Cost of Living Comparison Between Uruguay and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Uruguay and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Uruguay versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,755 in Uruguay versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,355 in Uruguay versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Uruguay is roughly 60% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Uruguay 16% lower, China 48% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Uruguay: monthly costs span $47.00 to $1,956, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Uruguay.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 UYU 652

$2.93 ¥19.61

453.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.2 UYU 2,139

$22.72 ¥152

134.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.34 UYU 496

$5.07 ¥33.96

143.39%

Cappuccino

$4.28 UYU 172

$2.94 ¥19.71

45.58%

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

$2.38 UYU 95.6

$0.48 ¥3.21

395.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 UYU 72.2

$0.30 ¥2.02

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 UYU 162

$1.06 ¥7.10

280.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 UYU 146

$2.25 ¥15.08

61.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 UYU 47.39

$1.79 ¥12.00

-34.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 UYU 101

$1.70 ¥11.36

47.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 UYU 67.5

$0.96 ¥6.45

75.00%

Eggs

$4.34 UYU 175

$1.61 ¥10.80

169.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 UYU 534

$13.60 ¥91.1

-2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 UYU 423

$3.41 ¥22.84

208.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 UYU 459

$11.07 ¥74.2

3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 UYU 106

$1.81 ¥12.10

45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 UYU 99.7

$1.30 ¥8.74

90.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 UYU 64.6

$1.48 ¥9.91

8.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$1.30 ¥8.73

146.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 UYU 76.0

$0.72 ¥4.82

162.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$0.94 ¥6.31

120.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$0.61 ¥4.09

116.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 UYU 71.6

$0.56 ¥3.74

217.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 UYU 216

$3.67 ¥24.58

46.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 UYU 304

$11.90 ¥79.7

-36.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 UYU 88.0

$0.83 ¥5.56

163.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 UYU 108

$1.65 ¥11.08

63.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$0.29 ¥1.92

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,966

$22.61 ¥151

226.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 UYU 76.4

$1.45 ¥9.72

31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 UYU 68.9

$0.34 ¥2.31

402.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

$7.27 ¥48.73

46.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 UYU 81.8

$1.23 ¥8.27

65.04%

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

$27.2K UYU 1.1M

$19.5K ¥130.9K

39.29%

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

$37.5K UYU 1.5M

$17.2K ¥115.5K

117.45%

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

$152 UYU 6,099

$55.5 ¥372

173.37%

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

$19.76 UYU 795

$8.51 ¥57.0

132.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.60 UYU 1,593

$10.81 ¥72.4

266.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 UYU 1,856

$40.02 ¥268

15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.44 UYU 782

$14.80 ¥99.2

31.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 UYU 448

$6.73 ¥45.11

65.38%

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

$582 UYU 23.4K

$454 ¥3,043

28.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 UYU 362.2K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-53.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 UYU 3,444

$44.95 ¥301

90.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 UYU 2,053

$35.81 ¥240

42.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 UYU 4,855

$76.8 ¥514

57.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 UYU 4,471

$77.3 ¥518

43.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 UYU 26.7K

$385 ¥2,582

72.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 UYU 21.2K

$242 ¥1,623

117.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 UYU 43.1K

$837 ¥5,605

28.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$850 UYU 34.2K

$474 ¥3,178

79.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,370 UYU 135.5K

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-27.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,879 UYU 75.6K

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-18.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 UYU 42.5K

$1,062 ¥7,112

-0.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

3.47

65.71%

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

Last update for Uruguay: September 5, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $338 in Uruguay, $295 in China. Capital cities: $762 in Montevideo vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $865 in Uruguay, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Uruguay.

Dining out costs 100% more in Uruguay.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in China.

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

Uruguay vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,002 in Uruguay, there's a 18% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Uruguay is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Uruguay it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Uruguay may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.