Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Santa Cruz, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,285 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montevideo and in Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,285 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Santa Cruz $1,285

A couple spends around $2,784 per month in Montevideo vs $1,988 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montevideo $2,784
Santa Cruz $1,988

A family of three spends $3,797 per month in Montevideo vs $2,690 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Montevideo $3,797
Santa Cruz $2,690

Montevideo costs about 38% more than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 30% above the global median, while Santa Cruz is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.63 UYU 629

$7.37 JMD 1,163

112.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 UYU 2,812

$63.6 JMD 10.0K

10.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 UYU 584

$6.45 JMD 1,016

124.96%

Cappuccino

$4.43 UYU 178

$5.34 JMD 842

-17.04%

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

$2.49 UYU 100

$1.16 JMD 182

114.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 UYU 78.5

$0.75 JMD 119

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 UYU 192

$2.26 JMD 357

111.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 UYU 148

$3.08 JMD 485

19.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 UYU 50.6

$4.04 JMD 638

-68.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 UYU 120

$2.58 JMD 406

15.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 UYU 70.1

$1.57 JMD 248

10.83%

Eggs

$4.80 UYU 193

$3.47 JMD 548

38.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 UYU 565

$11.33 JMD 1,787

24.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 UYU 457

$6.40 JMD 1,010

77.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 UYU 489

$10.41 JMD 1,641

16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$5.97 JMD 941

-54.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 UYU 114

$3.83 JMD 604

-26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 UYU 65.4

$7.43 JMD 1,171

-78.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 UYU 128

$3.01 JMD 474

5.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 UYU 81.1

$3.32 JMD 523

-39.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 UYU 85.5

$2.64 JMD 416

-19.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 UYU 56.0

$3.01 JMD 475

-53.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 78.2

$1.45 JMD 229

33.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 UYU 215

$9.47 JMD 1,494

-43.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 UYU 334

$11.53 JMD 1,818

-27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 UYU 94.3

$2.89 JMD 456

-18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 UYU 113

$4.01 JMD 632

-30.17%

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 201

50.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.55

$3.12 JMD 492

-86.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.38 UYU 417

$6.12 JMD 966

69.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 UYU 89.5

$1.39 JMD 220

60.43%

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

$26.5K UYU 1.1M

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

-40.83%

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

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

10.12%

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

$184 UYU 7,392

$166 JMD 26.2K

10.63%

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

$20.15 UYU 810

$29.57 JMD 4,664

-31.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.24 UYU 1,739

$51.8 JMD 8,165

-16.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 UYU 1,949

$38.40 JMD 6,055

26.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.71 UYU 792

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 UYU 487

$13.44 JMD 2,119

-9.90%

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

$636 UYU 25.6K

$359 JMD 56.6K

77.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 442.1K

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

35.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 UYU 4,050

$23.66 JMD 3,731

325.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 UYU 2,289

$31.85 JMD 5,022

78.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 UYU 4,937

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

56.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 UYU 5,241

$101 JMD 15.9K

29.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 UYU 30.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 UYU 23.3K

$311 JMD 49.0K

86.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 UYU 45.2K

$499 JMD 78.8K

125.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 UYU 146.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 UYU 81.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,284 UYU 51.6K

$408 JMD 64.3K

214.75%

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 Santa Cruz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$581 32.8%

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2% 46.5% $270

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$330 18.6%

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9% 12.5% $41

Eating Out

Montevideo

$271 15.3%

Santa Cruz

$168 13% 38.1% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$247 14%

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$185 10.4%

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2% 42.9% $79

Getting Around

Montevideo

$85 4.8%

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3% 80.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$73 4.1%

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1% 10.2% $7.4

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Montevideo are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Montevideo versus $64 in Santa Cruz. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Montevideo vs $371 in Santa Cruz – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

15:37 3:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

8,217

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.23 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.77 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).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Santa Cruz 6,310 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,657 per month in Montevideo and $1,928 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Montevideo and $64 in Santa Cruz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% 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 Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montevideo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Santa Cruz to $1,771 in Montevideo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz. 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.