Moving to Uruguay from Portugal
What to Expect
Considering a move from Portugal to Uruguay? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Portugal to Uruguay, you would find that Uruguay is 0.9% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly UYU2,990,000 in Uruguay to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Portugal and Uruguay.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → UYU2,990,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Uruguay
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 22.9% more
Groceries
pay 22.0% more
Transportation
pay 4.2% more
Housing
pay 26.8% less
Childcare
pay 14.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 37.3% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Uruguay cost about 5% less than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Portugal to Uruguay.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Uruguay compared to Portugal.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
share of households with internet
Portugal 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
share of people below the poverty line
Portugal 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Uruguay leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), Dirección General Impositiva (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 65°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 61°/46°F (16°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Montevideo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.
Portugal passport holder visiting Uruguay
Visa Free
Uruguay passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Portugal?
Uruguay and Portugal are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Uruguay?
Budget about UYU747,500 for 3 months in Uruguay (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Uruguay?
Connectivity is usually fine (Uruguay: 33.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Uruguay offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Uruguay safe for expats?
Portugal performs better than Uruguay across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Uruguay is 11.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Uruguay compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 46.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Uruguay, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Uruguay scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Uruguay compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Montevideo is 71°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Montevideo receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Uruguay?
The official language in Uruguay is Spanish. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
