Hoi An vs Montevideo

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Hoi An, Vietnam
🇻🇳Vietnam

Hoi An

71Freedom Score#43Global rank$1,050Per month

A UNESCO lantern-lit old town between rice paddies and the river — Vietnam's most picturesque base, with 45-day visa-free and rock-bottom costs.

Montevideo, Uruguay
🇺🇾Uruguay

Montevideo

60Freedom Score#84Global rank$1,019Per month

South America's most stable and safe capital — Uruguay's rule of law, beachfront living, and near-perfect market hour alignment make it the continent's dark horse.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseHoi AnMontevideo
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,050$1,019✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$400✓$712
Meal, mid-range$6✓$20
Coworking deskper month$100✓$153
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.0✓43.8

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureHoi AnMontevideo
Safety
82
50
Healthcare
48
70
Walkability
88
70
English spoken
35
60
Food & dining
82
70
Nightlife
45
60
Outdoors
70
66
Nomad community
58
60
Climate quality
75
70
Public transit
40
60

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureHoi AnMontevideo
Freedom Score71/100✓60/100
Global rankof 100 cities#43✓#84
Internet45 Mbps52 Mbps✓
Average temperature79°F63°F
Air quality40/100✓20/100
Airport connectivity35/10070/100✓
Nomad visa45 days free90 days
Headline tax rateon local income20%0%

Which should you choose?

Choose Hoi An if rent is $312/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (82 vs 50), it is more walkable and the climate scores better.

Choose Montevideo if runs $31/mo cheaper, internet is faster at 52 Mbps, English is more widely spoken and the nomad community is larger.

What each city is known for

Hoi An

  • UNESCO old town of lanterns and tailors
  • 45-day visa-free for Westerners
  • Among the cheapest nomad towns
  • Rice paddies and river beaches

Montevideo

  • #1 ranked quality of life in South America — by a wide margin
  • Territorial tax — foreign income not taxed as a non-resident
  • Pocitos Beach: Montevideo's Copacabana right in the city
  • Uruguay: rule of law, low corruption, most stable SA country

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Hoi An or Montevideo?
Hoi An scores higher on the Freedom Score (71/100 against 60/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Hoi An or Montevideo?
Montevideo is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,019 against $1,050, a difference of $31 a month or about $372 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $400/mo in Hoi An versus $712/mo in Montevideo.
Which is safer: Hoi An or Montevideo?
Hoi An scores higher on safety, 82/100 against 50/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Hoi An and Montevideo?
Hoi An averages 45 Mbps and Montevideo averages 52 Mbps, so Montevideo has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Hoi An or Montevideo?
Hoi An sits in Vietnam (45 days free) and Montevideo in Uruguay (90 days). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.