Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $676 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$676

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/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 $676 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Cruz $676
Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $1,255 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,255
Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $1,834 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,834
Montevideo $3,750

Santa Cruz is about 63% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Cruz sits 50% below the global median, while Montevideo is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 BOB 24.47

$15.26 UYU 613

-86.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.80 BOB 209

$67.4 UYU 2,711

-73.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 BOB 65.8

$14.37 UYU 578

-61.10%

Cappuccino

$1.89 BOB 22.26

$4.64 UYU 187

-59.27%

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

$0.53 BOB 6.24

$2.73 UYU 110

-80.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 BOB 5.03

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-79.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 BOB 11.57

$4.75 UYU 191

-79.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 BOB 15.81

$3.67 UYU 147

-63.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 BOB 9.63

$1.38 UYU 55.5

-40.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 BOB 12.44

$2.77 UYU 112

-61.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 BOB 12.84

$1.69 UYU 67.8

-35.50%

Eggs

$1.13 BOB 13.27

$4.52 UYU 182

-75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.43 BOB 40.41

$14.17 UYU 570

-75.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.77 BOB 32.58

$12.07 UYU 485

-77.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 BOB 62.3

$12.16 UYU 489

-56.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 BOB 22.26

$2.87 UYU 116

-34.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 BOB 7.99

$2.75 UYU 110

-75.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 BOB 9.47

$1.73 UYU 69.5

-53.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 BOB 9.14

$3.24 UYU 130

-75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 BOB 8.73

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-64.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 BOB 8.19

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-66.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 BOB 7.51

$1.38 UYU 55.4

-53.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BOB 8.57

$1.85 UYU 74.5

-60.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 BOB 24.40

$5.57 UYU 224

-62.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.44 BOB 52.2

$8.89 UYU 357

-50.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BOB 13.56

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 BOB 19.54

$2.70 UYU 109

-38.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 BOB 3.31

$1.52 UYU 61.3

-81.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.41 BOB 287

$73.7 UYU 2,962

-66.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 BOB 21.60

$1.82 UYU 73.4

1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 BOB 11.67

$0.40 UYU 16.05

147.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 BOB 80.0

$10.66 UYU 429

-36.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 BOB 7.65

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-70.72%

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

$14.7K BOB 173.5K

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-44.90%

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

$20.6K BOB 242.4K

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-43.95%

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

$38.52 BOB 453

$191 UYU 7,674

-79.82%

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

$20.51 BOB 241

$20.40 UYU 820

0.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.97 BOB 223

$44.14 UYU 1,775

-57.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.99 BOB 247

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-61.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.61 BOB 160

$19.68 UYU 791

-30.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 BOB 75.1

$12.33 UYU 496

-48.26%

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

$120 BOB 1,416

$613 UYU 24.7K

-80.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,216 BOB 37.9K

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

-70.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.21 BOB 344

$103 UYU 4,134

-71.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.59 BOB 442

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-32.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 BOB 848

$124 UYU 5,000

-42.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 BOB 730

$130 UYU 5,214

-52.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 BOB 3,258

$705 UYU 28.4K

-60.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 BOB 3,005

$575 UYU 23.1K

-55.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 BOB 10.7K

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

-20.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 BOB 10.3K

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

-14.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,342 BOB 15.8K

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-59.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 BOB 8,822

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-61.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 BOB 3,553

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

-75.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

5.74

7.49%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$255 37.6%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 125% $320

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$121 17.9%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 174% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$90 13.3%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 106% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$78 11.5%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 227% $177

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$68 10%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 302% $204

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$34 5%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 133% $45

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$32 4.8%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 159% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Santa Cruz 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 307% 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 $18.00 in Santa Cruz versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $121 vs $332 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

08:58 8:58 AM

1 h ahead of Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800,000

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇴 Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.)

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.19 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to BOB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Montevideo 2,030 km ≈ 3 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 – Montevideo is pricier by about 168%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,014 per month in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $120 per month in Santa Cruz 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 174% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Montevideo at $1,813. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Cruz – 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 Santa Cruz. 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.