Money Matters
Currency and banks
The Uruguayan currency is called ¨Peso Uruguayo¨ and the exchange rate is
approximately $27 = 1 US Dollar. The banks are open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., from
Monday to Friday. You can also exchange money during the rest of the day at
exchange houses, airport, bus station and shopping centers. The most common way
of paying in Uruguay is cash but you can also use credit cards almost everywhere,
the most used ones are: Visa, MasterCard, Diners and American Express, (in order
of importance). Some banks are Banco Santander, Deutsche Bank, ING Bank (ABN
AMRO Bank), Bank Boston, Sudameris. You can also take money from automatic
cashiers with your credit card, but mind, that will cost you a normal additional
rate.
Living expenses
All prices are approximate and only try to give you a rough idea of the living costs
in Uruguay. Clothes are not cheap according to international standards, so you shouldn't
expect to buy heaps of clothes at bargain prices. Nevertheless
leather jackets and wool sweaters could be interesting to buy. Used cars are
very expensive.
| Item |
Prices (US$) |
| Lunch (fast food) |
0.5 |
| Coffee |
2.5 |
| Package of 20 cigarettes |
1.5 |
| Film (36 exp) |
7.0 |
| Beer (1liter) |
1.5 |
| Coke (1.5 lt.) |
2.0 |
| Meat (1kg) |
3.0 |
| Loaf of bread |
0.5 |
| Football game |
8.0 |
| Jeans |
60.0 |
| Bus ticket (local) |
0.7 |
| Taxi 3 km |
3.0 |
| Modest dinner |
12.0 |
| Ice-cream |
2.5 |
| Newspaper |
2.5 |
| Cinema |
7.0 |
| Milk (1lt) |
0.5 |
| Oranges (1kg) |
0.7 |
| Rented car 3 days |
105.0 |
| Disco |
10.0 |
| T-shirt |
18.0 |
| Bus ticket (250km) |
14.0 |
| Hotel |
50.0 |
| CD |
22.0 |
If you want to buy, there is a wide choice of places, you can go to the 4 big
shopping centers in Montevideo, take a stroll along the central avenue of the
city called ¨18 de Julio¨ which is full of shops and boutiques or visit one of
the colorful Sunday markets, such as Tristan Narvaja and Parque Rodó.
Tres Cruces Shopping and Main Bus Station
Montevideo Shopping Center
Punta Carretas Shopping Center
Portones de Carrasco Shopping Center
