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: $1,009 in Uruguay versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,611 in Uruguay versus $1,134 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,212 in Uruguay versus $1,555 in China.

Living in Uruguay is roughly 42% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Uruguay 24% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 UYU 683

$2.82 ¥19.12

503.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.4 UYU 2,183

$23.43 ¥159

132.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 UYU 462

$4.82 ¥32.67

138.80%

Cappuccino

$4.14 UYU 166

$2.98 ¥20.18

38.93%

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

$2.34 UYU 93.9

$0.48 ¥3.22

387.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 UYU 73.8

$0.27 ¥1.81

581.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 UYU 156

$1.01 ¥6.85

284.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 UYU 143

$2.06 ¥13.98

73.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 UYU 46.38

$1.82 ¥12.32

-36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 UYU 108

$1.63 ¥11.04

65.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 UYU 66.9

$0.96 ¥6.48

73.96%

Eggs

$4.26 UYU 171

$1.55 ¥10.48

174.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 UYU 538

$13.05 ¥88.4

2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 UYU 430

$3.24 ¥21.94

230.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 UYU 445

$10.83 ¥73.4

2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$1.75 ¥11.84

58.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 UYU 98.5

$1.28 ¥8.67

91.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 UYU 58.4

$1.44 ¥9.77

0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 UYU 132

$1.18 ¥8.02

177.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 UYU 82.4

$0.70 ¥4.77

192.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 UYU 80.6

$0.88 ¥5.95

128.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 UYU 50.2

$0.58 ¥3.91

115.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 UYU 68.4

$0.53 ¥3.61

220.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 UYU 203

$3.46 ¥23.45

46.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 UYU 301

$11.91 ¥80.6

-37.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 UYU 92.7

$0.78 ¥5.27

196.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 UYU 118

$1.62 ¥10.95

80.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 UYU 49.83

$0.44 ¥2.96

181.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.79 UYU 1,758

$20.65 ¥140

112.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 UYU 57.6

$1.35 ¥9.16

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 UYU 60.9

$0.33 ¥2.20

360.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 UYU 434

$6.49 ¥43.95

66.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 UYU 78.0

$1.13 ¥7.64

71.68%

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

$38.6K UYU 1.6M

$19.4K ¥131.7K

98.59%

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

$37.8K UYU 1.5M

$16.5K ¥112.1K

128.39%

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

$143 UYU 5,745

$51.3 ¥348

178.78%

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

$17.93 UYU 720

$10.19 ¥69.0

75.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.43 UYU 1,703

$11.11 ¥75.2

281.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 UYU 2,237

$39.99 ¥271

39.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.74 UYU 752

$14.55 ¥98.5

28.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 UYU 405

$6.18 ¥41.88

63.27%

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

$467 UYU 18.7K

$416 ¥2,818

12.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,602 UYU 345.3K

$17.2K ¥116.7K

-50.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 UYU 3,702

$45.94 ¥311

100.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 UYU 2,011

$32.70 ¥221

53.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 UYU 4,582

$72.2 ¥489

57.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 UYU 4,686

$74.8 ¥507

56.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 UYU 24.1K

$444 ¥3,007

35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 UYU 18.6K

$253 ¥1,715

82.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 UYU 41.2K

$931 ¥6,304

10.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 UYU 32.0K

$546 ¥3,696

46.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,373 UYU 135.4K

$4,778 ¥32.4K

-29.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,074 UYU 83.3K

$2,418 ¥16.4K

-14.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,081 UYU 43.4K

$1,069 ¥7,238

1.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.06

58.87%

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

Last update for Uruguay: July 21, 2026

Last update for China: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in Uruguay, $287 in China. Capital cities: $615 in Montevideo vs $896 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $857 in Uruguay, $856 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 110% more in Uruguay.

Public transport is 61% more expensive in Uruguay.

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 $871 per month in China and $1,009 in Uruguay, there's a 16% 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.