SOVEREO INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH

How much does it cost to live in Uruguay in 2026?

By · Facts checked Oct 13, 2026

The short answer

As an October 2026 estimate, one person in Montevideo needs roughly $975 to $1,225 a month for rent, food and transport. A couple needs about $1,375 to $1,750 before health coverage, and costs vary by city and neighborhood.

Dollar figures use 40.286 pesos per dollar, the interbank rate for 30 September 2026. Uruguay's tax authority, the DGI, publishes it. Prices come from Numbeo's crowd-sourced data for Montevideo, updated 2 October 2026, unless noted.

Rent: a one-bedroom outside central Montevideo averaged 22,924 pesos, or about $569 a month. In the center it was 28,354 pesos, or about $704. Larger homes cost more.

Food: Numbeo's minimum grocery budget for Montevideo was about $332 per person a month. We allow up to about $450 if you eat out often. Transport: a monthly transit pass was 3,000 pesos, or about $74.

Health: these totals exclude coverage. The Ministry of Public Health caps yearly increases in mutualista (IAMC) membership fees. Its January 2026 notice lists maximum increases, not prices, so get quotes from providers.

Totals: rent, food and transport come to about $975 to $1,225 for one person and $1,375 to $1,750 for a couple. Utilities averaged about $189 a month, and phone and leisure are extra. Numbeo put non-rent spending for one person at about $987.

Sources

  1. Cotizaciones interbancarias · Dirección General Impositiva, Uruguay
  2. Cost of Living in Montevideo · Numbeo
  3. Food Prices in Montevideo, Uruguay · Numbeo
  4. Ajuste de cuotas, cápitas y tasas moderadoras, enero 2026 · Ministerio de Salud Pública, Uruguay

Written and reviewed by , Founder, Sovereo Intelligence Research
Facts checked Oct 13, 2026 · Next review by Jan 13, 2027
How we source answers · Report an error · Plain-text version