Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thunder Bay and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $2,179 in Thunder Bay, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
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Thunder Bay Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,179

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,179 per month in Thunder Bay vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Thunder Bay $2,179
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $3,301 per month in Thunder Bay vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Thunder Bay $3,301
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $4,423 per month in Thunder Bay vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Thunder Bay $4,423
Montevideo $3,708

Thunder Bay costs about 23% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Thunder Bay and Montevideo sit above the global median – Thunder Bay by 61%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$15.16 UYU 609

16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 CA$84.9

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-13.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 CA$17.57

$14.65 UYU 588

-15.15%

Cappuccino

$3.31 CA$4.68

$4.46 UYU 179

-25.78%

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

$1.86 CA$2.63

$2.67 UYU 107

-30.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.20

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 CA$7.53

$4.83 UYU 194

10.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CA$7.04

$3.80 UYU 152

31.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CA$3.23

$1.36 UYU 54.8

67.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 CA$3.67

$2.87 UYU 115

-9.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.71

$1.75 UYU 70.2

90.29%

Eggs

$3.58 CA$5.06

$4.68 UYU 188

-23.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.32 CA$23.08

$13.88 UYU 557

17.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.86 CA$22.42

$11.98 UYU 481

32.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 CA$22.94

$11.97 UYU 480

35.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.68

$2.78 UYU 111

19.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$2.74 UYU 110

-57.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$1.77 UYU 71.2

120.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$3.24 UYU 130

7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.97 UYU 79.2

25.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.07 UYU 83.1

2.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$1.37 UYU 55.1

108.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.22

$1.88 UYU 75.3

20.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 CA$14.92

$5.59 UYU 224

88.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.93 CA$12.62

$8.78 UYU 352

1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CA$2.85

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.26

$2.75 UYU 110

9.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$1.53 UYU 61.5

46.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CA$89.7

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-14.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 CA$7.07

$1.91 UYU 76.7

161.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 CA$2.90

$0.40 UYU 16.18

412.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.37 CA$48.58

$10.33 UYU 415

232.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-44.60%

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

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

0.77%

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

$18.9K CA$26.7K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-47.87%

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

$160 CA$226

$188 UYU 7,557

-15.27%

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

$56.8 CA$80.3

$20.54 UYU 824

176.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.8 CA$114

$44.81 UYU 1,798

80.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.63 CA$40.48

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-46.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 CA$24.41

$19.75 UYU 793

-12.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 CA$24.43

$11.95 UYU 480

44.60%

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

$663 CA$937

$634 UYU 25.5K

4.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 CA$109

$102 UYU 4,099

-24.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 CA$48.86

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-39.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 CA$108

$127 UYU 5,079

-39.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 CA$185

$128 UYU 5,131

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 CA$1,471

$719 UYU 28.8K

44.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 CA$1,308

$568 UYU 22.8K

62.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 CA$2,597

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

60.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 CA$2,368

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

63.73%

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)

$2,601 CA$3,677

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

108.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

5.74

-20.21%

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

Last update for Thunder Bay: 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

Thunder Bay

$925 42.5%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 38.6% $357

Groceries & Markets

Thunder Bay

$394 18.1%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 15.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thunder Bay

$297 13.6%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 14.6% $43

Eating Out

Thunder Bay

$268 12.3%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 0.4% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 30% $43

Getting Around

Thunder Bay

$88 4%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 3.9% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Thunder Bay

$63 2.9%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 23.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,040 in Thunder Bay 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 109% higher in Thunder Bay, 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $394 in Thunder Bay vs $332 in Montevideo – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

13:44 1:44 PM

1 h ahead of Thunder Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,909

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Thunder Bay Montevideo 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Thunder Bay
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

Thunder Bay vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thunder Bay is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,268 per month in Thunder Bay 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.

Kindergarten costs $663 per month in Thunder Bay 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 19% more in Thunder Bay, 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 Thunder Bay at $2,179. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thunder Bay 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, Thunder Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.