Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Uruguay Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Uruguay

Name: Uruguay
Address: UY

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,643 per month in United States vs $1,009 in Uruguay, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,857 per month in United States vs $1,611 in Uruguay, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,071 per month in United States vs $2,212 in Uruguay, rent included.

The cost of living in United States is about 162% higher than in Uruguay on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United States sits 98% above the global median, while Uruguay is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 $20.02

$17.02 UYU 683

17.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$54.4 UYU 2,183

37.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 $11.67

$11.51 UYU 462

1.39%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$4.14 UYU 166

28.02%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$2.34 UYU 93.9

5.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.84 UYU 73.8

14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.88 UYU 156

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$3.57 UYU 143

93.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.16 UYU 46.38

-7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.69 UYU 108

34.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.67 UYU 66.9

180.24%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$4.26 UYU 171

-0.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$13.40 UYU 538

-2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$10.70 UYU 430

16.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 $16.12

$11.09 UYU 445

45.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$2.78 UYU 112

89.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.45 UYU 98.5

-32.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.45 UYU 58.4

211.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.28 UYU 132

53.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.05 UYU 82.4

44.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.01 UYU 80.6

57.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.25 UYU 50.2

74.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.70 UYU 68.4

34.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 $10.07

$5.06 UYU 203

99.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$7.49 UYU 301

103.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.31 UYU 92.7

-16.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.93 UYU 118

21.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.24 UYU 49.83

97.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 $65.0

$43.79 UYU 1,758

48.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.44 UYU 57.6

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.52 UYU 60.9

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.30 $30.30

$10.82 UYU 434

180.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.94 UYU 78.0

-54.64%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$38.6K UYU 1.6M

-23.06%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$37.8K UYU 1.5M

-29.90%

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

$204 $204

$143 UYU 5,745

42.81%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$17.93 UYU 720

220.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$42.43 UYU 1,703

66.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.43 $45.43

$55.7 UYU 2,237

-18.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.15 $22.15

$18.74 UYU 752

18.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$10.09 UYU 405

40.14%

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

$1,373 $1,373

$467 UYU 18.7K

194.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$8,602 UYU 345.3K

166.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$92.2 UYU 3,702

-44.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.10 $43.10

$50.1 UYU 2,011

-13.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$114 UYU 4,582

-21.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$117 UYU 4,686

-1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$601 UYU 24.1K

183.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 $1,451

$463 UYU 18.6K

213.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 $2,834

$1,025 UYU 41.2K

176.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,365 $2,365

$798 UYU 32.0K

196.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,338 $3,338

$3,373 UYU 135.4K

-1.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,570 $2,570

$2,074 UYU 83.3K

23.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,326 $4,326

$1,081 UYU 43.4K

300.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.45

0.93%

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

Last update for United States: July 19, 2026

Last update for Uruguay: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,635 in United States vs $286 in Uruguay. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,604 in Washington, MI and $615 in Montevideo.

Average salary: $4,500 in United States vs $857 in Uruguay. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 472% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 66% more in United States.

Public transport is 16% more expensive in Uruguay.

Salaries are 425% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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

United States vs Uruguay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uruguay is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 219% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United States, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United States consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Uruguay, contributing to the overall 219% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Uruguay, but in United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Uruguay is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.