Moving to Uruguay from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Uruguay — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Uruguay, you would find that Uruguay is 31.8% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,222,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly UYU1,562,787 in Uruguay to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Montevideo averages 71°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Uruguay.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,222,000 → UYU1,562,787
To maintain the same standard of living in Uruguay
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 38.6% less
Groceries
pay 33.7% less
Transportation
pay 26.1% less
Housing
pay 34.1% less
Childcare
pay 13.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 45.3% less
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 Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Uruguay 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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland generally does better on environment, though Uruguay leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Iceland performs better than Uruguay across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Uruguay leads in top income tax rate.
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
Iceland performs better than Uruguay across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 | Reykjavik | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 65°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 61°/46°F (16°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Uruguay
Visa Free
Uruguay passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
Generally yes: Uruguay runs about 48% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 ISK9,222,000 comparable salary, that's around UYU390,697 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 Iceland and Uruguay.
Is Uruguay safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Uruguay across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Uruguay is 11.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Uruguay compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 46.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Uruguay, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Uruguay scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Uruguay compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Montevideo is 71°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Montevideo receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Uruguay?
The official language in Uruguay is Spanish. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
