Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,813 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Montevideo $3,750

San Jose costs about 8% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Montevideo sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Montevideo by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$15.26 UYU 613

-19.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$67.4 UYU 2,707

-10.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$14.37 UYU 577

-18.09%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$4.64 UYU 186

-7.33%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.73 UYU 110

-0.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.09 UYU 83.9

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$4.75 UYU 191

-30.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$3.67 UYU 147

18.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.38 UYU 55.4

72.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$2.77 UYU 111

12.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$1.69 UYU 67.7

42.60%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$4.52 UYU 182

-23.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$14.17 UYU 569

-25.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$12.07 UYU 485

-12.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$12.16 UYU 488

13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$2.87 UYU 115

75.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$2.75 UYU 110

-41.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$1.73 UYU 69.4

165.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$3.24 UYU 130

18.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$2.07 UYU 83.0

82.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.07 UYU 83.0

81.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$1.38 UYU 55.4

-18.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.85 UYU 74.4

72.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$5.57 UYU 224

4.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$8.89 UYU 357

121.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.29 UYU 92.1

20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$2.70 UYU 108

35.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.52 UYU 61.2

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$73.7 UYU 2,958

-11.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$1.82 UYU 73.3

35.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$0.40 UYU 16.02

285.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$10.66 UYU 428

-20.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.22 UYU 89.0

-30.18%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-18.86%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-5.08%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$191 UYU 7,662

-50.39%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$20.40 UYU 819

72.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$44.14 UYU 1,772

32.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$54.1 UYU 2,174

33.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$19.68 UYU 790

28.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$12.33 UYU 495

-36.50%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$613 UYU 24.6K

58.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

53.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$103 UYU 4,128

-30.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$56.1 UYU 2,251

-2.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$124 UYU 4,993

3.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$130 UYU 5,207

2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$705 UYU 28.3K

32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$575 UYU 23.1K

33.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

70.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

29.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

-32.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

-7.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

-18.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.74

50.17%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 25.3% $195

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 16.7% $67

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 18.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 35.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 6.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 10.3% $9

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 4.8% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $705 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 22% higher in Montevideo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in San Jose versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in San Jose vs $332 in Montevideo – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

00:46 12:46 AM

3 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Montevideo 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Montevideo

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 Jose vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $2,720 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $971 per month in San Jose and $613 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in San Jose at $1,949. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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