Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montevideo: $1,771 a month against $1,922 in Topeka, KS, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Topeka, KS outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,922

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Topeka, KS vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Topeka, KS $1,922
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $2,865 per month in Topeka, KS vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Topeka, KS $2,865
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $3,807 per month in Topeka, KS vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Topeka, KS $3,807
Montevideo $3,708

Topeka, KS costs about 9% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Topeka, KS and Montevideo sit above the global median – Topeka, KS by 42%, Montevideo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.47 $13.47

$15.16 UYU 609

-11.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$69.2 UYU 2,776

-25.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$14.65 UYU 588

-32.63%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$4.46 UYU 179

-23.77%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$2.67 UYU 107

-15.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.83 UYU 194

-6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$3.80 UYU 152

132.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.36 UYU 54.8

-40.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.87 UYU 115

-6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.75 UYU 70.2

70.86%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$4.68 UYU 188

-15.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$13.88 UYU 557

-35.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 $8.24

$11.98 UYU 481

-31.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$11.97 UYU 480

23.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.78 UYU 111

67.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.74 UYU 110

-42.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.77 UYU 71.2

190.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.24 UYU 130

29.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.97 UYU 79.2

72.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.07 UYU 83.1

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.37 UYU 55.1

34.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-55.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$5.59 UYU 224

58.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$8.78 UYU 352

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.75 UYU 110

-40.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.53 UYU 61.5

162.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 $50.3

$74.3 UYU 2,980

-32.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.91 UYU 76.7

44.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.40 UYU 16.18

292.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 $33.70

$10.33 UYU 415

226.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-55.87%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-11.48%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-31.17%

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

$143 $143

$188 UYU 7,557

-23.90%

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

$48.04 $48.04

$20.54 UYU 824

133.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$44.81 UYU 1,798

47.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 $44.74

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-17.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 $15.30

$19.75 UYU 793

-22.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 $15.25

$11.95 UYU 480

27.62%

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

$438 $438

$634 UYU 25.5K

-31.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.30 $38.30

$102 UYU 4,099

-62.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 $28.87

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-49.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$127 UYU 5,079

-29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 $80.8

$128 UYU 5,131

-36.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$719 UYU 28.8K

9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 $853

$568 UYU 22.8K

50.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 $1,467

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

43.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,292 $1,292

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

-61.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 $1,342

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

-31.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,554 $3,554

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

185.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.74

8.71%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$853 44.4%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 33.4% $285

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$319 16.6%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 3.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.4%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 1.4% $3.6

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.2%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 14.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.5%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 74.9% $80

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$77 4%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 9.5% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$75 3.9%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 3.5% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $790 in Topeka, KS 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 186% higher in Topeka, KS, 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 $52.0 in Topeka, KS versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $332 – making Topeka, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

2 h ahead of Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

UYU to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Topeka, KS Montevideo 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
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

Topeka, KS vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Topeka, KS is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Topeka, KS 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 $438 per month in Topeka, KS and $634 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Topeka, KS – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,771, than in Topeka, KS at $1,922. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Topeka, KS 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, Topeka, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.