Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salto and Colonia

For one person, living is cheaper in Salto: $1,327 a month against $1,511 in Colonia, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Salto
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Salto Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Colonia
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Colonia Living Index

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Salto

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,327

/mo nomad

Colonia

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salto and in Colonia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Salto and in Colonia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,327 in Salto versus $1,511 in Colonia.

Salto $1,327
Colonia $1,511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,946 in Salto versus $2,462 in Colonia.

Salto $1,946
Colonia $2,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,565 in Salto versus $3,413 in Colonia.

Salto $2,565
Colonia $3,413

Living in Salto costs roughly 12% less than in Colonia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salto is 2% below, Colonia is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 UYU 648

$15.94 UYU 640

1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.91 UYU 1,481

$75.1 UYU 3,015

-50.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.70 UYU 470

$12.92 UYU 519

-9.44%

Cappuccino

$3.34 UYU 134

$5.83 UYU 234

-42.71%

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

$2.16 UYU 86.7

$1.85 UYU 74.4

16.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 UYU 64.2

$1.40 UYU 56.2

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 UYU 178

$4.88 UYU 196

-9.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 UYU 122

$4.74 UYU 190

-36.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 UYU 56.1

$1.15 UYU 46.11

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 UYU 86.5

$2.11 UYU 84.7

1.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 UYU 60.6

$1.21 UYU 48.39

24.79%

Eggs

$5.15 UYU 207

$3.51 UYU 141

46.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.85 UYU 596

$9.96 UYU 400

49.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 UYU 345

$12.34 UYU 495

-30.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 UYU 410

$11.03 UYU 443

-7.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 UYU 49.03

$2.17 UYU 87.3

-43.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 UYU 90.6

$1.89 UYU 76.0

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 UYU 48.25

$1.27 UYU 51.1

-5.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 UYU 75.0

$5.58 UYU 224

-66.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 UYU 33.76

$2.04 UYU 81.8

-58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.4

$1.98 UYU 79.3

-14.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 UYU 38.05

$1.23 UYU 49.17

-22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 UYU 61.1

$1.25 UYU 50.2

21.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 UYU 206

$7.65 UYU 307

-32.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.43 UYU 298

$12.60 UYU 506

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 UYU 75.1

$4.44 UYU 178

-57.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 UYU 108

$2.52 UYU 101

6.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 UYU 25.63

$0.95 UYU 38.29

-32.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.03 UYU 1,205

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 UYU 34.47

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.80 UYU 152

$2.53 UYU 101

50.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 UYU 76.0

$1.98 UYU 79.4

-4.55%

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

$32.0K UYU 1.3M

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

$39.2K UYU 1.6M

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

$200 UYU 8,024

$123 UYU 4,923

63.00%

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

$21.57 UYU 866

$18.70 UYU 750

15.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 UYU 1,207

$38.73 UYU 1,555

-22.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.99 UYU 1,445

$41.35 UYU 1,660

-12.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.49 UYU 501

$12.52 UYU 503

-0.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 UYU 404

$7.80 UYU 313

29.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,494 UYU 180.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 UYU 3,557

$56.7 UYU 2,274

56.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 UYU 2,246

$50.5 UYU 2,027

10.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 UYU 4,525

$112 UYU 4,503

0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 UYU 2,652

$201 UYU 8,079

-67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 UYU 17.8K

$597 UYU 24.0K

-25.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 UYU 12.2K

$470 UYU 18.9K

-35.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 UYU 29.6K

$1,126 UYU 45.2K

-34.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 UYU 17.0K

$977 UYU 39.2K

-56.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 UYU 24.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

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

Last update for Salto: October 11, 2026

Last update for Colonia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salto

$303 22.8%

Colonia

$470 31.1% 55.2% $167

Groceries & Markets

Salto

$272 20.5%

Colonia

$314 20.8% 15.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salto

$252 19%

Colonia

$180 11.9% 28.4% $71

Eating Out

Salto

$248 18.7%

Colonia

$283 18.7% 14.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Salto

$146 11%

Colonia

$189 12.5% 30.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Salto

$56 4.2%

Colonia

$57 3.8% 1.4% $0.8

Getting Around

Salto

$52 * 3.9%

Colonia

$17 * 1.2% 66.4% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Salto and $597 in Colonia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Salto vs $75.0 in Colonia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $314 per month, with Salto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Salto

🇺🇾 Colonia

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

Same time as Salto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,028

26,231

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Salto Colonia 340 km

From you

Salto
Colonia

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

Salto vs Colonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salto wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Colonia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Salto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,990 in Salto and $2,266 in Colonia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $444 in Salto versus $597 in Colonia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,327 per month in Salto versus $1,511 in Colonia – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Colonia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,327 in Salto versus $1,511 in Colonia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Salto but tight or insufficient in Colonia. The gap between the two cities makes Salto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Salto and Colonia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Salto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Colonia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.