Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucia and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Lucia: $1,285 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Lucia
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Santa Lucia Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Santa Lucia

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,285

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Santa Lucia vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Lucia $1,285
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $1,823 per month in Santa Lucia vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Lucia $1,823
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $2,361 per month in Santa Lucia vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Santa Lucia $2,361
Montevideo $3,708

Santa Lucia is about 27% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Santa Lucia sits 5% below the global median, while Montevideo is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CUP 245

$15.16 UYU 609

-32.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.61 CUP 711

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-57.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 CUP 173

$14.65 UYU 588

-50.85%

Cappuccino

$3.34 CUP 80.1

$4.46 UYU 179

-25.11%

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

$1.12 CUP 26.76

$2.67 UYU 107

-58.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 CUP 20.63

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-57.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 CUP 47.26

$4.83 UYU 194

-59.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 74.0

$3.80 UYU 152

-18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 CUP 45.60

$1.36 UYU 54.8

39.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CUP 43.24

$2.87 UYU 115

-37.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 CUP 36.91

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-12.00%

Eggs

$3.69 CUP 88.5

$4.68 UYU 188

-21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 CUP 151

$13.88 UYU 557

-54.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 CUP 142

$11.98 UYU 481

-50.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 CUP 268

$11.97 UYU 480

-6.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 CUP 66.6

$2.78 UYU 111

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CUP 36.69

$2.74 UYU 110

-44.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 CUP 47.93

$1.77 UYU 71.2

12.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 CUP 53.6

$3.24 UYU 130

-31.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CUP 48.70

$1.97 UYU 79.2

3.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 CUP 40.89

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-17.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CUP 23.64

$1.37 UYU 55.1

-28.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.70

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-47.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 CUP 95.8

$5.59 UYU 224

-28.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CUP 288

$8.78 UYU 352

36.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CUP 39.28

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-27.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 CUP 55.8

$2.75 UYU 110

-15.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.31

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-88.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 CUP 611

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-65.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 CUP 79.1

$1.91 UYU 76.7

72.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 CUP 10.00

$0.40 UYU 16.18

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.93 CUP 358

$10.33 UYU 415

44.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 CUP 24.58

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-52.11%

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

$71.2K CUP 1.7M

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

162.47%

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

$79.3K CUP 1.9M

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

118.74%

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

$35.11 CUP 843

$188 UYU 7,557

-81.35%

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

$15.11 CUP 363

$20.54 UYU 824

-26.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$255 CUP 6,116

$44.81 UYU 1,798

468.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.70 CUP 977

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-24.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 CUP 356

$19.75 UYU 793

-24.91%

Cinema Ticket

$0.97 CUP 23.37

$11.95 UYU 480

-91.88%

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

$165 CUP 3,950

$634 UYU 25.5K

-74.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,007 CUP 96.2K

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

-63.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CUP 1,666

$102 UYU 4,099

-32.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 CUP 1,337

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-3.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 CUP 2,369

$127 UYU 5,079

-22.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CUP 2,499

$128 UYU 5,131

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 CUP 13.4K

$719 UYU 28.8K

-22.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 CUP 8,321

$568 UYU 22.8K

-38.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 CUP 17.7K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-35.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 CUP 11.9K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-51.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$346 CUP 8,312

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-89.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$369 CUP 8,853

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-81.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$55.1 CUP 1,321

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

-95.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.74

-13.94%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: 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 Lucia

$347 27%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 63.8% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Lucia

$305 23.7%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 16.8% $51

Groceries & Markets

Santa Lucia

$244 19%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 35.7% $87

Eating Out

Santa Lucia

$167 13%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 61.1% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Lucia

$148 11.5%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 26.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Lucia

$43 3.3%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 82.6% $35

Getting Around

Santa Lucia

$32 2.5%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 167% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $556 in Santa Lucia 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 2161% 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $332 – making Santa Lucia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Santa Lucia

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

11:31 11:31 AM

1 h ahead of Santa Lucia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 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 CUP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Lucia Montevideo 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Lucia
Montevideo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Santa Lucia 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 Santa Lucia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $165 per month in Santa Lucia and $634 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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 Lucia, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Santa Lucia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Lucia – 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 Lucia. 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.