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: $1,018 in Uruguay versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,616 in Uruguay versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,214 in Uruguay versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Uruguay is roughly 43% more expensive than China on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Uruguay: monthly costs span $0 to $2,092, compared to $532–$1,187 in China. City choice carries more weight in Uruguay.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 UYU 675

$2.75 ¥18.80

516.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 UYU 2,125

$24.07 ¥165

122.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 UYU 463

$4.84 ¥33.11

140.50%

Cappuccino

$4.24 UYU 169

$2.97 ¥20.29

42.76%

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

$2.32 UYU 92.4

$0.45 ¥3.05

415.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UYU 70.6

$0.29 ¥2.00

513.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 UYU 156

$1.00 ¥6.85

292.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 UYU 149

$2.06 ¥14.11

81.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 UYU 48.28

$1.82 ¥12.46

-33.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 UYU 106

$1.62 ¥11.07

64.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 UYU 62.9

$0.91 ¥6.20

73.63%

Eggs

$4.31 UYU 171

$1.54 ¥10.55

179.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.53 UYU 538

$13.32 ¥91.1

1.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.53 UYU 419

$3.27 ¥22.38

222.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 UYU 440

$10.56 ¥72.2

4.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 UYU 114

$1.76 ¥12.01

63.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 UYU 97.3

$1.30 ¥8.91

88.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 UYU 58.6

$1.45 ¥9.93

1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 UYU 129

$1.19 ¥8.16

173.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 UYU 81.2

$0.71 ¥4.83

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 UYU 83.0

$0.91 ¥6.23

129.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 UYU 52.4

$0.57 ¥3.89

131.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 UYU 68.8

$0.53 ¥3.65

226.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 UYU 202

$3.50 ¥23.97

44.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 UYU 327

$11.85 ¥81.1

-30.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 UYU 91.9

$0.84 ¥5.72

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 UYU 119

$1.68 ¥11.49

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 UYU 47.52

$0.44 ¥3.00

172.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.44 UYU 1,727

$20.76 ¥142

109.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 UYU 59.5

$1.36 ¥9.28

10.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 UYU 62.5

$0.35 ¥2.43

348.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.14 UYU 443

$6.65 ¥45.47

67.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 UYU 73.4

$1.17 ¥7.99

58.12%

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

$39.4K UYU 1.6M

$19.1K ¥130.8K

105.98%

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

$38.8K UYU 1.5M

$17.1K ¥117.2K

126.19%

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

$142 UYU 5,639

$52.0 ¥355

172.94%

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

$17.99 UYU 715

$9.65 ¥66.0

86.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.63 UYU 1,655

$11.16 ¥76.3

273.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 UYU 2,181

$40.48 ¥277

35.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 UYU 756

$14.75 ¥101

28.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 UYU 404

$6.35 ¥43.45

60.16%

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

$475 UYU 18.9K

$410 ¥2,803

15.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,694 UYU 345.7K

$17.8K ¥121.8K

-51.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 UYU 3,595

$46.08 ¥315

96.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.93 UYU 1,985

$32.86 ¥225

51.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 UYU 4,643

$71.2 ¥487

64.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 UYU 4,730

$75.3 ¥515

57.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 UYU 23.6K

$430 ¥2,942

38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 UYU 18.6K

$261 ¥1,784

79.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 UYU 40.8K

$914 ¥6,254

12.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 UYU 31.3K

$542 ¥3,711

45.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,270 UYU 130.0K

$5,177 ¥35.4K

-36.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,032 UYU 80.8K

$2,630 ¥18.0K

-22.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 UYU 42.2K

$1,060 ¥7,250

0.04%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $285 in Uruguay, $287 in China. Capital cities: $615 in Montevideo vs $891 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $841 in Uruguay, $833 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 $860 per month in China and $1,046 in Uruguay, there's a 22% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.