188.0K

$102 UYU 4,099

-41.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.37 COP 102.6K

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-43.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 COP 260.1K

$127 UYU 5,079

-35.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 COP 230.1K

$128 UYU 5,131

-43.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 COP 853.9K

$719 UYU 28.8K

-62.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 COP 758.9K

$568 UYU 22.8K

-57.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 COP 1.7M

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-54.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 COP 1.3M

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-58.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,420 COP 4.5M

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-58.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 COP 3.4M

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-44.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

5.74

127.53%

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

Last update for Salento: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salento

$239 30%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 137% $329

Groceries & Markets

Salento

$172 21.6%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 92.4% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salento

$113 14.2%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 125% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Salento

$111 13.9%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 68.1% $76

Eating Out

Salento

$87 10.9%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 210% $182

Getting Around

Salento

$43 5.4%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 95.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Salento

$32 4%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 147% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Salento 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Salento versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $332 – making Salento the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Salento

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

23:35 11:35 PM

2 h ahead of Salento

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,748

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Salento Montevideo 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Salento
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

Salento vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 122%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,195 per month in Salento 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 Salento, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $238 per month in Salento 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 92% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salento, where all-in costs run around $797, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Salento it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salento – 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 Salento. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.