Moving to Benin from Uruguay

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Uruguay to Benin — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Uruguay to Benin, and you’d need to navigate life in French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Cotonou averages 94°F vs 71°F in Montevideo, making it significantly warmer.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Uruguay and Benin stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

UY
11.2
BJ
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

UY
13.0
BJ
24.8

Uruguay generally does better on safety, though Benin leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

UY
$3,135
BJ
$138
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

UY
46.7
BJ
2.2

Benin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

UY
16.0
BJ
77.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

UY
2.6t
BJ
0.5t

Uruguay generally does better on environment, though Benin leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

UY
33.0
BJ
0.3
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

UY
12.1%
BJ
1.0%

Uruguay generally does better on infrastructure, though Benin leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

UY
7.5%
BJ
1.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

UY
$25,216
BJ
$1,658

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

UY
78.3 yrs
BJ
61.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

UY
6.2
BJ
45.2

Uruguay performs better than Benin across all family life metrics.

Weather in Benin vs Uruguay

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Cotonou Rain: 51.3 in/yr (1303 mm)
94° / 83°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Montevideo Cotonou
Jan–Mar 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 99°/85°F (37°/29°C)
Apr–Jun 65°/50°F (19°/10°C) 95°/84°F (35°/29°C)
Jul–Sep 61°/46°F (16°/8°C) 88°/80°F (31°/26°C)
Oct–Dec 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) 97°/82°F (36°/28°C)
View all months
Month Montevideo Cotonou
Jan 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C) 96°/84°F (35.6°/28.7°C)
Feb 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C) 101°/85°F (38.6°/29.5°C)
Mar 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C) 99°/85°F (37.0°/29.5°C)
Apr 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C) 100°/85°F (37.5°/29.6°C)
May 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C) 93°/84°F (34.0°/29.0°C)
Jun 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C) 92°/83°F (33.3°/28.5°C)
Jul 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C) 88°/80°F (31.0°/26.4°C)
Aug 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C) 87°/80°F (30.4°/26.4°C)
Sep 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C) 89°/80°F (31.6°/26.5°C)
Oct 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C) 102°/81°F (39.0°/27.2°C)
Nov 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C) 93°/83°F (33.9°/28.2°C)
Dec 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C) 95°/83°F (35.0°/28.4°C)

Data: Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia, Agence Nationale de la Meteorologie (METEO BENIN) Agence Nationale de la Meteorologie (METEO BENIN)

Can you move from Uruguay to Benin?

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

Uruguay passport

Uruguay passport holder visiting Benin

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Uruguay passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Benin.
Benin passport

Benin passport holder visiting Uruguay

Visa Required
Benin passport holders need a visa to enter Uruguay.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Benin?

With 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Benin can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Uruguay and Benin.

Is Benin safe for expats?

Uruguay generally does better on safety, though Benin leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Benin is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.2 in Uruguay.

How is healthcare in Benin compared to Uruguay?

Benin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Benin, compared to 46.7 in Uruguay. Benin scores 38 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Uruguay: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Cotonou is 94°F, compared to 71°F in Montevideo. Cotonou receives around 51.3 in of rainfall per year, while Montevideo gets 43.3 in.

What language do they speak in Benin?

The official language in Benin is French. In Uruguay, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

UY BJ
Population 3,384,688 14,814,460
Currency Uruguayan Peso (UYU) CFA Franc BCEAO (F CFA)
Languages Spanish French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +598 +229
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 —