Montevideo vs Quito
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Montevideo cheaper — −15%
Family groceries
✓in Quito cheaper — −42%
Internet
✓in Quito cheaper — −55%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per month✓Montevideo≈ $577–827UYU 23,124–33,147cheaper by 15%Quito$460–1,200$460–1,200Family groceries
per monthMontevideo≈ $630–651UYU 25,236–26,112✓Quito$372$372cheaper by 42%Internet
per monthMontevideo≈ $41–108UYU 1,650–4,342✓Quito$33.93$33.93cheaper by 55%Winter
averageMontevideo7–15 °C7–15 °CQuito10–22 °C10–22 °CPrecipitation
per yearMontevideo1,101 mm1,101 mmQuito1,098 mm1,098 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Montevideo$118k$118kcheaper by 25%Quito$85–230k$85–230k
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Daily life
Montevideo
From 16k pesos in Casavalle to 34k in Carrasco: between the cheapest and the most expensive neighbourhood it is a little over two times.
OfficialINE: average rent by neighborhood in Montevideo, active contracts · checked 28 Sep 2026
Quito
Nothing yet
Housing
Montevideo
The average existing contract in Montevideo is 23,472 pesos a month. Pocitos 28,018, Punta Carretas 28,959, Centro 23,124 (July 2026).
OfficialINE: rental market indicators, July 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
The median of registered transactions in Montevideo is 118k dollars (June 2026), nationwide 85k.
OfficialINE: housing sales market indicators, June-July 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
A two-bedroom in Pocitos is about 39k pesos a month, in Punta Carretas 50k, in Centro 29.9k. A three-bedroom house in Carrasco is 2,300–5,500 dollars.
SpecialistGallito: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Pocitos · checked 28 Sep 2026
By the listings, about 298k dollars for 72 m² in Pocitos, range 120–680k. These are asking prices, not transactions.
SpecialistGallito: two-bedroom apartments for sale in Pocitos · checked 28 Sep 2026
Quito
An apartment with three or more bedrooms on RE/MAX listings is mostly 460-1200 dollars a month, median 690. In the north by La Carolina park and Quito Tenis the median is 1200.
SpecialistRE/MAX Ecuador: all active listings of apartments for rent (the site's open data) · checked 6 Oct 2026
A house with three or more bedrooms in the canton of Quito on RE/MAX listings is mostly 85-230k dollars, median 138k. An apartment with three or more bedrooms: median 112k.
SpecialistRE/MAX Ecuador: all active listings of houses for sale (the site's open data) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Montevideo
The INE minimum food basket for Montevideo is 6,309 pesos per person a month, for a family of four about 25,200. Values for January 2025.
OfficialINE: income poverty estimate, first half of 2025, with poverty lines · checked 28 Sep 2026
A family of three renting housing in Montevideo is considered poor at an income below 54,233 pesos a month. For two the threshold is 39,169.
OfficialINE: income poverty estimate, first half of 2025, with poverty lines · checked 28 Sep 2026
Quito
In INEC's official basket for a family of four in Quito, food and drinks cost 372 dollars a month (August 2026), of which 48 is eating out.
OfficialINEC: basic family consumption basket (CFBC) by city, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
INEC's poverty line for a family of four is 370 dollars a month. INEC's basic basket for four in Quito is 846, including 175 for rent.
OfficialINEC: bulletin on income poverty, ENEMDU, December 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Family and kids
Montevideo
Enrolment in a state kindergarten from age three and in school goes through the Guri Familia portal. The country of origin and the family's status do not matter.
OfficialMinistry of Education and Culture: guide to enrolling migrants, primary education · checked 28 Sep 2026
Quito
Nothing yet
Healthcare
Montevideo
The regulator's benchmark for a personal contribution to a mutualista (a private health fund) is 6,858 pesos a month per person. The cap on a co-payment for a visit, test or medicine is 880 pesos.
OfficialUruguay's Ministry of Public Health: healthcare price adjustment, July 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
Quito
The public Eugenio Espejo hospital has 416 beds and 110 specialist consulting rooms. The Baca Ortiz children's hospital has 361 beds, paediatric ICU and neonatal intensive care.
OfficialEcuadorian Ministry of Public Health: Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo · checked 6 Oct 2026
Transport
Montevideo
One hour of travel with an STM card costs 52 pesos, two hours 78. Cash is more expensive: 64 and 97. The first card is free.
OfficialMontevideo city hall: urban public transport fares · checked 28 Sep 2026
On Ruta 101, kilometre 19.95. There are 18 direct destinations, only Madrid in Europe and only Miami in the US.
SpecialistCarrasco airport: direct destinations · checked 28 Sep 2026
Quito
Mariscal Sucre international airport is in Tababela, 24 km from the city. From December 2026 Air Canada flies direct to Montreal and Toronto.
SpecialistQuiport: about the Quito airport concessionaire · checked 6 Oct 2026
Quito has a metro line with 15 stations. In July 2026 it carried 5.4 million trips, and 154 million since opening.
OfficialMetro de Quito: home page, "Metro en cifras" · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Montevideo
July is the coldest month: average minimum 7.2 degrees, average maximum 15.0. June and August are almost the same.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Montevideo · checked 28 Sep 2026
About 1,100 mm a year, and surprisingly evenly distributed: in any month from 83 to 109 mm and 8–10 rain days.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Montevideo · checked 28 Sep 2026
Quito
There is no winter as a season: all year round it is about 10 degrees at night and 21-22 by day. In June-August nights are 9.4-9.8 and days 21-22; this is the dry season.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Quito 1981-2010 · checked 6 Oct 2026
About 1100 mm a year. Dry in June-August, 22-40 mm and 7-10 rainy days a month. The wettest month is April: 171 mm and 20 days with rain.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Quito 1981-2010 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Montevideo
Robbery reports (rapiña) in 2025: Pocitos 125, Carrasco 59, Cordón 290, Casavalle 481, Unión 564. These are the number of cases, not adjusted for population.
OfficialUruguay's Ministry of the Interior, open data: crime reports by Montevideo neighborhood (microdata through 2025) · checked 29 Sep 2026
In 2025 Montevideo had 210 homicides out of 369 nationwide, that is 57%. Nationwide it is 10.3 per 100 thousand residents.
OfficialUruguay's Ministry of the Interior: preliminary crime statistics for 2025 · checked 28 Sep 2026
Reports of theft without violence in 2025: Cordón 2,697, Pocitos 2,062, Carrasco 517. This includes thefts from cars and shops, not only from passers-by.
OfficialUruguay's Ministry of the Interior, open data: crime reports by Montevideo neighborhood (microdata through 2025) · checked 29 Sep 2026
Quito
Guagua Pichincha, 12 km to the west, covered Quito in ash in 1999-2000. Cotopaxi, 45 km away, could send mudflows into the Los Chillos valley.
OfficialIG-EPN: Guagua Pichincha volcano · checked 6 Oct 2026
Pichincha with Quito is on the list of provinces under a state of emergency from 15 Sep 2026. Pickpocketing and muggings are common, especially in the old town and at stations.
OfficialUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for Ecuador · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Montevideo
State-owned Antel offers up to 1000/300 Mbit/s over fibre, and the basic home plan is 400/30.
OfficialAntel: data transmission price list, 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
From 1,650 pesos for 400 Mbit/s to 4,342 for a gigabit. Taxes included, two-year contract.
OfficialAntel: data transmission price list, 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
Quito
Netlife sells 850 Mbit/s fibre for 33.93 dollars a month including tax, 16.96 for the first 9 months. The provider has 16 service points in Quito.
SpecialistNetlife: home fibre-optic internet plans · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Montevideo
From January 2026: 6.744 pesos per kWh up to 100 kWh, 8.452 from 101 to 600, plus a fixed 324.9 pesos a month. For 300 kWh the tariff comes to about 2,900 pesos.
OfficialDecreto 339/025: UTE rates from 1 January 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
OSE water from January 2026: up to 15 m³ at 36.91 pesos per m³ plus a fixed charge of 327.5. For 15 m³ that comes to about 880 pesos a month. The municipality bills sewage separately.
OfficialDecree 340/025: OSE water and sewerage tariffs from 1 January 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Montevideo Gas network gas, September 2026, including VAT: 48.55 pesos per m³ plus a fixed charge of 714.86 a month. Summer, 30 m³: about 2,170 pesos; winter, 100 m³: about 5,570.
OfficialMontevideo Gas: current tariff, September 2026, including VAT · checked 29 Sep 2026
The municipality, not OSE, bills sewage in Montevideo: a fixed charge of 80.76 pesos a month and 45.30 per m³ of water (2025 tariff). For 15 m³ that is about 760 pesos, billed every two months.
OfficialMontevideo city government: saneamiento (sewerage) tariff · checked 29 Sep 2026
Quito
Electricity is 0.078-0.105 dollars per kWh by block plus 1.41 a month. 300 kWh comes to about 28 dollars before the street lighting and fire service charges.
OfficialRegistro Oficial No. 380, 9th supplement: resolution ARCONEL-009/2026, electricity tariffs for October-December 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
As of 2024, a cubic metre of water in Quito cost 0.31 dollars for use up to 8 m³ and 0.40 at 16-30 m³. We could not open the utility's full tariff schedule.
SpecialistPrimicias: Quito municipality discusses a water tariff increase · checked 6 Oct 2026

