Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montego Bay and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Montego Bay: $1,169 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

Jump to prices

Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montego Bay 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 Montego Bay and in Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,169 per month in Montego Bay vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

Montego Bay $1,169
Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $2,141 per month in Montego Bay vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

Montego Bay $2,141
Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $3,113 per month in Montego Bay vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

Montego Bay $3,113
Montevideo $3,708

Montego Bay is about 34% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Montego Bay sits 13% below the global median, while Montevideo is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$15.16 UYU 609

-26.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 JMD 11.7K

$69.2 UYU 2,776

7.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 JMD 1,319

$14.65 UYU 588

-43.00%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 825

$4.46 UYU 179

17.04%

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

$0.94 JMD 149

$2.67 UYU 107

-64.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 JMD 343

$4.83 UYU 194

-55.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 484

$3.80 UYU 152

-19.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 JMD 522

$1.36 UYU 54.8

142.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 JMD 413

$2.87 UYU 115

-9.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 JMD 217

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-21.14%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$4.68 UYU 188

-25.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 JMD 1,775

$13.88 UYU 557

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 JMD 968

$11.98 UYU 481

-48.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 JMD 1,430

$11.97 UYU 480

-24.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 JMD 637

$2.78 UYU 111

44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 JMD 400

$2.74 UYU 110

-7.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 JMD 1,151

$1.77 UYU 71.2

311.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 JMD 388

$3.24 UYU 130

-24.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 JMD 386

$1.97 UYU 79.2

23.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 JMD 420

$2.07 UYU 83.1

28.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 JMD 403

$1.37 UYU 55.1

86.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 JMD 121

$1.88 UYU 75.3

-59.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.16 JMD 1,447

$5.59 UYU 224

63.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 JMD 1,760

$8.78 UYU 352

26.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 442

$2.26 UYU 90.9

23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 JMD 640

$2.75 UYU 110

47.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 JMD 152

$1.53 UYU 61.5

-37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 147

$1.91 UYU 76.7

-51.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 JMD 501

$0.40 UYU 16.18

692.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 JMD 988

$10.33 UYU 415

-39.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 214

$2.13 UYU 85.6

-36.62%

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

$44.2K JMD 7.0M

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

62.92%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.2M

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

-10.00%

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

$170 JMD 26.8K

$188 UYU 7,557

-9.98%

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

$22.58 JMD 3,567

$20.54 UYU 824

9.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.32 JMD 7,477

$44.81 UYU 1,798

5.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 JMD 7,038

$54.0 UYU 2,166

-17.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$8.65 JMD 1,367

$11.95 UYU 480

-27.62%

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

$355 JMD 56.0K

$634 UYU 25.5K

-44.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,218 JMD 1.3M

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

-25.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.50 JMD 3,713

$102 UYU 4,099

-76.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 JMD 4,866

$57.5 UYU 2,309

-46.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 JMD 10.7K

$127 UYU 5,079

-46.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$128 UYU 5,131

-20.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 JMD 50.2K

$719 UYU 28.8K

-55.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 JMD 35.1K

$568 UYU 22.8K

-60.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

-18.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 JMD 147.6K

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

-8.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 JMD 94.0K

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

-52.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.74

64.63%

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

Last update for Montego Bay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montego Bay

$323 27.7%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 2.6% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montego Bay

$239 20.5%

Montevideo

$254 14.3% 6% $14

Accommodation & Living

Montego Bay

$222 19%

Montevideo

$568 32.1% 155% $345

Eating Out

Montego Bay

$200 17.1%

Montevideo

$269 15.2% 34.4% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Montego Bay

$101 8.6%

Montevideo

$186 10.5% 84.6% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Montego Bay

$62 5.3%

Montevideo

$78 4.4% 25.9% $16

Getting Around

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Montevideo

$84 4.8% 309% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Montego Bay versus $719 in Montevideo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 109% higher in Montevideo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Montego Bay versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $323 in Montego Bay vs $332 in Montevideo – so Montego Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

2 h ahead of Montego Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,115

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montego Bay Montevideo 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montego Bay
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

Montego Bay vs Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montevideo costs about 52% more than Montego Bay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,753 per month in Montego Bay and $2,656 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montego Bay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Montego Bay and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Montego Bay, where all-in costs run around $1,169, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Montego Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montego Bay costs $1,169 versus $1,771 in Montevideo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montego Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.