Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan del Sur and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan del Sur: $1,058 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in San Juan del Sur
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San Juan del Sur Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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San Juan del Sur

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,058

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,058 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $1,058
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $1,682 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $1,682
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $2,307 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $2,307
Montevideo $3,708

San Juan del Sur is about 40% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Juan del Sur sits 22% below the global median, while Montevideo is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 NIO 153

$15.16 UYU 609

-72.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.08 NIO 1,248

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-50.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 NIO 204

$14.65 UYU 588

-61.98%

Cappuccino

$2.56 NIO 93.7

$4.46 UYU 179

-42.60%

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

$0.86 NIO 31.37

$2.67 UYU 107

-67.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NIO 25.02

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-66.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 NIO 53.8

$4.83 UYU 194

-69.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NIO 81.8

$3.80 UYU 152

-41.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 NIO 45.36

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 NIO 55.9

$2.87 UYU 115

-46.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 NIO 43.56

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-32.00%

Eggs

$2.44 NIO 89.2

$4.68 UYU 188

-47.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.71 NIO 283

$13.88 UYU 557

-44.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 NIO 225

$11.98 UYU 481

-48.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.84 NIO 287

$11.97 UYU 480

-34.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NIO 150

$2.78 UYU 111

47.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 NIO 22.71

$2.74 UYU 110

-77.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NIO 67.3

$1.77 UYU 71.2

3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 NIO 89.9

$3.24 UYU 130

-24.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 NIO 114

$1.97 UYU 79.2

57.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NIO 79.9

$2.07 UYU 83.1

5.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 NIO 38.54

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-23.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 NIO 38.52

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-44.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 NIO 101

$5.59 UYU 224

-50.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 NIO 357

$8.78 UYU 352

11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 NIO 51.9

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-37.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NIO 79.7

$2.75 UYU 110

-20.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 NIO 58.0

$1.91 UYU 76.7

-17.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 NIO 60.3

$0.40 UYU 16.18

310.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 NIO 252

$10.33 UYU 415

-33.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 NIO 49.13

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-37.09%

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

$22.8K NIO 836.8K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-15.72%

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

$26.7K NIO 977.1K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-26.43%

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

$60.8 NIO 2,225

$188 UYU 7,557

-67.73%

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

$10.32 NIO 378

$20.54 UYU 824

-49.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.01 NIO 1,209

$44.81 UYU 1,798

-26.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.51 NIO 1,118

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-43.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$9.23 NIO 338

$11.95 UYU 480

-22.76%

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

$233 NIO 8,530

$634 UYU 25.5K

-63.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,128 NIO 224.4K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

-44.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 NIO 2,237

$102 UYU 4,099

-40.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 NIO 2,421

$57.5 UYU 2,309

14.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NIO 4,500

$127 UYU 5,079

-2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NIO 5,331

$128 UYU 5,131

13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 NIO 15.5K

$719 UYU 28.8K

-41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 NIO 14.4K

$568 UYU 22.8K

-30.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NIO 34.1K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$797 NIO 29.2K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-22.07%

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)

$346 NIO 12.7K

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

-72.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.92

5.74

107.67%

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

Last update for San Juan del Sur: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan del Sur

$393 37.2%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 44.4% $175

Groceries & Markets

San Juan del Sur

$225 21.3%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 47.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan del Sur

$178 16.8%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 4.7% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan del Sur

$104 9.8%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 144% $150

Eating Out

San Juan del Sur

$99 9.3%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 173% $170

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan del Sur

$49 4.6%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 59% $29

Getting Around

San Juan del Sur

$9.8 * 0.9%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 759% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in San Juan del Sur 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 260% 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 $34.00 in San Juan del Sur versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $332 – making San Juan del Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇮 San Juan del Sur

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

16:30 4:30 PM

3 h ahead of San Juan del Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,741

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇮 Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$)

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.18 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.13 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to NIO in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Juan del Sur Montevideo 6,010 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan del Sur
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 Juan del Sur vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,586 per month in San Juan del Sur 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 San Juan del Sur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in San Juan del Sur and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan del Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In San Juan del Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Juan del Sur – 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 Juan del Sur. 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.