Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $1,891 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Santa Cruz despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,891

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,891 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,891
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $2,891 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Cruz $2,891
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $3,890 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Cruz $3,890
Montevideo $3,708

Santa Cruz costs about 7% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Cruz and Montevideo sit above the global median – Santa Cruz by 40%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

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

$2.67 UYU 107

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 AWG 3.74

$1.36 UYU 54.8

53.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 AWG 4.85

$2.87 UYU 115

-5.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 AWG 8.08

$1.75 UYU 70.2

158.29%

Eggs

$4.64 AWG 8.31

$4.68 UYU 188

-0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 AWG 14.17

$13.88 UYU 557

-42.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.65 AWG 13.69

$11.98 UYU 481

-36.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 AWG 11.60

$11.97 UYU 480

-45.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 AWG 8.13

$2.78 UYU 111

63.31%

Banana (1kg)

$4.36 AWG 7.81

$2.74 UYU 110

59.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.08 AWG 14.45

$1.77 UYU 71.2

356.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 AWG 11.80

$3.24 UYU 130

103.70%

Potato (1kg)

$6.88 AWG 12.31

$1.97 UYU 79.2

249.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 AWG 3.42

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-7.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 AWG 5.43

$1.37 UYU 55.1

121.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.37 AWG 7.82

$1.88 UYU 75.3

132.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.45 AWG 18.70

$5.59 UYU 224

86.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 AWG 34.12

$8.78 UYU 352

117.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 AWG 4.57

$2.26 UYU 90.9

13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 AWG 5.55

$2.75 UYU 110

12.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 AWG 3.43

$1.53 UYU 61.5

25.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$157 AWG 281

$74.3 UYU 2,980

111.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.50 AWG 34.89

$1.91 UYU 76.7

920.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.79 AWG 35.41

$10.33 UYU 415

91.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

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)

$140 AWG 251

$188 UYU 7,557

-25.54%

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

$71.4 AWG 128

$20.54 UYU 824

247.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$207 AWG 371

$44.81 UYU 1,798

362.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 AWG 126

$54.0 UYU 2,166

30.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.90 AWG 83.9

$19.75 UYU 793

137.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.44 AWG 15.10

$11.95 UYU 480

-29.37%

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

$139 AWG 248

$634 UYU 25.5K

-78.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 AWG 138

$102 UYU 4,099

-24.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$111 AWG 198

$57.5 UYU 2,309

92.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 AWG 250

$127 UYU 5,079

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 AWG 248

$128 UYU 5,131

8.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 AWG 2,274

$719 UYU 28.8K

76.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 AWG 1,010

$568 UYU 22.8K

-0.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 AWG 2,742

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

33.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 AWG 2,485

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

35.71%

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)

$3,638 AWG 6,511

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

192.30%

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 Santa Cruz: 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

Santa Cruz

–

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

–

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

–

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

–

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

–

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

–

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

–

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,271 in Santa Cruz 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 192% higher in Santa Cruz, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

1 h ahead of Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,236

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Montevideo 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz
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

Santa Cruz vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Cruz is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,837 per month in Santa Cruz 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 Montevideo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 112% less in Montevideo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Santa Cruz, 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 $1,771, than in Santa Cruz at $1,891. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz 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, Santa Cruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.