Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San José and Salto

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.

44

Cost of Living Index in San José
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San José Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Salto
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Salto Living Index

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San José

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$913

/mo nomad

Salto

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

San José $913
Salto $1,326

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

San José $1,449
Salto $1,953

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

San José $1,985
Salto $2,579

San José is about 31% cheaper than Salto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.95 UYU 520

$16.48 UYU 661

-21.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 UYU 1,761

$37.65 UYU 1,511

16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 UYU 555

$11.98 UYU 481

15.36%

Cappuccino

$4.88 UYU 196

$3.29 UYU 132

48.33%

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

$2.38 UYU 95.6

$2.22 UYU 89.2

7.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 UYU 87.9

$1.60 UYU 64.4

36.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 UYU 117

$4.40 UYU 177

-33.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 UYU 140

$3.11 UYU 125

11.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 UYU 39.77

$1.38 UYU 55.4

-28.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 UYU 80.7

$2.15 UYU 86.3

-6.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 UYU 59.0

$1.49 UYU 59.8

-1.34%

Eggs

$2.62 UYU 105

$5.31 UYU 213

-50.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 UYU 482

$15.08 UYU 605

-20.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 UYU 291

$8.78 UYU 352

-17.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 484

$10.11 UYU 406

19.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 UYU 48.77

$1.23 UYU 49.43

-0.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 61.8

$2.17 UYU 87.1

-29.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 UYU 48.71

$1.21 UYU 48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 61.7

$1.85 UYU 74.2

-16.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 UYU 39.49

$0.89 UYU 35.69

10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 UYU 51.5

$1.74 UYU 70.0

-26.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 UYU 59.7

$0.93 UYU 37.28

60.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 UYU 79.9

$1.51 UYU 60.8

31.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.82 UYU 394

$5.32 UYU 214

84.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 UYU 328

$7.65 UYU 307

6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 UYU 123

$1.82 UYU 73.1

67.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 UYU 135

$2.58 UYU 103

29.84%

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)

$3.45 UYU 139

$3.79 UYU 152

-8.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 UYU 399

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 UYU 86.3

$1.93 UYU 77.5

11.40%

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)

$113 UYU 4,547

$202 UYU 8,114

-43.96%

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

$23.78 UYU 955

$21.95 UYU 881

8.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.11 UYU 1,891

$30.33 UYU 1,217

55.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.19 UYU 1,492

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.41 UYU 498

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 UYU 496

$10.00 UYU 401

23.50%

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

$494 UYU 19.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,691 UYU 268.6K

$4,519 UYU 181.4K

48.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 UYU 3,542

$88.5 UYU 3,552

-0.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 UYU 1,508

$56.4 UYU 2,262

-33.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 UYU 6,601

$113 UYU 4,542

45.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 UYU 4,699

$65.3 UYU 2,620

79.35%

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 San José: October 17, 2026

Last update for Salto: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San José

$256 28.1%

Salto

$273 20.6% 6.4% $16

Eating Out

San José

$243 26.7%

Salto

$251 18.9% 3% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San José

$184 20.2%

Salto

$254 19.2% 38.1% $70

Clothing & Footwear

San José

$183 20.1%

Salto

$145 11% 20.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

San José

$25 * 2.7%

Salto

$57 4.3% 132% $32

Getting Around

San José

$21 * 2.3%

Salto

$52 * 3.9% 149% $31

Accommodation & Living

San José

- * 0%

Salto

$293 22.1%

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

Good to know

🇺🇾 San José

🇺🇾 Salto

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

Same time as San José

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,747

104,028

💱 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

San José Salto 350 km

From you

San José
Salto

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

San José vs Salto: 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 $1,369 per month in San José and $1,988 in Salto. 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 $44.00 in San José and $38.00 in Salto. 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.