Moving to Uruguay from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Uruguay — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Uruguay, you would find that Uruguay is 11.8% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,904,791 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly UYU3,147,898 in Uruguay to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Costa Rica to Uruguay.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,904,791 → UYU3,147,898
To maintain the same standard of living in Uruguay
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 27.4% more
Groceries
pay 4.8% more
Transportation
pay 15.0% more
Housing
pay 5.4% more
Childcare
pay 9.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.4% more
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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Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Uruguay stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Uruguay performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Costa Rica performs better than Uruguay across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Uruguay generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Uruguay leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Costa Rica generally does better on family life, though Uruguay leads in infant mortality.
Data: Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 65°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 61°/46°F (16°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica 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.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Uruguay
Visa Free
Uruguay passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa FreeData: 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 Costa Rica?
Day-to-day costs in Uruguay run about 5% higher than Costa Rica on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Uruguay?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC33,904,791 comparable salary, that's around UYU786,974 in Uruguay for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Uruguay?
With 33.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Uruguay can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Costa Rica and Uruguay.
Is Uruguay safe for expats?
Uruguay performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Uruguay is 11.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Uruguay compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 46.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Uruguay, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Uruguay scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Uruguay compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Montevideo is 71°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Montevideo receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Uruguay?
Both Costa Rica and Uruguay share the same official language: Spanish.
