Cost Of Living In Uruguay: How To Estimate

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Often when considering a move to another country one of the first things we need to look at is if we can afford to live there. How are the prices in comparison to where I'm living now? How much will rent cost? What things are more/less expensive than what I'm used to now? How much will food cost me?

I get a lot of emails from prospective expats looking at possible relocation to Uruguay and one of the first questions they always start out with is can I survive on X amount of money per month. Their suggested amounts to cover living expenses have varied from US$450 to US$3000 but each time my answer is the same - the "cost of living in Uruguay" depends on the cost of YOUR living - It depends on YOU.

What area do you want to live in? Because the cost of your rent will vary accordingly (as it does in every city and country). Within Montevideo rental prices are cheaper in Ciudad Vieja and Centro than in Pocitos and Punta Carretas for example. Outside of Montevideo, Punta del Este or most developed coastal regions will cost more than living in the rural areas of the Interior (how Uruguayan's refer to the inland countryside). How much space do you need? Are you comfortable in a "monoambiente" (a studio apartment) or do you need 1 or 2 bedrooms, or maybe even a house?

Do you want to rent a place with furniture or do you plan to buy your own furniture when you get here? To rent a furnished apartment is usually more expensive as it is not very common here in Uruguay. Furniture is expensive and landlords are very wary so it is usually only short-term vacation apartments that are rented out fully furnished - although of course you can still find fully furnished long-term apartments, they are not the norm and therefore rent for them tends to be higher.

All of these factors need to be taken in to account. However even when they are, providing a figure for what is "affordable" is still not a simple task. Like I said, it depends on YOU. Only you know how you live, what standards you need or expect in order to feel comfortable and what your own financial limitations are. Not only that, but figures are just figures - nominal prices and the value of currencies change all the time, and so the number I offer you one day may not be an accurate representation in a month.

As such I think the best way to give an accurate idea of the cost of living in Uruguay is to provide links to regularly updated prices. Below you will find a small but relevant glimpse in to the daily cost of things in Uruguay. This, I feel, is the best way to get an idea of the cost of living here in Uruguay. You will find current prices, and on the basis of these YOU can decide what is cheap or affordable on the basis of your own opinions and expectations rather than those of a stranger.


REAL ESTATE PRICES:

Whether renting or buying I have found Buscando Casa to be the most comprehensive website for property prices in Uruguay. It is nowhere near "perfect", but for Uruguay it is a very well maintained site and in my opinion it is the best place to see what is currently on sale/for rent and for how much. From here you can get an idea of the price of property per square meter in the different barrios (neighborhoods) of Montevideo and in some areas outside of the city also.

Two other sites that may be good for cross comparison are www.gallito.com (which is the online version of the classified listings from El Pais newspaper) and Pilar Quartino Inmobiliaria (a real estate agent website - although keep in mind they specialize in properties in the more upmarket areas). Gallito is updated every Monday with the listings from Sunday's newspaper, however I still find Buscando Casa usually offers more detailed listings which can help you to better understand the prices (ie. the prices are dependent on size, neighborhood, whether or not it is furnished, whether it has been recently renovated, how much the gastos comunes are etc).

GROCERIES / FOOD SHOPPING:

This is usually the most common concern (well I know it was mine before I moved here!) - where and how do people do their grocery shopping in Uruguay and is it expensive? Unfortunately this is also the most difficult question to answer as the price of consumables varies daily and weekly depending on so many different factors. Also the cost of YOUR grocery shopping is obviously going to depend on where you choose to shop and what kind of items you regularly buy.

Here are a few links that may help you get an idea of how much daily items cost in Uruguay (most of the websites are only available in Spanish, but we will are working on a database of helpful translations to help you navigate the pages. Also many websites have pictures so you can still see prices without understanding the text).

Tienda Inglesa is a large supermarket chain which sells everything from bread and butter to laptops, books, electrical appliances and clothes. Think of it as a small version of Target (and yet it is seen as quite "upper class" to do your shopping there). On their website (as badly designed as it may be) you can find out the current prices of everyday food items, home wares, appliances and more. This gives you a good overview of the cost of your weekly shopping...however keep in mind that a lot of money can be saved by buying fresh foods (fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meat and fish etc) and even some toiletries and home wares at the local street markets called "ferias".

Tienda Inglesa also offers a pharmacy service that you might find helpful to see the prices of some medicines and cosmetics.

Devoto is another large supermarket that offers a wide range of items including food, home wares, stationery and more. Multiahorra is another chain of supermarkets and their website gives current prices across a whole range of products which should help you get an idea of what to expect price wise.

The Uruguayan government carries out a monthly price review of commonly bought items and we have translated this information into a list of supermarket prices quoting prices in both pesos and dollars.

The Ferias: Shopping in the local street markets is not only a great way to save money and eat healthy (because you buy fresh rather than processed foods), but it is also a great way to experience the Uruguayan way of life and integrate yourself in to your area. However when it comes to explaining the cost of shopping in the local ferias I thought it would be impossible to provide regularly updated online prices for a place where totals are still calculated by hand on a scrap on paper (if not in their heads!).

However Shirley provided us with a great link to a government website that monitors the prices across a range of ferias in Montevideo, and we have taken the time to translate it to English so that expats can see and understand the comprehensive price listings.

• Feria (street market) prices
  

If you're interested in finding out the prices for organic products then the website for Ecotiendas may help you. They sell organic fruits and vegetables, some organic cosmetics, organic cleaning products, dairy products, marmalades and sauces etc. If you buy organic at home and you're wondering what the costs are here I will say that the title "organic" is not very common here in Uruguay - not because they don't care, but more so because most of the fresh produce in the ferias is already organic simply because its a low income country and most farmers simply cannot afford the complex chemicals that American and European commercial farmers use.

FURNITURE, ELECTRONICS AND HOME WARES

I have found furniture, electronics and home wares in Uruguay to be both overpriced and of substandard quality (very often made in China). Here are a few websites that show current prices for furniture and electronics. 

Divino is a chain that sells beds, mattresses, couches, tables, desks, lamps, bed sheets...basically things you might need at home. There is another large chain called Grandes Tiendas Montevideo and they mattresses, bed sheets, home decor stuff, towels, blankets etc at slightly lower prices than Divino. They don't have a website but I am mentioning them to say that certain items can be found cheaper than at Divino. There are also bargains to be found at the street markets, especially the larger ones such as Tristan Narvaja. However these websites are helpful for getting an idea of what to expectin stores.

NHD offers a wide range of electronic items - everything from coffee makers to digital cameras, washing machines and televisions.

Many of the larger outlets of supermarkets Tienda Inglesa, Disco, Multiahorro and Geant also offer many electrical goods, home wares and hardware.

OTHER EVERYDAY COSTS:

Everyone's everyday costs are different, and if there is something you would particularly like to know the price of why not ask about it in our discussion forum where locals and expats alike will tell you what they know. Here are a few more websites with prices that may help you estimate your living expenses:

Transport: The website for Tres Cruces Bus Terminal shows you the times of all the national buses (and some international ones too). It also allows you to calculate the approximate cost of any journey by entering the distance involved. For example Montevideo - Buenos Aires (one way) is 600km and costs approximately 600pesos. National buses are reasonably priced and the buses are comfortable and well maintained.

Public transport around Montevideo is excellent for a low-income country with such a small population. The buses are all quite new and well maintained, the selection of bus routes is plentiful, they come regularly and the price tends to fluctuate between 15-18 pesos per journey.

If you plan to drive in Uruguay then I'm sure you're interested in the price of gas (petrol). This is a price that obviously fluctuates day to day so the best way to see the price is check the website of ANCAP Uruguay's state owned petroleum company. Under Productos, then under "combustibles" you'll find a daily price for every type of fuel, including the price of canisters of gas that are used in heaters and stoves.

There are many cinemas around Montevideo. Movie Center Cinemas have screens in the 3 major malls in Montevideo - Punta Carretas, Portones and in Montevideo Shopping in Pocitos. The movie listings and prices of tickets can be seen on their website. Hoyts Cinema Group also has cinemas in Montevideo and Punta Del Este and they list their ticket prices online too.

There is also a great cinema network called Cinemateca which encompasses 3 small cinemas - one in centro on 18 de Julio, one on Carnelli, and one in Pocitos. You can buy a monthly pass for a very small amount (I think 150pesos) or you can pay single entry for 80 pesos. The montly pass is a total bargain if you're a fan of cinema because every month they play great movies (though not the big new releases). Instead they show old movies, foreign movies, film festival submissions and more.

When it comes to clothes shopping in Uruguay I have found that (in general) the quality is lower and yet the prices are higher. It is hard to give an average cost of anything because it depends on the store, but any brands you recognize from the USA or Europe will probably be double the price you are used to - simply because they are European or American. As most things in Uruguay are imported from China, anything that is made in a developed country is seen as a big plus, and you will pay for that plus. However as you will read at the link above about clothes shopping in Uruguay, you can buy many things at outdoor markets that are cheaper than in the stores.

Here are three final websites that may help you get an idea of prices in Uruguay:

Stadium Shoes is a common shoe store that sells shoes for children, adolescents, men and women

Bookstore sell some English language books although their selection is very small. On their website you can get an idea for their prices of both English and Spanish books.

Palacio del Musica is a large chain of stores that sell everything music oriented - cds and dvds, instruments, amps, audio accessories, dj equipment and more.

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For the nonspellers: Urugauy and Monte Video is Montevideo (monte-vid-day-o), real estate agents are "Inmobiliaria", and of course Uruguay is not spelled Uraguay. 181618537

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