Moving to Uruguay from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Uruguay — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to Uruguay, you would find that Uruguay is 39.9% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥11,948,175 salary in Japan would need to be roughly UYU3,967,054 in Uruguay to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to Uruguay.
What does your salary buy?
¥11,948,175 → UYU3,967,054
To maintain the same standard of living in Uruguay
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.2 times more
Groceries
pay 6.0% more
Transportation
pay 23.6% more
Housing
pay 17.2% more
Childcare
pay 13.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.8% 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 Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on infrastructure, though Uruguay 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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on family life, though Uruguay leads in education spending.
Data: National Tax Agency Japan, 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 | Tokyo | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 65°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 61°/46°F (16°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Uruguay
Visa Free
Uruguay passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
Day-to-day costs in Uruguay run about 32% higher than Japan 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 ¥11,948,175 comparable salary, that's around UYU991,764 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 Japan and Uruguay.
Is Uruguay safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Uruguay across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Uruguay is 11.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in Uruguay compared to Japan?
Japan 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 26.1 in Japan. Uruguay scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Uruguay compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Montevideo is 71°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Montevideo receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Uruguay?
The official language in Uruguay is Spanish. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
