World · Uruguay

Montevideo

indicative score contains estimates

6.36 / 10 · range 6.23–6.60

Onde Viver Bem · updated November 10, 2026

Technical notes for this page

Updated November 10, 2026. Indicative score. Weights: entertainment 11.73% (destinations and venues within 50 km); bars 3.73%; safety 15% with a penalty; water at country level; land price per m² = official source (ITBI, Terracap, registries, valuations) or listings with a caveat · coverage 100%

Montevideo has an indicative score of 6.36/10 in the World ranking of Onde Viver Bem, updated November 10, 2026. The strongest published variables are Beach / mountains (10.00), Culture (8.90) and Clean air (7.67); the weakest are Safety (2.50), Bars (4.72) and Restaurants (5.44). The scores are indicative. Cost of living and the land price per m² are not part of the score. Some figures on this page are estimates and carry the “estimated” badge.

Montevideo: view of the city — Montevideo. Photo: Marcelo Campi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

safety: undetermined-intent deaths estimated from the national ratio; safety: feeling of safety at national level only (Gallup); estimated: safely managed water (basic access × regional ratio)

Land price per m²

US$ 764/m² (USD 764) · P25–P75 US$ 332–US$ 1,219 · n=624

asking price in InfoCasas listings, November 10, 2026, sample n=624 · source

Collected November 10, 2026 · exchange rate —

Note: Asking price in listings, not a transaction price. Cross-check: the INGAR Index (Oct 2026, median of neighbourhood medians, asking prices) gives US$ 992/m² for land.

Score breakdown

Each criterion's score, its weight in the total and the raw figure, linked to its source.

Safety · score 2.50 · weight 15.00% · sources: homicidios_100k_local (18.64) · homicidios_100k_policia (15.9) · obitos_indeterminados_100k (2.74) · roubo_razao_cidade_pais (2.13) · sensacao_seguranca_noite_pct (50)

raw: 18.64 per 100k pop. · 40% violent deaths (log 30→0, 0.5→10 per 100k) + 30% city robbery ÷ country average (log 5×→0, 0.5×→10) + 30% share who feel safe at night (lin 30%→0, 95%→10); any part without data: weights renormalized

Composite safety: violent deaths 18.6 per 100k → 1.2 (weight 40%) · robbery 2.13× the country average (department of Montevideo, 2024) → 3.7 (weight 30%) · 50.0% feel safe walking alone at night (Uruguay (national), 2024) → 3.1 (weight 30%).

Beach / mountains · score 10.00 · weight 11.59% · sources: km_ate_praia_osm (5.0) · km_ate_relevo_montanhoso (>150) · osm_cachoeiras_50km (0.0) · osm_areas_protegidas_50km (4.0) · osm_trilhas_rota_50km (0.0) · osm_mirantes_50km (8.0)

raw: 5.0 km · beach: distance log 5 km→10, 150 km→0; mountains: richness of nature leisure (mean of the top 3 of 4 counts, 50 km) × access (1 up to 15 km → 0 at 150 km, log), 0 with no relief; score = min(10, max(beach, mountains) + 0.3·min)

Water estimated · score 6.59 · weight 9.94% · sources: wb_estresse_hidrico_pais (12.052) · wb_agua_gerida_segura_pais (70.0) estimated · wb_acesso_basico_agua_pais (99.6)

raw: 12.052 % withdrawal / available resources · average: stress log 100%→0, 10%→10; safe water lin 50%→0, 100%→10

Estimate: ESTIMATE (not a measurement): the World Bank/JMP does not publish the % using safely managed water for the country. Estimate = at least basic access (99.6%, World Bank 2024) × median safely-managed÷basic ratio in 17 Latin America & Caribbean countries with basic access ≥ 95% (0.702) = 70.0% (range 56.8–93.7%). Water stress: measured (World Bank).

Parks · score 5.45 · weight 9.94% · sources: osm_parques_2km (31.0) · osm_parques_municipio (128.0)

raw: 31.0 count of OSM objects · 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 60→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 15→10

Sun · score 6.82 · weight 9.94% · sources: radiacao_solar_global (1750.6)

raw: 1750.6 kWh/m²/year · lin 1000→0, 2100→10 kWh/m²/year

Restaurants · score 5.44 · weight 9.11% · sources: osm_restaurantes_2km (143.0) · osm_restaurantes_municipio (514.0) · overture_restaurantes_2km (272.0) · overture_restaurantes_municipio (874.0)

raw: Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.57 within 2 km, 3.41 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 1000→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 30→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 30→10

Entertainment · score 7.58 · weight 11.73% · sources: osm_destinos_entretenimento_50km (6.0) · osm_arenas_grandes_50km (31.0)

raw: 37.0 count of OSM objects (destinations + venues, 50 km) · log1p(destinations + stadiums/music venues), 120→10; 50 km radius

A1ed, radius 50 km: 6.0 destinations (theme_park/zoo/aquarium/water_park) + 31.0 stadiums/music venues (stadium, music_venue, concert_hall). Left out: events_venue, sports_centre, theatre, amusement_ride, amusement_arcade. OpenStreetMap via ohsome.

Bars · score 4.72 · weight 3.73% · sources: osm_bares_2km (65.0) · osm_bares_municipio (143.0) · overture_bares_2km (132.0) · overture_bares_municipio (363.0)

raw: Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.48 within 2 km, 3.20 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 500→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 10→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 10→10

Mild climate · score 6.32 · weight 4.97% · sources: dias_conforto_termico (208.6)

raw: 208.6 days/year · lin 0→0, 330→10 days/year

Health · score 7.42 · weight 4.97% · sources: wb_expectativa_vida (78.287) · osm_hospitais_10km (38.0)

raw: 78.287 years · average: life expectancy lin 70→0, 85→10; Brazil: beds/10k pop. lin 0→0, 50→10; World: OSM hospitals within 10 km log1p 50→10

Clean air · score 7.67 · weight 4.14% · sources: pm25_media_anual (12.0)

raw: 12.0 µg/m³ · lin 35→0, 5→10 µg/m³ (WHO=5)

Airport · score 7.00 · weight 2.48% · sources: osm_aeroportos_iata_50km (1.0)

raw: 1.0 count of OSM objects · 0→0, 1→7, ≥2→10

Culture · score 8.90 · weight 2.48% · sources: osm_cultura_5km (86.0)

raw: 86.0 count of OSM objects · log1p(count), 150→10

The city

Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has 1,319,108 inhabitants in an area of 530 square kilometres. Montevideo lies on the country's southern coast, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata.

English rendering of the Portuguese Wikipedia summary linked below. Source: wikipedia_pt. Wikipedia revision 72294417 (2026-05-23T05:13:19Z).

Taxation

ITP + Contribución Inmobiliaria (property tax); no official local rate collected yet (we do not invent the figure). GAP: not collected; suggested source: DGI Uruguay / Intendencia de Montevideo

Frequently asked questions

What is the Onde Viver Bem score for Montevideo?

Montevideo has an indicative score of 6.36/10 in the World ranking, updated November 10, 2026. Cost of living is not part of the score.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the score for Montevideo?

The strongest published variables are Beach / mountains (10.00), Culture (8.90) and Clean air (7.67); the weakest are Safety (2.50), Bars (4.72) and Restaurants (5.44).

Does cost of living or the land price per m² enter the score?

No. Cost of living and the land price per m² appear on the page but are not part of the score. See the methodology.

How is the score calculated?

It is an indicative 0–10 quality-of-life index, with 13 variables and published weights. Safety has a 15% weight and, when local data exist, a lethal-violence penalty may cap the total. The full method is on the methodology page.

Are any figures on this page estimates?

Yes. Some values are documented estimates, labelled with the “estimated” badge in the technical notes. The method is explained in the Estimates section.