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 $1,020 in Uruguay, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,856 per month in United States vs $1,623 in Uruguay, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,069 per month in United States vs $2,226 in Uruguay, rent included.

United States costs about 159% more than Uruguay on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United States sits 97% above the global median, while Uruguay is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 $20.12

$16.81 UYU 681

19.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$53.1 UYU 2,150

39.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 $11.56

$11.40 UYU 462

1.40%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$4.19 UYU 170

21.48%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$2.33 UYU 94.3

10.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.83 UYU 74.2

17.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.85 UYU 156

58.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.72 UYU 151

86.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.20 UYU 48.57

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.71 UYU 110

38.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.66 UYU 67.3

172.89%

Eggs

$4.43 $4.43

$4.22 UYU 171

4.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$13.50 UYU 547

-3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$10.74 UYU 435

14.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 $16.17

$11.15 UYU 451

45.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.89 UYU 117

83.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.38 UYU 96.4

-31.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.53 UYU 62.0

190.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.23 UYU 131

55.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.96 UYU 79.4

52.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.08 UYU 84.4

45.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.26 UYU 51.1

79.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.70 UYU 68.9

34.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 $10.12

$5.06 UYU 205

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$7.47 UYU 303

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.32 UYU 94.0

-15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.93 UYU 119

24.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.20 UYU 48.59

102.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 $64.7

$44.23 UYU 1,791

46.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.43 UYU 57.9

167.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.49 UYU 60.2

19.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 $30.45

$11.10 UYU 449

174.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.95 UYU 78.8

-54.87%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$39.5K UYU 1.6M

-23.38%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$38.6K UYU 1.6M

-32.97%

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

$205 $205

$145 UYU 5,874

41.37%

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

$57.6 $57.6

$17.48 UYU 708

229.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.9 $71.9

$41.52 UYU 1,682

73.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.53 $45.53

$54.4 UYU 2,204

-16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.32 $22.32

$19.12 UYU 774

16.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 $13.82

$10.12 UYU 410

36.56%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$467 UYU 18.9K

194.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$8,615 UYU 348.9K

167.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$91.4 UYU 3,701

-43.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 $43.35

$49.66 UYU 2,011

-12.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 $91.2

$117 UYU 4,721

-21.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$117 UYU 4,735

-1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 $1,761

$597 UYU 24.2K

194.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$467 UYU 18.9K

205.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,843 $2,843

$1,012 UYU 41.0K

180.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 $2,380

$804 UYU 32.6K

195.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,299 $3,299

$3,417 UYU 138.4K

-3.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,587 $2,587

$2,095 UYU 84.8K

23.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,234 $4,234

$1,094 UYU 44.3K

286.95%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Uruguay: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,635 in United States vs $287 in Uruguay. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Washington, MI and $619 in Montevideo.

Average salary: $4,496 in United States vs $860 in Uruguay. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 470% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 66% more in United States.

Public transport is 16% more expensive in Uruguay.

Salaries are 423% higher in United States, giving United States stronger purchasing power.

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 212% 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 212% 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.