Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,620 a month against $1,764 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Montevideo despite lower rent and utilities.

Sydney, NS, Canada
Montevideo, Uruguay
Sydney, NS
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,620
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,764
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,620 per month in Sydney, NS vs $1,764 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Sydney, NS $1,620
  • Montevideo $1,764

A couple spends around $2,580 per month in Sydney, NS vs $2,751 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Sydney, NS $2,580
  • Montevideo $2,751

A family of three spends $3,539 per month in Sydney, NS vs $3,738 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • Sydney, NS $3,539
  • Montevideo $3,738

Sydney, NS is about 8% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sydney, NS and Montevideo sit above the global median – Sydney, NS by 20%, Montevideo by 30%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.58 CA$16.29
$15.45 UYU 622
-25.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.3 CA$89.0
$67.2 UYU 2,701
-5.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.29 CA$10.25
$14.41 UYU 580
-49.41%
Cappuccino
$2.80 CA$3.93
$4.53 UYU 182
-38.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 CA$3.14
$2.59 UYU 104
-13.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 CA$2.93
$1.86 UYU 74.6
12.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.74 UYU 191
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.64 UYU 146
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.51 CA$3.53
$1.25 UYU 50.2
100.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.57 CA$3.62
$3.03 UYU 122
-15.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.48 CA$3.48
$1.68 UYU 67.7
47.62%
Eggs
$3.29 CA$4.63
$4.62 UYU 186
-28.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.61 CA$9.29
$14.25 UYU 573
-53.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.45 CA$11.88
$11.38 UYU 458
-25.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.02 CA$18.31
$12.21 UYU 491
6.63%
Apples (1kg)
$7.36 CA$10.35
$2.87 UYU 115
156.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.12 CA$1.57
$2.68 UYU 108
-58.21%
Oranges (1kg)
-
$1.71 UYU 68.7
-
Tomato (1kg)
$1.41 CA$1.99
$3.09 UYU 124
-54.37%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 CA$1.39
$1.99 UYU 80.0
-50.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.13 CA$3.00
$2.13 UYU 85.6
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$6.28 CA$8.83
$1.41 UYU 56.5
345.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.99 UYU 80.2
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.99 CA$25.31
$5.59 UYU 225
221.82%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$8.26 UYU 332
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.25 UYU 90.4
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.17 CA$5.87
$2.81 UYU 113
48.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 CA$1.53
$1.62 UYU 65.1
-32.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.78 CA$68.6
$74.1 UYU 2,979
-34.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.27 CA$6.00
$1.89 UYU 76.0
125.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.04 UYU 42.01
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$12.65 UYU 509
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 CA$1.63
$2.16 UYU 86.8
-46.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K CA$37.1K
$26.2K UYU 1.1M
0.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K CA$26.7K
$36.5K UYU 1.5M
-47.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 CA$125
$184 UYU 7,403
-51.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.35 CA$51.1
$21.28 UYU 856
70.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.3 CA$103
$42.23 UYU 1,699
73.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.08 CA$69.0
$48.74 UYU 1,960
0.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.51 CA$4.93
$19.16 UYU 771
-81.68%
Cinema Ticket
$7.02 CA$9.87
$12.21 UYU 491
-42.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$721 CA$1,014
$630 UYU 25.3K
14.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.5K UYU 461.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.1 CA$98.6
$99.4 UYU 3,999
-29.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.1 CA$92.9
$57.0 UYU 2,292
15.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.3 CA$140
$122 UYU 4,923
-18.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 CA$153
$134 UYU 5,394
-18.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$913 CA$1,284
$749 UYU 30.1K
21.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$715 CA$1,005
$569 UYU 22.9K
25.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,789 CA$2,515
$1,277 UYU 51.4K
40.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,418 CA$1,994
$1,072 UYU 43.1K
32.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,580 UYU 144.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,075 UYU 83.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney, NS
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,553 CA$3,590
$1,280 UYU 51.5K
99.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.8
5.65
2.65%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: November 1, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sydney, NS
$715
Montevideo
$569 20.3% $145
Groceries & Markets
Sydney, NS
$266 *
Montevideo
$330 24% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney, NS
$198
Montevideo
$248 24.8% $49
Eating Out
Sydney, NS
$165 *
Montevideo
$270 63.3% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Sydney, NS
$155
Montevideo
$186 19.9% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Sydney, NS
$63
Montevideo
$73 15.9% $10
Getting Around
Sydney, NS
$57 *
Montevideo
$88 52.7% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Sydney, NS versus $749 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 99% higher in Sydney, NS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Sydney, NS versus $67 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $330 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Sydney, NS
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
09:57 9:57 AM
10:57 10:57 AM
1 h ahead of Sydney, NS
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,960
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 40.22 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.17 UYU (100 UYU = 2.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sydney, NS Montevideo 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sydney, NS
  • 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
Sydney, NS vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sydney, NS cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,430 per month in Sydney, NS and $2,645 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $749 there versus $913 in Sydney, NS.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $721 per month in Sydney, NS and $630 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 Sydney, NS and in Montevideo?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Montevideo, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $2,000 enough for either Sydney, NS or Montevideo?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,620 in Sydney, NS and $1,764 in Montevideo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Sydney, NS or in Montevideo?
It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,620 in Sydney, NS to $1,764 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Sydney, NS vs other spots: cost of living compared

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