How Much Does It Cost to Live In Montevideo?
Montevideo is the gorgeous, capital city of Uruguay and probably the safest one on the entire continent of South America.
Lifestyle is pretty relaxed since the city is going through an exceptionally good economic period that has brought growth.
Nowadays, Montevideo has much more options for entertainment, culture, food, etc. although it’s not comparable to much bigger cities.
The main problem you’d face here is cost of living. If you are on a tight budget and you like going out for drinks, eating in restaurants and so, you’ll find a big chunk of your monthly living slipping through your hands.
Uruguay : Cost of Living by City
RESTAURANTS
Montevideo is a city where one can eat wonderfully and relatively cheap, with a dash of local character. Food is prepared in delicious ways with tradition and you can find great restaurants of different cuisines. One of the good things about Montevideo is that it offers a great variety of places where you can eat, and at a low price, too!
MARKETS
If you shop at a local market – and they are often cheaper, you might get grossly overcharged just for being a foreigner, and if you shop at a supermarket, you should know that they do charge more for imported goods, fruits and vegetables. However, if you stay away from imported food, you’ll get by relatively inexpensively.
TRANSPORTATION
Taxis are plentiful in the capital, but not too cheap (since gasoline is expensive in Uruguay). Luckily, Montevideo is not a large city and it boasts a very efficient public transportation system. There is an extensive network of buses connecting all parts of the city, but bear in mind that tickets are expensive and the bus system is not easy to understand if you’re new in the city.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities are a bit pricey in Montevideo, though it depends on the size of your apartment. For an apartment of about 85m2, basic utilities including electricity, heating, cooling, water, gas and garbage services will amount to 120$. Internet is relatively cheap compared to that – only about 32$ per month.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Practicing sports is definitely a costly pleasure in Montevideo, like in most other countries. If you want a membership in a gym or a fitness center, it will cost you around 50$ which is actually more expensive than the country’s average. As for leisure and activities like going to the cinema to watch a movie, it’s relatively expensive – one cinema ticket will cost you 9$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
You’ll have numerous shopping opportunities in Montevideo, because it boasts some big shopping centers. One of the more interesting ones is Punta Carretas Shopping, a major shopping mall that is built on the remains of a prison. As for the prices, they aren’t below average: you can buy Levi’s jeans for around 82$, while a pair of running shoes of brands like Nike cost almost 100$.
RENT PER MONTH
You should know that accommodation rental in Montevideo will probably eat a large piece of your income. The numbers for rent can go down if you get a roommate and you can cut the extra expenses into half depending on your lifestyle. An apartment in the city center will cost you around 510$, while a bigger apartment for the whole family, also in the center, costs around 850$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Montevideo
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $10.71 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $2.76 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.07 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.81 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.03 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.45 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.10 |
| Monthly Pass | $45.92 |
| Gasoline | $1.63 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $120.29 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.20 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $32.79 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $51.52 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $17.38 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $9.18 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $82.60 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $40.86 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $98.98 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $510.27 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $398.04 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $853.65 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Montevideo?
Like in most countries and cities, an average person living in Montevideo spends the biggest part of their salary on food.
Food takes up a lot more of people’s salaries than rent, which means that rent isn’t the most expensive aspect of living in Montevideo, but it’s definitely expensive taking into consideration an average monthly salary of an average citizen of Montevideo.
Apart from rent and food, restaurants take up a huge part of overall expenses, along with transportation costs, and the difference between the two is only 0.2%.
Like anywhere, clothing takes up an insignificant amount of money from an average person’s paycheck in Montevideo.
Average Costs Breakdown
Montevideo: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Wages in Montevideo mostly depend on who you work for and whether you are getting paid in cash or getting taxed.
An average monthly salary in Montevideo is around 860$, which is just enough to cover all expenses – if you’re not renting an apartment.
If you are, then paying all your bills and buying necessities is a bit more difficult with the high prices in the city.
Minimum wage in Montevideo is around 300$.
In Montevideo, some people live very well, while the majority lives more or less well but not as well as they would in the US.
Montevideo Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Montevideo Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
