Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salto and San José

For one person, living is cheaper in San José: $913 a month against $1,326 in Salto, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
44

Cost of Living Index in San José
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San José Living Index

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Salto

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,326

/mo nomad

San José

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salto and in San José

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

A single person spends $1,326 per month in Salto vs $913 in San José, rent included.

Salto $1,326
San José $913

A couple spends around $1,953 per month in Salto vs $1,449 in San José, rent included.

Salto $1,953
San José $1,449

A family of three spends $2,579 per month in Salto vs $1,985 in San José, rent included.

Salto $2,579
San José $1,985

Salto costs about 45% more than San José, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Salto and San José are more affordable than the global median – Salto 2% lower, San José 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.48 UYU 661

$12.95 UYU 520

27.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.65 UYU 1,511

$43.87 UYU 1,761

-14.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 UYU 481

$13.82 UYU 555

-13.31%

Cappuccino

$3.29 UYU 132

$4.88 UYU 196

-32.58%

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

$2.22 UYU 89.2

$2.38 UYU 95.6

-6.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 UYU 64.4

$2.19 UYU 87.9

-26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 UYU 177

$2.92 UYU 117

50.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 UYU 125

$3.48 UYU 140

-10.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$0.99 UYU 39.77

39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 UYU 86.3

$2.01 UYU 80.7

6.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 UYU 59.8

$1.47 UYU 59.0

1.36%

Eggs

$5.31 UYU 213

$2.62 UYU 105

102.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 UYU 605

$12.01 UYU 482

25.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 UYU 352

$7.26 UYU 291

20.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 UYU 406

$12.07 UYU 484

-16.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 UYU 49.43

$1.22 UYU 48.77

0.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 UYU 87.1

$1.54 UYU 61.8

40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 UYU 48.37

$1.21 UYU 48.71

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 UYU 74.2

$1.54 UYU 61.7

20.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 UYU 35.69

$0.98 UYU 39.49

-9.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 UYU 70.0

$1.28 UYU 51.5

35.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 UYU 37.28

$1.49 UYU 59.7

-37.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 UYU 60.8

$1.99 UYU 79.9

-24.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 UYU 214

$9.82 UYU 394

-45.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 UYU 307

$8.17 UYU 328

-6.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 UYU 73.1

$3.05 UYU 123

-40.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 UYU 103

$3.35 UYU 135

-22.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 UYU 24.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 UYU 1,215

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 UYU 141

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.79 UYU 152

$3.45 UYU 139

9.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 UYU 399

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 UYU 77.5

$2.15 UYU 86.3

-10.23%

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

$36.4K UYU 1.5M

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

$40.1K UYU 1.6M

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

$202 UYU 8,114

$113 UYU 4,547

78.44%

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

$21.95 UYU 881

$23.78 UYU 955

-7.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.33 UYU 1,217

$47.11 UYU 1,891

-35.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.19 UYU 1,492

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.41 UYU 498

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 UYU 401

$12.35 UYU 496

-19.03%

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

$494 UYU 19.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,519 UYU 181.4K

$6,691 UYU 268.6K

-32.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 UYU 3,552

$88.3 UYU 3,542

0.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 UYU 2,262

$37.57 UYU 1,508

49.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 UYU 4,542

$164 UYU 6,601

-31.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.3 UYU 2,620

$117 UYU 4,699

-44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 UYU 18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 UYU 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 UYU 29.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 UYU 16.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$632 UYU 25.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Salto: October 17, 2026

Last update for San José: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salto

$293 22.1%

San José

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Salto

$273 20.6%

San José

$256 28.1% 6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salto

$254 19.2%

San José

$184 20.2% 27.6% $70

Eating Out

Salto

$251 18.9%

San José

$243 26.7% 2.9% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Salto

$145 11%

San José

$183 20.1% 26% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Salto

$57 4.3%

San José

$25 * 2.7% 56.8% $32

Getting Around

Salto

$52 * 3.9%

San José

$21 * 2.3% 59.8% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Salto versus $44.00 in San José. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Salto vs $256 in San José – so San José wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Salto

🇺🇾 San José

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

Same time as Salto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,028

36,747

💱 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 San José 350 km

From you

Salto
San José

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 San José: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salto is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,988 per month in Salto and $1,369 in San José. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Salto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Salto and $44.00 in San José. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San José, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Salto at $1,326. In San José it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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