Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Ocho Rios

For one person, living is cheaper in Ocho Rios: $1,089 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Ocho Rios
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Ocho Rios Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Ocho Rios

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Ocho Rios

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 Ocho Rios actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,089 in Ocho Rios, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Ocho Rios $1,089

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $1,565 in Ocho Rios, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Ocho Rios $1,565

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,040 in Ocho Rios, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Ocho Rios $2,040

Montevideo costs about 63% more than Ocho Rios, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Ocho Rios is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$9.32 JMD 1,473

62.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$63.4 JMD 10.0K

9.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$6.73 JMD 1,063

117.68%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$3.07 JMD 486

45.28%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.16 JMD 183

130.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.67 JMD 107

198.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$2.22 JMD 350

117.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$3.08 JMD 486

23.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$3.94 JMD 623

-65.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.78 JMD 439

3.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.61 JMD 255

8.70%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.58 JMD 566

30.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$11.47 JMD 1,813

21.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$6.19 JMD 978

93.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$10.14 JMD 1,602

18.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$5.86 JMD 926

-52.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$3.12 JMD 493

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$6.42 JMD 1,015

-72.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$2.44 JMD 385

32.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$3.28 JMD 518

-39.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$2.54 JMD 401

-18.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$2.85 JMD 451

-51.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.40 JMD 221

34.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$8.54 JMD 1,349

-34.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$9.25 JMD 1,462

-5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$2.88 JMD 454

-21.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.86 JMD 609

-28.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$0.95 JMD 151

61.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.22 JMD 193

56.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$3.22 JMD 509

-87.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$6.33 JMD 1,000

63.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.43 JMD 227

48.95%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-37.95%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

9.70%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$169 JMD 26.7K

11.59%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$19.74 JMD 3,118

4.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$53.6 JMD 8,471

-16.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$11.47 JMD 1,812

4.18%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$358 JMD 56.6K

77.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$8,091 JMD 1.3M

36.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$23.39 JMD 3,696

336.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$31.00 JMD 4,897

85.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

66.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$104 JMD 16.4K

23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$378 JMD 59.7K

90.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$188 JMD 29.7K

201.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

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

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 Ocho Rios: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Ocho Rios

$188 17.3% 66.9% $380

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Ocho Rios

$353 32.4% 6.6% $22

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Ocho Rios

$156 14.3% 42% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Ocho Rios

$242 22.2% 4.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Ocho Rios

$105 9.7% 43.5% $81

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Ocho Rios

$21 * 1.9% 74.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Ocho Rios

$23 * 2.1% 70.5% $55

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 $378 in Ocho Rios. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Montevideo versus $63.0 in Ocho Rios. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Montevideo vs $353 in Ocho Rios – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇯🇲 Ocho Rios

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

21:29 9:29 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

26,503

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

Montevideo Ocho Rios 6,330 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Ocho Rios

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 Ocho Rios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $1,634 in Ocho Rios. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ocho Rios, 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 $63.0 in Ocho Rios. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Montevideo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ocho Rios, where all-in costs run around $1,089, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Ocho Rios it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ocho Rios – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ocho Rios. 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.