Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Bariloche 3 vs Montevideo 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Bariloche | Montevideo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | AR$ 25,000$17.9 | $U 600$15 | Montevideo โ16% |
| Street food1 item | AR$ 8,000$5.71 | $U 150$3.75 | Montevideo โ34% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | AR$ 45,000$32.1 | $U 1,000$25 | Montevideo โ22% |
| Coffeeone cup | AR$ 6,000$4.29 | $U 220$5.5 | Bariloche โ22% |
| Beerone bottle | AR$ 5,500$3.93 | $U 180$4.5 | Bariloche โ13% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | AR$ 10,000$7.14 | $U 350$8.75 | Bariloche โ18% |
| Bottled water | AR$ 1,500$1.07 | $U 50$1.25 | Bariloche โ14% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | AR$ 2,200$1.57 | $U 100$2.5 | Bariloche โ37% |
| Taxi5 km in town | AR$ 10,000$7.14 | $U 420$10.5 | Bariloche โ32% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | AR$ 5,500$3.93 | $U 200$5 | Bariloche โ21% |
| Transitone ride | AR$ 2,000$1.43 | $U 52$1.3 | Montevideo โ9% |
| Scooter rentalper day | AR$ 35,000$25 | $U 600$15 | Montevideo โ40% |
| Hotel night3-star | AR$ 130,000$92.9 | $U 3,400$85 | Montevideo โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | AR$ 600,000$429 | $U 26,000$650 | Bariloche โ34% |
| Laundry | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | $U 350$8.75 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | AR$ 8,000$5.71 | $U 600$15 | Bariloche โ62% |
| Haircutcut | AR$ 18,000$12.9 | $U 450$11.2 | Montevideo โ12% |
| Massage1 hour | AR$ 50,000$35.7 | $U 1,600$40 | Bariloche โ11% |
| Half-day tourper person | AR$ 40,000$28.6 | $U 2,500$62.5 | Bariloche โ54% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | AR$ 22,000$15.7 | $U 400$10 | Montevideo โ36% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Bariloche and Montevideo cost about the same. Daily budget $207 vs $192; a month $2,943 vs $3,217.
About the same: Bariloche 2.4/5, Montevideo 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bariloche is about $2,943 and Montevideo about $3,217 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.