Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Siena and Montevideo

For one person, living costs are similar in Siena and in Montevideo: $1,836 and $1,771 a month, rent and utilities included.

Siena
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,836
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,836 per month in Siena vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Siena $1,836
  • Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $2,784 per month in Siena vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Siena $2,784
  • Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $3,733 per month in Siena vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Siena $3,733
  • Montevideo $3,708

Siena costs about 4% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Siena and Montevideo sit above the global median – Siena by 36%, Montevideo by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.36 €13.66
$15.16 UYU 609
1.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.9 €80.9
$69.2 UYU 2,776
31.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.54 €12.05
$14.65 UYU 588
-7.58%
Cappuccino
$1.89 €1.68
$4.46 UYU 179
-57.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 €2.63
$2.67 UYU 107
10.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.00 UYU 80.4
-29.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.19 €5.51
$4.83 UYU 194
28.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.59 €4.98
$3.80 UYU 152
47.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.36 UYU 54.8
6.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.24 €2.00
$2.87 UYU 115
-21.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.75 UYU 70.2
-6.29%
Eggs
$4.03 €3.58
$4.68 UYU 188
-13.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.54 €12.04
$13.88 UYU 557
-2.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.93 €10.61
$11.98 UYU 481
-0.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.56 €19.18
$11.97 UYU 480
80.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.78 UYU 111
-7.55%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$2.74 UYU 110
-21.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.13 €2.79
$1.77 UYU 71.2
76.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$3.24 UYU 130
-2.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.97 UYU 79.2
-7.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 €1.40
$2.07 UYU 83.1
-24.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.37 UYU 55.1
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 €0.46
$1.88 UYU 75.3
-72.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.93
$5.59 UYU 224
19.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.53 €5.81
$8.78 UYU 352
-25.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 €1.34
$2.26 UYU 90.9
-33.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 €2.33
$2.75 UYU 110
-4.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.53 UYU 61.5
26.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.73 €37.12
$74.3 UYU 2,980
-43.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.45 €5.74
$1.91 UYU 76.7
237.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.39 €1.24
$0.40 UYU 16.18
247.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.32 €28.74
$10.33 UYU 415
212.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.13 UYU 85.6
-2.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K €24.6K
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
1.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K €31.6K
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
-1.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$194 €173
$188 UYU 7,557
3.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.47 €11.98
$20.54 UYU 824
-34.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.20 €27.75
$44.81 UYU 1,798
-30.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.4 €62.7
$54.0 UYU 2,166
30.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.75 UYU 793
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.30 €10.05
$11.95 UYU 480
-5.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$576 €513
$634 UYU 25.5K
-9.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.7K €13.1K
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
33.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.0 €74.7
$102 UYU 4,099
-17.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.04 €32.95
$57.5 UYU 2,309
-35.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.9 €85.3
$127 UYU 5,079
-24.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 €95.0
$128 UYU 5,131
-16.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,138 €1,013
$719 UYU 28.8K
58.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 €645
$568 UYU 22.8K
27.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,720 €1,530
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
50.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 €998
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
9.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,381 €3,897
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
29.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,930 €3,495
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
101.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Siena
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,882 €1,674
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
51.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.29
5.74
-42.68%

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

Last update for Siena: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Siena
$725
Montevideo
$568 21.7% $157
Groceries & Markets
Siena
$325
Montevideo
$332 2.1% $6.9
Eating Out
Siena
$246
Montevideo
$269 9.5% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siena
$239
Montevideo
$254 6.2% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Siena
$146
Montevideo
$186 27.9% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Siena
$93
Montevideo
$78 16.3% $15
Getting Around
Siena
$63
Montevideo
$84 34.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,138 in Siena 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 51% higher in Siena, 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 $91.0 in Siena versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Siena vs $332 in Montevideo – so Siena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Siena
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
23:13 11:13 PM
18:13 6:13 PM
5 h behind Siena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
53,903
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Siena Montevideo 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Siena
  • 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
Siena vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montevideo cheaper than Siena?
Yes – Siena is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,754 per month in Siena and $2,656 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $576 per month in Siena and $634 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Siena and in Montevideo?
Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Siena – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Siena or in Montevideo?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Siena at $1,836. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Siena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Siena or Montevideo more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Siena or Montevideo?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Montevideo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Siena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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