San Martín de los Andes vs Montevideo
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in San Martín de los Andes cheaper — −6%
Ready-made house
✓in Montevideo cheaper — −66%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per month✓San Martín de los Andes≈ $547–772ARS 850k – 1.2Mcheaper by 6%Montevideo≈ $577–827UYU 23,124–33,147Family budget, other calculation
per monthSan Martín de los Andes≈ $1,140ARS 1,784,886Montevideo≈ $1,350UYU 54,233Internet speed
plan speedSan Martín de los Andesup to 1,000 Mbpsup to 1,000 MbpsMontevideoup to 1,000 Mbpsup to 1,000 MbpsPrecipitation
per yearSan Martín de los Andes1,500 mm1,500 mmMontevideo1,101 mm1,101 mmReady-made house
purchaseSan Martín de los Andes$295–400k$295–400k✓Montevideo$118k$118kcheaper by 66%
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Daily life
San Martín de los Andes
Nothing yet
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
Housing
San Martín de los Andes
In the eastern suburb, 2 bedrooms are about ARS 1.0 million a month, a 120 m² house is USD 1,200 plus expensas. The center and prestigious neighborhoods go up to USD 2,500/month. Listings are few.
SpecialistLong-term rental listings — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, local agencies · checked 30 Aug 2026
The most expensive land among the cities checked: Las Nalcas, USD 37–55k for 1,000–1,180 m² with underground utilities; good plots near town, about USD 95k for 800 m².
SpecialistListings for land and houses for sale — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, Argenprop · checked 1 Sep 2026
A decent 105 m² house is about USD 295k, a 120 m² house in the center about USD 400k. The expensive segment is noticeably higher.
SpecialistListings for land and houses for sale — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, Argenprop · checked 1 Sep 2026
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
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
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
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
Money and prices
San Martín de los Andes
Regional estimate: the minimum food basket for a family of four in Patagonia is ARS 708,288 a month (June 2026). This is not a measurement in the city itself.
OfficialIPIEC (Tierra del Fuego) - Evolución de las canastas básicas, región Patagonia, first half of 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026
Regional estimate: the poverty line excluding rent for a family of four is ARS 1,784,886 a month (June 2026, Patagonia). Add rent on top. Not a measurement in the city.
OfficialIPIEC (Tierra del Fuego) - Evolución de las canastas básicas, región Patagonia, first half of 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026
Montevideo
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
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
Family and kids
San Martín de los Andes
From 2026, public kindergartens are being converted into Escuelas Infantiles with younger age groups; Jardín Nº12 has already enrolled a sala de 2. The best of the cities checked for early childhood.
OfficialState kindergartens in San Martín are moving to the Escuelas Infantiles format · checked 31 Aug 2026
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
Healthcare
San Martín de los Andes
Hospital Dr. Ramón Carrillo works as a regional hospital; in 2026 specialist positions are still being filled.
OfficialBoletín Oficial Neuquén — staffing of Hospital Ramón Carrillo, 2026 · checked 27 Aug 2026
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
Transport
San Martín de los Andes
Chapelco (Aviador Carlos Campos) on RN 40 between San Martín and Junín, serving both towns. Regular flights: Aerolíneas Argentinas.
OfficialAviador Carlos Campos airport (Chapelco) · checked 27 Aug 2026
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
Climate
San Martín de los Andes
About 1,500 mm a year, 1–10 °C by day in winter, 9–27 °C in summer. 10–40 km further east it is noticeably drier, while the Andes remain close.
OfficialSan Martín de los Andes municipal tourism — climate · checked 27 Aug 2026
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
Safety
San Martín de los Andes
SEGEMAR 2025: floods and slope movements; on the Ruta de los Siete Lagos the main risk is landslides, mudflows and rockfalls. In July 2026 a slide of mud and rocks closed RN 40.
OfficialSEGEMAR 2025 — hazard map of the San Martín / Villa La Angostura area · checked 28 Aug 2026
Neuquén province in 2025: 5.7 per 100k, the highest of all provinces (average 3.6), up 32.5% from 2024. The figure is driven by the provincial capital; there is no separate data for San Martín.
OfficialSNIC — Informe del Sistema Nacional de Información Criminal, year 2025, table 5 (intentional homicides by province) · checked 9 Sep 2026
Montevideo
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
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
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
Internet and phone
San Martín de los Andes
COTESMA fiber up to 1,000 Mbps, with symmetric connections and a rural service available. The best of the cities checked, but check coverage by the exact address.
SpecialistCOTESMA — internet and coverage maps · checked 2 Sep 2026
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
Services
San Martín de los Andes
Piped gas is supplied by Camuzzi, which has accepted connection requests again since 5 January 2026. Tariff from 1 August 2026: ARS 250.11 per m³ plus a fixed part, before taxes. Electricity: EPEN.
SpecialistCamuzzi — gas connections resume in the Cordillera · checked 1 Oct 2026
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
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
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

