Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Montego Bay

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.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Montego Bay
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Montego Bay Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Montego Bay

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Montego Bay

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 Montego Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Montevideo $1,771
Montego Bay $1,169

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

Montevideo $2,740
Montego Bay $2,141

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

Montevideo $3,708
Montego Bay $3,113

Montevideo costs about 52% more than Montego Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$11.14 JMD 1,760

36.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$74.1 JMD 11.7K

-6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$8.35 JMD 1,319

75.45%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$5.22 JMD 825

-14.56%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$0.94 JMD 149

184.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.70 JMD 110

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.17 JMD 343

122.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.06 JMD 484

24.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$3.30 JMD 522

-58.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.61 JMD 413

9.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.38 JMD 217

26.81%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.48 JMD 550

34.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$11.24 JMD 1,775

23.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$6.13 JMD 968

95.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$9.05 JMD 1,430

32.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$4.03 JMD 637

-31.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.53 JMD 400

8.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$7.28 JMD 1,151

-75.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.45 JMD 388

32.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$2.44 JMD 386

-19.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.66 JMD 420

-22.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$2.55 JMD 403

-46.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$0.77 JMD 121

144.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$9.16 JMD 1,447

-38.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$11.14 JMD 1,760

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.80 JMD 442

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$4.05 JMD 640

-32.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.96 JMD 152

59.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$0.93 JMD 147

105.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$3.17 JMD 501

-87.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$6.25 JMD 988

65.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.35 JMD 214

57.78%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$44.2K JMD 7.0M

-38.62%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$32.6K JMD 5.2M

11.11%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$170 JMD 26.8K

11.09%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$22.58 JMD 3,567

-9.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$47.32 JMD 7,477

-5.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$44.55 JMD 7,038

21.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$8.65 JMD 1,367

38.15%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$355 JMD 56.0K

78.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$8,218 JMD 1.3M

34.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$23.50 JMD 3,713

334.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$30.80 JMD 4,866

86.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$67.9 JMD 10.7K

86.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$102 JMD 16.1K

25.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$318 JMD 50.2K

126.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$222 JMD 35.1K

155.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$934 JMD 147.6K

22.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$934 JMD 147.6K

9.50%

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)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

$595 JMD 94.0K

109.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

9.45

-39.26%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montego Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Montego Bay

$222 19% 60.8% $345

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Montego Bay

$323 27.7% 2.5% $8.3

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Montego Bay

$200 17.1% 25.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Montego Bay

$239 20.5% 5.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Montego Bay

$101 8.6% 45.8% $85

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Montego Bay

$21 * 1.8% 75.5% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Montego Bay

$62 5.3% 20.6% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $318 in Montego Bay. 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $74.0 in Montego Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $323 in Montego Bay – so Montego Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇯🇲 Montego Bay

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

02:10 2:10 AM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

110,115

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

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).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Montevideo
Montego Bay

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 Montego Bay: 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 $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,753 in Montego Bay. 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 $69.0 in Montevideo and $74.0 in Montego Bay. 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.