Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and May Pen

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.

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Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 May Pen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Montevideo $1,813
May Pen $729

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

Montevideo $2,782
May Pen $824

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

Montevideo $3,750
May Pen $918

Living in Montevideo is roughly 149% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 UYU 613

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 UYU 2,707

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.37 UYU 577

Cappuccino

$4.64 UYU 186

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

$2.73 UYU 110

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 UYU 83.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 UYU 191

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 147

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$2.20 JMD 348

-37.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 UYU 111

$3.85 JMD 611

-28.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 67.7

$3.07 JMD 487

-44.95%

Eggs

$4.52 UYU 182

$3.45 JMD 547

31.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 UYU 569

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 485

$7.52 JMD 1,191

60.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 488

$5.18 JMD 821

134.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 UYU 115

$1.59 JMD 252

80.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 UYU 110

$4.98 JMD 789

-44.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$6.24 JMD 990

-72.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.84 JMD 292

76.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$1.95 JMD 308

6.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.0

$1.95 JMD 308

6.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 UYU 55.4

$3.11 JMD 492

-55.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 UYU 74.4

$2.79 JMD 442

-33.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 UYU 224

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 UYU 357

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 UYU 92.1

$2.18 JMD 345

5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 UYU 108

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 UYU 61.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 UYU 2,958

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 UYU 428

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.0

$1.35 JMD 214

64.44%

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 7,662

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

$20.40 UYU 819

$43.08 JMD 6,828

-52.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 UYU 1,772

$53.5 JMD 8,483

-17.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 UYU 2,174

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 UYU 790

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 UYU 495

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 UYU 4,128

$15.86 JMD 2,513

548.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,251

$21.76 JMD 3,448

157.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 UYU 4,993

$41.43 JMD 6,565

200.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,207

$54.6 JMD 8,646

137.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 UYU 28.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 UYU 23.1K

$287 JMD 45.5K

100.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

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 Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$575 32.3%

May Pen

–

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.2%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$255 14.3%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.4%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.7%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$79 4.4%

May Pen

–

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

04:05 4:05 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

44,755

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Montevideo
May Pen

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 May Pen: 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 $2,720 in Montevideo and $1,094 in May Pen 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 $1,813 per month in Montevideo versus $729 in May Pen – 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, Montevideo and May Pen 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.