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Montevideo vs Tulum cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐พ Montevideo
๐ฒ๐ฝ Tulum
At a glance
- Where Tulum is clearly cheaper: Laundry (78%โ), Convenience store (48%โ), Local meal (46%โ)
- Where Montevideo is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (53%โ), Transit (19%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Montevideo is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Montevideo 2 vs Tulum 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Montevideo | Tulum | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $U 600$15 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Tulum โ46% |
| Street food1 item | $U 150$3.75 | MX$ 60$3.23 | Tulum โ14% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $U 1,000$25 | MX$ 450$24.2 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | $U 220$5.5 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Tulum โ32% |
| Beerone bottle | $U 180$4.5 | MX$ 75$4.03 | Tulum โ10% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $U 350$8.75 | MX$ 180$9.68 | Montevideo โ10% |
| Bottled water | $U 50$1.25 | MX$ 16$0.86 | Tulum โ31% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $U 100$2.5 | MX$ 24$1.29 | Tulum โ48% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $U 420$10.5 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Tulum โ23% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $U 200$5 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Tulum โ25% |
| Transitone ride | $U 52$1.3 | MX$ 30$1.61 | Montevideo โ19% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $U 600$15 | MX$ 600$32.3 | Montevideo โ53% |
| Hotel night3-star | $U 3,400$85 | MX$ 1,600$86 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | $U 26,000$650 | MX$ 11,500$618 | similar |
| Laundry | $U 350$8.75 | MX$ 35$1.88 | Tulum โ78% |
| SIM card1 week data | $U 600$15 | MX$ 300$16.1 | Montevideo โ7% |
| Haircutcut | $U 450$11.2 | MX$ 200$10.8 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | $U 1,600$40 | MX$ 800$43 | Montevideo โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | $U 2,500$62.5 | MX$ 1,200$64.5 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $U 400$10 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Montevideo โ7% |
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%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Montevideo or Tulum?
Tulum is 12% cheaper than Montevideo. Daily budget $192 vs $166; a month $3,217 vs $2,860.
Which is easier to travel, Montevideo or Tulum?
Montevideo is easier: Montevideo 2.4/5 vs Tulum 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Montevideo and Tulum?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Montevideo is about $3,217 and Tulum about $2,860 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.