Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uruguay and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Uruguay: $1,637 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Uruguay
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Uruguay Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,637

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Uruguay and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Uruguay and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,637 per month in Uruguay vs $2,727 in the United States, rent included.

Uruguay $1,637
United States $2,727

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Uruguay vs $4,009 in the United States, rent included.

Uruguay $2,486
United States $4,009

A family of three spends $3,335 per month in Uruguay vs $5,291 in the United States, rent included.

Uruguay $3,335
United States $5,291

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($977–$5,215) than in Uruguay ($47.00–$1,997), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Uruguay is roughly 40% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Uruguay and the United States are pricier than the global median – Uruguay by 21%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.11 UYU 687

$19.73 $19.73

-13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 UYU 2,169

$81.0 $81.0

-33.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 UYU 496

$11.98 $11.98

3.09%

Cappuccino

$4.29 UYU 172

$5.59 $5.59

-23.26%

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

$2.31 UYU 92.6

$2.78 $2.78

-16.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 UYU 73.5

$2.10 $2.10

-12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 UYU 151

$5.98 $5.98

-37.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 153

$7.92 $7.92

-52.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 UYU 48.76

$1.03 $1.03

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 UYU 103

$3.75 $3.75

-31.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 UYU 66.8

$4.46 $4.46

-62.78%

Eggs

$4.21 UYU 169

$4.34 $4.34

-3.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 UYU 521

$12.75 $12.75

1.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 UYU 424

$12.27 $12.27

-13.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 UYU 457

$17.29 $17.29

-34.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 UYU 111

$5.31 $5.31

-48.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 UYU 103

$1.67 $1.67

53.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 UYU 62.2

$4.32 $4.32

-64.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 UYU 123

$5.03 $5.03

-38.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 UYU 73.1

$2.81 $2.81

-35.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$3.05 $3.05

-30.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 UYU 52.8

$2.22 $2.22

-40.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 UYU 72.7

$2.35 $2.35

-22.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.45 UYU 219

$10.92 $10.92

-50.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 UYU 295

$14.87 $14.87

-50.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 UYU 86.6

$2.10 $2.10

2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 UYU 112

$3.62 $3.62

-22.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$2.46 $2.46

-43.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 UYU 3,051

$65.7 $65.7

15.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.2

$3.58 $3.58

-49.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 UYU 67.1

$1.90 $1.90

-12.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.49 UYU 421

$29.51 $29.51

-64.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 UYU 85.0

$1.02 $1.02

107.84%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$28.3K $28.3K

-5.46%

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

$37.2K UYU 1.5M

$26.0K $26.0K

43.30%

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

$150 UYU 6,028

$221 $221

-31.98%

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

$20.75 UYU 833

$61.3 $61.3

-66.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.71 UYU 1,634

$73.3 $73.3

-44.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 UYU 1,871

$44.89 $44.89

3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 UYU 770

$22.65 $22.65

-15.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 UYU 446

$15.16 $15.16

-26.72%

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

$575 UYU 23.1K

$1,471 $1,471

-60.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,169 UYU 368.0K

$25.0K $25.0K

-63.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 UYU 3,431

$53.5 $53.5

59.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.89 UYU 2,003

$43.76 $43.76

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 UYU 4,820

$92.0 $92.0

30.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 UYU 4,432

$114 $114

-3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 UYU 26.6K

$1,654 $1,654

-59.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 UYU 21.1K

$1,332 $1,332

-60.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 UYU 43.3K

$2,669 $2,669

-59.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 UYU 34.9K

$2,207 $2,207

-60.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,313 UYU 133.0K

$3,054 $3,054

8.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 UYU 72.5K

$2,522 $2,522

-28.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 UYU 42.8K

$4,391 $4,391

-75.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

6.55

-11.30%

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

Last update for Uruguay: October 18, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Uruguay

$526 32.1%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 153% $806

Groceries & Markets

Uruguay

$306 18.7%

United States

$413 15.1% 34.9% $107

Eating Out

Uruguay

$268 16.4%

United States

$326 12% 21.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Uruguay

$212 12.9%

United States

$355 13% 67.9% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Uruguay

$165 10.1%

United States

$137 5% 17% $28

Getting Around

Uruguay

$92 5.6%

United States

$89 3.3% 3.4% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Uruguay

$69 4.2%

United States

$75 2.8% 9.3% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $337 in Uruguay vs $1,612 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $713 in Montevideo and $2,743 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $864 in Uruguay vs $4,548 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 378% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 63% more in the United States.

Public transport is 108% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 426% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Uruguay

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

05:17 5:17 AM

1 h behind Uruguay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,444,263

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Uruguay United States 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Uruguay
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uruguay is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 67% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $337 in Uruguay.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Uruguay, adding to the overall 67% price gap.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Uruguay, but in the 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.