Moving to Uruguay from Argentina

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Argentina to Uruguay — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Argentina to Uruguay, you would find that Uruguay is 53.4% more expensive than Argentina overall. A ARS110,887,500 salary in Argentina would need to be roughly UYU4,160,808 in Uruguay to maintain the same lifestyle.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Argentina to Uruguay.

What does your salary buy?

ARS110,887,500 UYU4,160,808

To maintain the same standard of living in Uruguay

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 28.4% more

Groceries

pay 36.4% more

Transportation

pay 78.5% more

Housing

pay 70.7% more

Childcare

pay 2.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 50.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ARS = 0.0272 UYU (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Argentina to Uruguay, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
33,022 ↑ 19% vs 2015

people born in Argentina live in Uruguay · UN DESA

Who's moving to Uruguay?

Top countries of origin for Uruguay's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Argentina to Uruguay.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

AR
4.3
UY
11.2
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AR
8.8
UY
13.0

Argentina performs better than Uruguay across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AR
$3,089
UY
$3,135
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

AR
40.8
UY
46.3

Uruguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Argentina leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AR
29.0
UY
16.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AR
4.0t
UY
2.6t

Uruguay performs significantly better than Argentina across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AR
24.6
UY
33.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AR
10.5%
UY
9.8%

Uruguay performs significantly better than Argentina across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AR
6.2%
UY
8.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AR
$26,500
UY
$30,700

Uruguay generally does better on employment & economy, though Argentina leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AR
78.3 yrs
UY
78.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AR
9.3
UY
8.3

Argentina generally does better on family life, though Uruguay leads in life expectancy.

Data: Federal Administration of Public Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Buenos Aires Rain: 48.7 in/yr (1237 mm)
73° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Montevideo Rain: 43.3 in/yr (1101 mm)
71° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Buenos Aires Montevideo
Jan–Mar 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) 81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/52°F (19°/11°C) 65°/50°F (19°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 64°/48°F (17°/9°C) 61°/46°F (16°/8°C)
Oct–Dec 78°/61°F (26°/16°C) 75°/57°F (24°/14°C)
View all months
Month Buenos Aires Montevideo
Jan 86°/68°F (30.1°/20.1°C) 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C)
Feb 84°/67°F (28.7°/19.2°C) 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C)
Mar 80°/64°F (26.8°/17.7°C) 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C)
Apr 73°/57°F (22.9°/13.8°C) 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C)
May 67°/51°F (19.3°/10.7°C) 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C)
Jun 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.1°C) 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C)
Jul 60°/45°F (15.3°/7.4°C) 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C)
Aug 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.8°C) 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C)
Sep 67°/51°F (19.3°/10.3°C) 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C)
Oct 73°/56°F (22.7°/13.3°C) 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C)
Nov 78°/61°F (25.6°/15.9°C) 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C)
Dec 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.4°C) 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C)

Data: Servicio Meteorológico Nacional Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Argentina and Uruguay. To live, work, or study long-term in Uruguay, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Uruguay's immigration authority.

Argentina passport

Argentina passport holder visiting Uruguay

Visa Free
Argentina passport holders can enter Uruguay without a visa.
Uruguay passport

Uruguay passport holder visiting Argentina

Visa Free
Uruguay passport holders can enter Argentina without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Uruguay than Argentina?

No — Uruguay is on average about 38% more expensive than Argentina. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Uruguay?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly UYU1,040,202 in Uruguay on a ARS110,887,500 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Uruguay?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Uruguay has 33.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Uruguay safe for expats?

Argentina performs better than Uruguay across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Uruguay is 11.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.3 in Argentina.

How is healthcare in Uruguay compared to Argentina?

Uruguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Argentina leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 46.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Uruguay, compared to 40.8 in Argentina. Uruguay scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Argentina: 79).

What's the weather like in Uruguay compared to Argentina?

The average high temperature in Montevideo is 71°F, compared to 73°F in Buenos Aires. Montevideo receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while Buenos Aires gets 48.7 in.

What language do they speak in Uruguay?

The official language in Uruguay is Spanish. In Argentina, the official languages are Guaraní and Spanish.

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At a Glance

AR UY
Population 46,245,668 3,407,213
Currency Argentine Peso (ARS) Uruguayan Peso (UYU)
Languages Guaraní, Spanish Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +54 +598
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 911