Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Toluca: $1,098 a month against $1,784 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Toluca
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Toluca Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Toluca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,098

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,098 per month in Toluca vs $1,784 in Montevideo, rent included.

Toluca $1,098
Montevideo $1,784

A couple spends around $1,844 per month in Toluca vs $2,756 in Montevideo, rent included.

Toluca $1,844
Montevideo $2,756

A family of three spends $2,589 per month in Toluca vs $3,728 in Montevideo, rent included.

Toluca $2,589
Montevideo $3,728

Toluca is about 38% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Toluca sits 19% below the global median, while Montevideo is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 MX$204

$14.82 UYU 595

-25.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.85 MX$792

$69.7 UYU 2,797

-38.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 MX$168

$14.68 UYU 589

-38.08%

Cappuccino

$3.14 MX$58.0

$4.65 UYU 186

-32.47%

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

$1.26 MX$23.24

$2.74 UYU 110

-54.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 MX$13.97

$2.07 UYU 82.9

-63.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$4.79 UYU 192

-55.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MX$60.8

$3.63 UYU 146

-9.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.71

$1.39 UYU 55.8

27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 MX$57.7

$2.89 UYU 116

7.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 MX$40.28

$1.70 UYU 68.1

28.24%

Eggs

$3.05 MX$56.3

$4.62 UYU 185

-33.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 MX$147

$14.22 UYU 571

-44.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 MX$155

$11.62 UYU 466

-28.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 MX$165

$12.23 UYU 491

-27.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 MX$75.3

$2.77 UYU 111

47.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$39.00

$2.85 UYU 114

-25.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.07

$1.81 UYU 72.5

22.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 MX$42.16

$3.20 UYU 129

-28.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 MX$52.2

$1.94 UYU 77.8

45.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 MX$42.58

$2.16 UYU 86.5

6.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$30.26

$1.43 UYU 57.3

14.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.07

$1.94 UYU 77.9

-46.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 MX$90.0

$5.47 UYU 219

-10.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.25 MX$226

$8.95 UYU 359

36.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MX$36.76

$2.26 UYU 90.8

-11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$67.5

$2.81 UYU 113

29.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.92

$1.56 UYU 62.6

-51.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$59.0

$1.90 UYU 76.2

68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 MX$37.22

$0.43 UYU 17.36

367.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.17 MX$188

$10.59 UYU 425

-3.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.66

$2.12 UYU 85.2

-32.08%

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

$24.6K MX$454.6K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

-8.18%

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

$23.5K MX$433.9K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-36.52%

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

$58.1 MX$1,074

$193 UYU 7,727

-69.82%

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

$25.04 MX$463

$20.91 UYU 839

19.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.71 MX$586

$44.89 UYU 1,802

-29.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 MX$889

$50.8 UYU 2,038

-5.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 MX$419

$19.73 UYU 792

14.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$128

$12.30 UYU 494

-43.50%

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

$224 MX$4,131

$629 UYU 25.2K

-64.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,244 MX$96.9K

$10.9K UYU 437.3K

-51.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 MX$1,233

$104 UYU 4,166

-35.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$992

$57.4 UYU 2,305

-6.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,920

$125 UYU 5,010

-16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,923

$132 UYU 5,315

-21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 MX$13.0K

$713 UYU 28.6K

-1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MX$5,345

$575 UYU 23.1K

-49.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 MX$18.0K

$1,164 UYU 46.7K

-16.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 MX$13.0K

$1,033 UYU 41.5K

-32.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,296 MX$24.0K

$3,418 UYU 137.2K

-62.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$915 MX$16.9K

$1,760 UYU 70.6K

-48.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,273 MX$23.5K

$1,244 UYU 49.9K

2.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.07

5.74

92.86%

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

Last update for Toluca: October 19, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Toluca

$289 26.4%

Montevideo

$334 18.7% 15.3% $44

Accommodation & Living

Toluca

$289 26.3%

Montevideo

$575 32.2% 98.9% $286

Eating Out

Toluca

$178 16.3%

Montevideo

$269 15.1% 50.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Toluca

$148 13.5%

Montevideo

$188 10.6% 27.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toluca

$115 10.5%

Montevideo

$258 14.5% 125% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Toluca

$62 5.7%

Montevideo

$75 4.2% 21.6% $13

Getting Around

Toluca

$16 * 1.5%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 417% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Toluca versus $713 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 2% higher in Toluca, 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 $43.00 in Toluca versus $70.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $334 – making Toluca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Toluca

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

14:36 2:36 PM

3 h ahead of Toluca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,876

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toluca Montevideo 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Toluca
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

Toluca vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,647 per month in Toluca and $2,676 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toluca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Toluca and $70.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 Toluca, where all-in costs run around $1,098, than in Montevideo at $1,784. In Toluca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Toluca – 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 Toluca. 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.