Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Duncans

For one person, living is cheaper in Duncans: $1,011 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Montevideo, Uruguay
Duncans, Jamaica
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Duncans
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,011
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Duncans

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,011 in Duncans, rent included.

  • Montevideo $1,771
  • Duncans $1,011

A couple spends around $2,784 per month in Montevideo vs $1,673 in Duncans, rent included.

  • Montevideo $2,784
  • Duncans $1,673

A family of three spends $3,797 per month in Montevideo vs $2,336 in Duncans, rent included.

  • Montevideo $3,797
  • Duncans $2,336

Montevideo costs about 75% more than Duncans, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Montevideo sits 30% above the global median, while Duncans is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.63 UYU 629
$13.60 JMD 2,144
14.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.9 UYU 2,812
$75.7 JMD 11.9K
-7.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.51 UYU 584
$8.14 JMD 1,284
78.26%
Cappuccino
$4.43 UYU 178
$5.44 JMD 858
-18.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 UYU 100
$1.14 JMD 180
118.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 UYU 78.5
$0.71 JMD 111
174.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.78 UYU 192
$2.25 JMD 355
112.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 UYU 148
$3.21 JMD 507
14.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 UYU 50.6
$4.15 JMD 655
-69.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.98 UYU 120
$3.73 JMD 588
-20.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 UYU 70.1
$1.58 JMD 249
10.13%
Eggs
$4.80 UYU 193
$3.58 JMD 565
34.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.06 UYU 565
$11.50 JMD 1,813
22.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.35 UYU 457
$6.21 JMD 979
82.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.16 UYU 489
$10.34 JMD 1,631
17.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 UYU 110
$6.01 JMD 947
-54.41%
Banana (1kg)
$2.83 UYU 114
$3.97 JMD 625
-28.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 UYU 65.4
$7.54 JMD 1,190
-78.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.18 UYU 128
$3.02 JMD 476
5.30%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 UYU 81.1
$3.32 JMD 523
-39.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.13 UYU 85.5
$2.61 JMD 411
-18.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 UYU 56.0
$3.01 JMD 475
-53.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 UYU 78.2
$1.43 JMD 226
35.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.34 UYU 215
$9.48 JMD 1,494
-43.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.31 UYU 334
$11.25 JMD 1,775
-26.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 UYU 94.3
$2.78 JMD 439
-15.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 UYU 113
$3.96 JMD 625
-29.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 UYU 62.4
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.9 UYU 3,013
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 UYU 76.9
$1.27 JMD 200
50.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.41 UYU 16.55
$3.20 JMD 505
-87.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.38 UYU 417
$6.23 JMD 983
66.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.23 UYU 89.5
$1.45 JMD 228
53.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K UYU 1.1M
$44.1K JMD 7.0M
-39.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.9K UYU 1.4M
$32.2K JMD 5.1M
11.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$184 UYU 7,392
$171 JMD 27.0K
7.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.15 UYU 810
$29.64 JMD 4,674
-32.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.24 UYU 1,739
$51.8 JMD 8,166
-16.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.47 UYU 1,949
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.71 UYU 792
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.11 UYU 487
$13.41 JMD 2,115
-9.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$636 UYU 25.6K
$355 JMD 56.0K
79.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K UYU 442.1K
$8,307 JMD 1.3M
32.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 UYU 4,050
$23.91 JMD 3,771
321.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 UYU 2,289
$31.38 JMD 4,949
81.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 UYU 4,937
$78.7 JMD 12.4K
56.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 UYU 5,241
$103 JMD 16.3K
26.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$747 UYU 30.0K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$581 UYU 23.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 UYU 51.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 UYU 45.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,653 UYU 146.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,029 UYU 81.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montevideo
Duncans
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,284 UYU 51.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.65
9.45
-40.21%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Duncans: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montevideo
$581
Duncans
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Montevideo
$330
Duncans
$384 16.2% $54
Eating Out
Montevideo
$271
Duncans
$224 17.4% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montevideo
$247
Duncans
$253 2.2% $5.5
Clothing & Footwear
Montevideo
$185
Duncans
$107 42.2% $78
Getting Around
Montevideo
$85
Duncans
$17 * 79.7% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Montevideo
$73
Duncans
$27 * 63.1% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Montevideo versus $76 in Duncans. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $384 – making Montevideo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🇯🇲 Duncans
🕒 Local time
11:40 11:40 AM
09:40 9:40 AM
2 h behind Montevideo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,319,108 Capital
5,153
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.76 UYU (100 UYU = 2.23 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montevideo Duncans 6,350 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montevideo
  • Duncans

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
Montevideo vs Duncans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Duncans cheaper than Montevideo?
Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,657 per month in Montevideo and $1,517 in Duncans. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Montevideo and in Duncans?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,771 in Montevideo and $1,011 in Duncans. That’s a gap of about 75%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $636 per month in Montevideo and $355 in Duncans. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Montevideo or in Duncans?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Duncans, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Duncans it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Montevideo or in Duncans?
It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,011 in Duncans to $1,771 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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