Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $2,740 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Salt Lake City, UT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,740
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,740 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Salt Lake City, UT $2,740
  • Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $3,899 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Salt Lake City, UT $3,899
  • Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $5,058 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Salt Lake City, UT $5,058
  • Montevideo $3,750

Salt Lake City, UT costs about 51% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Salt Lake City, UT and Montevideo sit above the global median – Salt Lake City, UT by 104%, Montevideo by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.91 $17.91
$15.26 UYU 613
17.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.3 $73.3
$67.4 UYU 2,707
8.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.16 $10.16
$14.37 UYU 577
-29.30%
Cappuccino
$5.12 $5.12
$4.64 UYU 186
10.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 $2.28
$2.73 UYU 110
-16.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 $1.72
$2.09 UYU 83.9
-17.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.06 $6.06
$4.75 UYU 191
27.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.97 $7.97
$3.67 UYU 147
117.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 $0.89
$1.38 UYU 55.4
-35.51%
White Bread (500g)
$3.92 $3.92
$2.77 UYU 111
41.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$1.69 UYU 67.7
148.52%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$4.52 UYU 182
-8.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.04 $12.04
$14.17 UYU 569
-15.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.45 $12.45
$12.07 UYU 485
3.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.55 $17.55
$12.16 UYU 488
44.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$2.87 UYU 115
38.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 $1.43
$2.75 UYU 110
-48.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.58 $3.58
$1.73 UYU 69.4
106.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.07 $4.07
$3.24 UYU 130
25.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.07 UYU 83.0
7.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.07 UYU 83.0
20.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.38 UYU 55.4
39.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.85 UYU 74.4
0.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.06 $10.06
$5.57 UYU 224
80.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$8.89 UYU 357
65.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$2.29 UYU 92.1
17.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 $3.40
$2.70 UYU 108
25.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.52 UYU 61.2
59.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.7 $83.7
$73.7 UYU 2,958
13.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.82 UYU 73.3
34.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.28 $2.28
$0.40 UYU 16.02
470.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.47 $25.47
$10.66 UYU 428
138.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$2.22 UYU 89.0
-47.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K $37.3K
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
39.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$36.7K UYU 1.5M
-30.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 $191
$191 UYU 7,662
0.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.41 $48.41
$20.40 UYU 819
137.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$78.2 $78.2
$44.14 UYU 1,772
77.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.17 $34.17
$54.1 UYU 2,174
-36.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.04 $27.04
$19.68 UYU 790
37.40%
Cinema Ticket
$15.09 $15.09
$12.33 UYU 495
22.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
$613 UYU 24.6K
114.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.6K $20.6K
$11.0K UYU 443.6K
86.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.7 $70.7
$103 UYU 4,128
-31.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.22 $45.22
$56.1 UYU 2,251
-19.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 $110
$124 UYU 4,993
-11.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$130 UYU 5,207
-17.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,632 $1,632
$705 UYU 28.3K
131.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,371 $1,371
$575 UYU 23.1K
138.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,889 $2,889
$1,139 UYU 45.7K
153.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,141 $2,141
$1,016 UYU 40.8K
110.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,154 $4,154
$3,349 UYU 134.4K
24.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,972 $2,972
$1,942 UYU 78.0K
53.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Salt Lake City, UT
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,304 $4,304
$1,229 UYU 49.4K
250.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.46
5.74
12.54%

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

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: 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
Salt Lake City, UT
$1.4K
Montevideo
$575 58% $795
Groceries & Markets
Salt Lake City, UT
$387
Montevideo
$332 14.1% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salt Lake City, UT
$318
Montevideo
$255 19.6% $62
Eating Out
Salt Lake City, UT
$297
Montevideo
$271 8.8% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Salt Lake City, UT
$150
Montevideo
$186 23.8% $36
Getting Around
Salt Lake City, UT
$107
Montevideo
$84 22.1% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Salt Lake City, UT
$64
Montevideo
$79 22.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,632 in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT, 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 $73.0 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $332 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
01:58 1:58 AM
04:58 4:58 AM
3 h ahead of Salt Lake City, UT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
200,133
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 = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Salt Lake City, UT Montevideo 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Salt Lake City, UT
  • 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
Salt Lake City, UT vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montevideo cheaper than Salt Lake City, UT?
Yes – Salt Lake City, UT is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,110 per month in Salt Lake City, UT 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 $1,316 per month in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT and in Montevideo?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Salt Lake City, UT, 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 Salt Lake City, UT or in Montevideo?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Salt Lake City, UT at $2,740. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salt Lake City, UT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Salt Lake City, UT 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, Salt Lake City, UT 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, Salt Lake City, UT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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