Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salto and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Salto: $1,327 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Salto
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Salto Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Salto

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,327

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,327 per month in Salto vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Salto $1,327
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $1,946 per month in Salto vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Salto $1,946
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $2,565 per month in Salto vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Salto $2,565
Montevideo $3,708

Salto is about 25% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Salto sits 2% below the global median, while Montevideo is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 UYU 648

$15.16 UYU 609

6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.91 UYU 1,481

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-46.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.70 UYU 470

$14.65 UYU 588

-20.14%

Cappuccino

$3.34 UYU 134

$4.46 UYU 179

-25.11%

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

$2.16 UYU 86.7

$2.67 UYU 107

-19.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 UYU 64.2

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 UYU 178

$4.83 UYU 194

-8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 UYU 122

$3.80 UYU 152

-20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 UYU 56.1

$1.36 UYU 54.8

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 UYU 86.5

$2.87 UYU 115

-25.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 UYU 60.6

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-13.71%

Eggs

$5.15 UYU 207

$4.68 UYU 188

10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.85 UYU 596

$13.88 UYU 557

6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 UYU 345

$11.98 UYU 481

-28.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 UYU 410

$11.97 UYU 480

-14.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 UYU 49.03

$2.78 UYU 111

-56.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 UYU 90.6

$2.74 UYU 110

-17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 UYU 48.25

$1.77 UYU 71.2

-32.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 UYU 75.0

$3.24 UYU 130

-42.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 UYU 33.76

$1.97 UYU 79.2

-57.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 UYU 68.4

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-17.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 UYU 38.05

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-30.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 UYU 61.1

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 UYU 206

$5.59 UYU 224

-8.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.43 UYU 298

$8.78 UYU 352

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 UYU 75.1

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-17.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 UYU 108

$2.75 UYU 110

-2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 UYU 25.63

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-58.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.03 UYU 1,205

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-59.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.80 UYU 152

$0.40 UYU 16.18

850.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 UYU 76.0

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-11.27%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

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

$200 UYU 8,024

$188 UYU 7,557

6.18%

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

$21.57 UYU 866

$20.54 UYU 824

5.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 UYU 1,207

$44.81 UYU 1,798

-32.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.99 UYU 1,445

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-33.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.49 UYU 501

$19.75 UYU 793

-36.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 UYU 404

$11.95 UYU 480

-15.73%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,494 UYU 180.4K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

-59.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 UYU 3,557

$102 UYU 4,099

-13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 UYU 2,246

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 UYU 4,525

$127 UYU 5,079

-10.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 UYU 2,652

$128 UYU 5,131

-48.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 UYU 17.8K

$719 UYU 28.8K

-38.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 UYU 12.2K

$568 UYU 22.8K

-46.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 UYU 29.6K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-35.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 UYU 17.0K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-58.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 UYU 24.6K

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

-50.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

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

Last update for Salto: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salto

$303 22.8%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 87.5% $265

Groceries & Markets

Salto

$272 20.5%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 22.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salto

$252 19%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 0.8% $2.1

Eating Out

Salto

$248 18.7%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 8.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Salto

$146 11%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 28% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Salto

$56 4.2%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 38.7% $22

Getting Around

Salto

$52 * 3.9%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 63.5% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $444 in Salto 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 103% higher in Montevideo, 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 $37.00 in Salto versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $332 – making Salto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Salto

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

Same time as Salto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,028

1,319,108 Capital

💱 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

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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 Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,990 per month in Salto 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 Salto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 147% less in Salto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Salto, where all-in costs run around $1,327, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Salto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salto – 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 Salto. 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.