Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salto, Uruguay and Mercedes

For one person, living costs are similar in Salto and in Mercedes: $1,315 and $1,285 a month, rent and utilities included.

Salto, Uruguay
Mercedes, Uruguay
Salto
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,315
/mo nomad
Mercedes
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,285
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salto and in Mercedes

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 Mercedes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,315 per month in Salto vs $1,285 in Mercedes, rent included.

  • Salto $1,315
  • Mercedes $1,285

A couple spends around $1,942 per month in Salto vs $1,968 in Mercedes, rent included.

  • Salto $1,942
  • Mercedes $1,968

A family of three spends $2,568 per month in Salto vs $2,650 in Mercedes, rent included.

  • Salto $2,568
  • Mercedes $2,650

Salto and Mercedes have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Salto and Mercedes are more affordable than the global median – Salto 3% lower, Mercedes 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.05 UYU 645
$15.66 UYU 630
2.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.24 UYU 1,498
$63.1 UYU 2,537
-40.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.94 UYU 480
$14.04 UYU 565
-14.96%
Cappuccino
$3.24 UYU 130
$2.53 UYU 102
28.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 UYU 86.3
$2.51 UYU 101
-14.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 UYU 64.1
$0.88 UYU 35.19
80.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.42 UYU 178
$2.47 UYU 99.2
78.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 UYU 126
$3.79 UYU 153
-17.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 UYU 56.3
$1.25 UYU 50.2
12.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 UYU 83.2
$3.02 UYU 121
-31.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 UYU 59.4
$1.43 UYU 57.5
3.50%
Eggs
$5.34 UYU 215
$2.80 UYU 112
90.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.97 UYU 602
$14.35 UYU 577
4.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.48 UYU 341
$11.51 UYU 463
-26.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.21 UYU 411
$7.40 UYU 298
37.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.22 UYU 49.01
$2.01 UYU 81.0
-39.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 UYU 88.4
$2.42 UYU 97.3
-9.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 UYU 50.9
$1.14 UYU 45.87
10.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.87 UYU 75.4
$2.92 UYU 117
-35.96%
Potato (1kg)
$0.83 UYU 33.31
$1.91 UYU 77.0
-56.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 UYU 67.2
$2.17 UYU 87.4
-23.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 UYU 37.21
$1.39 UYU 56.1
-33.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 UYU 60.4
$1.71 UYU 68.8
-12.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 UYU 213
$4.87 UYU 196
8.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.41 UYU 298
$8.29 UYU 334
-10.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 UYU 73.7
$2.33 UYU 93.8
-21.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 UYU 103
$2.77 UYU 112
-7.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 UYU 23.99
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.83 UYU 1,200
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.84 UYU 74.0
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.71 UYU 149
$1.06 UYU 42.50
250.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$12.77 UYU 514
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 UYU 80.2
$2.24 UYU 90.0
-11.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$26.7K UYU 1.1M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$36.9K UYU 1.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$200 UYU 8,056
$183 UYU 7,380
9.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.36 UYU 859
$21.33 UYU 858
0.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.41 UYU 1,223
$43.14 UYU 1,735
-29.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.84 UYU 1,482
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.64 UYU 509
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.83 UYU 395
$12.07 UYU 485
-18.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$632 UYU 25.4K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,410 UYU 177.3K
$11.2K UYU 450.8K
-60.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.8 UYU 3,569
$99.0 UYU 3,981
-10.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.7 UYU 2,239
$57.1 UYU 2,295
-2.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 UYU 4,504
$120 UYU 4,834
-6.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.6 UYU 2,678
$130 UYU 5,242
-48.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$451 UYU 18.1K
$582 UYU 23.4K
-22.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$294 UYU 11.8K
$295 UYU 11.9K
-0.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$758 UYU 30.5K
$627 UYU 25.2K
20.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$431 UYU 17.3K
$452 UYU 18.2K
-4.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,050 UYU 122.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,968 UYU 79.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Salto
Mercedes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$620 UYU 24.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.65
-

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

Last update for Salto: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mercedes: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Salto
$294
Mercedes
$295 0.5% $1.4
Groceries & Markets
Salto
$270
Mercedes
$296 9.6% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salto
$252
Mercedes
$248 1.6% $4.1
Eating Out
Salto
$246
Mercedes
$231 6.2% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Salto
$145
Mercedes
$183 25.9% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Salto
$56
Mercedes
$24 * 57.3% $32
Getting Around
Salto
$51 *
Mercedes
$7.1 * 86% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $451 in Salto versus $582 in Mercedes. 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 $37 in Salto versus $63 in Mercedes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $296 – making Salto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Salto
🇺🇾 Mercedes
🕒 Local time
17:36 5:36 PM
17:36 5:36 PM
Same time as Salto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
104,028
41,975
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 40.22 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.95 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Salto Mercedes 210 km
From you
  • Salto
  • Mercedes

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 Mercedes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Salto and in Mercedes?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,973 per month in Salto and $1,928 in Mercedes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Salto or Mercedes?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Salto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $451 there versus $582 in Mercedes.
Are groceries more expensive in Salto or in Mercedes?
Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Salto – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How do dining costs compare in Salto and in Mercedes?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Salto and $63 in Mercedes. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Salto or in Mercedes?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,315 in Salto and $1,285 in Mercedes. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Salto or Mercedes?
It depends on your priorities. Salto has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Mercedes to $1,315 in Salto. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Salto compared to Mercedes?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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