Carrasco Airport is about 20 km from central Montevideo. Transport costs are moderate by South American standards but higher than neighboring Argentina or Brazil.
Price breakdown by destination
Pocitos / Punta Carretas (popular tourist area, closest to airport)
- Distance: ~15 km, 20-25 minutes
- The closest of the main districts, so the cheapest car journey of the three
Ciudad Vieja / Centro (old town, business district)
- Distance: ~22 km, 30-40 minutes
- The longest of the central runs, so the dearest
Carrasco neighborhood (closest residential area)
- Distance: ~5 km, 8-15 minutes
- A short hop — much cheaper than any city-centre run
Punta del Este (beach resort city, east)
- Distance: ~130 km, 90 minutes
- The airport taxi service quotes USD 50 per passenger; a private transfer prices the car and fixes it at booking
- Buses run from the Tres Cruces terminal in the city, not the airport
Understanding the pricing
Uruguay uses the Uruguayan Peso (UYU), but many prices are quoted in US dollars, especially for tourist services. The exchange rate moves, which is exactly why this page does not carry a table of dollar estimates by neighbourhood: they rot quietly and you would have no way of knowing. The airport's official taxi service publishes a transfer fare of UYU 400 per passenger to Montevideo, airport charges (UYU 96.31) included, and quotes USD 50 per passenger for Punta del Este. Ordinary taxis are metered and the operator says outright that the exact price is whatever the meter shows (taxisaeropuerto.com, checked July 2026). No authority publishes a fixed fare by neighbourhood, so the per-district dollar figures that circulate online are guesses that go stale as the peso moves — ask the official taxi desk before you set off, and get any transfer price in writing when you book.
Metered taxis charge a base fare plus per-kilometer rate. The meter should be running from the moment you depart. If the meter is not on, ask the driver to start it or agree on a price before departing.
Cost comparison
For a typical journey to Pocitos or central Montevideo:
| Option | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bus | Cheapest by far; fare not published by the airport | Budget travelers with minimal luggage |
| Uber | App quotes before you confirm | Tech-savvy travelers wanting the lowest car price |
| Pre-booked transfer | Fixed at booking | Certainty, late arrivals, families |
| Official airport taxi | UYU 400 per passenger to Montevideo (transfer service); metered otherwise | Immediate departure, no planning needed |
Tips to manage costs
- ATMs in the terminal give better rates than currency exchange counters. Withdraw pesos for the taxi if you want to avoid the dollar-to-peso conversion that drivers apply.
- Uber is the cheapest car option but requires phone data. The terminal has free Wi-Fi.
- Tolls on the highway to Punta del Este are included in most transfer quotes but may be added to taxi fares.
- Tipping taxi drivers is not mandatory in Uruguay, but rounding up the fare is common.
- Shared transfers are occasionally available for the Punta del Este route, which brings the per-person cost down; the airport taxi service quotes USD 50 per passenger.
The honest perspective
The airport-to-city transfer in Montevideo is not expensive by global standards. The real value question arises if you are heading to Punta del Este, where a pre-booked transfer at a fixed rate saves you from a potentially expensive metered journey or the inconvenience of reaching a bus terminal first.