Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $729 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
Learn more

Montevideo Living Index

Jump to prices

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$729

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in May Pen and in Montevideo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in May Pen and in Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $729 in May Pen versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

May Pen $729
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $824 in May Pen versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

May Pen $824
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $918 in May Pen versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

May Pen $918
Montevideo $3,750

Living in May Pen costs roughly 60% less than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: May Pen is 46% below, Montevideo is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,711

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 578

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 187

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 UYU 110

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 84.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 JMD 347

$1.38 UYU 55.5

59.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 JMD 609

$2.77 UYU 112

38.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 JMD 485

$1.69 UYU 67.8

81.66%

Eggs

$3.45 JMD 545

$4.52 UYU 182

-23.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 570

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 JMD 1,187

$12.07 UYU 485

-37.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.18 JMD 818

$12.16 UYU 489

-57.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 JMD 251

$2.87 UYU 116

-44.60%

Banana (1kg)

$4.98 JMD 786

$2.75 UYU 110

81.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.24 JMD 986

$1.73 UYU 69.5

260.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 JMD 291

$3.24 UYU 130

-43.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 JMD 307

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-5.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 JMD 307

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-5.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 JMD 491

$1.38 UYU 55.4

125.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 JMD 441

$1.85 UYU 74.5

50.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 JMD 344

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,962

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 429

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 214

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-39.19%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$191 UYU 7,674

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$43.08 JMD 6,803

$20.40 UYU 820

111.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 JMD 8,453

$44.14 UYU 1,775

21.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,177

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 791

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 496

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$613 UYU 24.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.86 JMD 2,504

$103 UYU 4,134

-84.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.76 JMD 3,436

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-61.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.43 JMD 6,542

$124 UYU 5,000

-66.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 JMD 8,615

$130 UYU 5,214

-57.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 JMD 45.4K

$575 UYU 23.1K

-50.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for May Pen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

2 h ahead of May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

May Pen Montevideo 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

May Pen
Montevideo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

May Pen vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 149% lower than in Montevideo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making May Pen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,094 in May Pen and $2,720 in Montevideo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $729 per month in May Pen versus $1,813 in Montevideo – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $729 in May Pen versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but May Pen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $729 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes May Pen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, May Pen and Montevideo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find May Pen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.