Montevideo vs Caracas Cost of Living Comparison
Takeaway for Montevideo vs Caracas: everyday costs favor Caracas (~45% CPI gap), housing index favors Caracas, wage stretch favors Montevideo. Use category winners, not a single headline, when the binding constraint is rent or income.
Overall Cost Winner
Caracas
Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Purchasing Power (70% gap, Montevideo ahead); Salary (63% gap, Montevideo ahead).
Monthly Cost Difference
Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $370 lower in Caracas than in Montevideo (~45% gap; converted via exchange rates).
Estimated monthly difference: $370 (favoring Caracas).
Category Winners
| Category | Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Overall CPI | Caracas | CPI 20.9 vs 38.2 (lower is better) |
| Housing | Caracas | Rent index 11.8 vs 21.2 (lower is better) |
| Food | Caracas | Groceries index 32.4 vs 45.4 (lower is better) |
| Transport | Caracas | One-way ticket 15.66 vs 30.04 (lower is better) |
| Utilities | Caracas | Utilities (85m²) 1180 vs 1696 (lower is better) |
| Internet | Caracas | Internet 567 vs 1360.8 (lower is better) |
| Restaurants | Caracas | Restaurant index 24 vs 38 (lower is better) |
| Salary | Montevideo | Avg net salary 111104 vs 41540 (higher is better) |
| Purchasing Power | Montevideo | PP index 44.8 vs 13.4 (higher is better) |
Biggest Difference
Purchasing Power: Montevideo leads with a 70% gap.
PP index 44.8 vs 13.4 (higher is better)
Quick Decision
- Students: Caracas — Lower housing / rent index (44% gap).
- Families: Caracas — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Caracas; purchasing power favors Montevideo.
- Remote Workers: Caracas — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Caracas (~45% gap).
- Budget Living: Caracas — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.
Key Takeaways
- Caracas is the overall cost winner on CPI (~45% lower everyday-cost index than Montevideo).
- Housing: Caracas leads on rent index (44% gap).
- Food / groceries: Caracas is lower (29% gap).
- Purchasing power: Montevideo scores higher (70% gap).
- Largest category gap: Purchasing Power (70%), favoring Montevideo.
- Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$370 cheaper in Caracas.
Analysis
Montevideo versus Caracas is not a single number. With a 45% CPI spread, groceries and services tend to move with Caracas, while housing follows Caracas's rent index. Purchasing power (44.8 vs 13.4) decides whether local wages offset local prices.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-21
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Regional
- Regional
On-page labels for this view: Regional · Regional.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.