AFAIK, Ducati has changed nothing that would lead me to believe their bikes would require less maintenance. The air-cooled 2 & 3 valve heads are easier and cheaper to deal with than the 4-valve heads on the premium level models, but IMHO, a Duc should never be considered for the budget minded.
Unless you're riding a 250 Bandit, a 620 Monster is going to be a disappointment in the power department and probably not much of a step up in handling either since it's Ducati's budget bike.