Moving to Latvia from Uruguay

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Uruguay to Latvia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Uruguay to Latvia, you would find that Latvia is 24.3% cheaper than Uruguay overall. A UYU3,000,000 salary in Uruguay would need to be roughly €50,100 in Latvia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Latvian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riga averages 50°F vs 71°F in Montevideo, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Latvia cheaper than Uruguay?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 29.3% less

Groceries

pay 26.2% less

Transportation

pay 16.6% less

Housing

pay 34.4% less

Childcare

pay 41.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 UYU = 0.0221 EUR (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Latvia?

What does your salary buy?

UYU3,000,000 → €50,100

To maintain the same standard of living in Latvia

Calculate with your salary →

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 Latvia cost about 20% less than cities in Uruguay.

Latvia

Riga ★ 43%
Liepaja 40%
Jelgava 33%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Uruguay to Latvia.

Moved in 2021
1

people moved from Uruguay to Latvia · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Latvia?

Top countries of origin for Latvia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Latvia compared to Uruguay.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

UY
11.2
LV
2.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

UY
13.0
LV
9.8

Latvia performs significantly better than Uruguay across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

UY
$3,135
LV
$3,034
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

UY
46.7
LV
34.0

Latvia 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
LV
40.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

UY
2.6t
LV
3.6t

Uruguay performs better than Latvia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

UY
33.0
LV
25.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

UY
12.1%
LV
1.0%

Uruguay generally does better on infrastructure, though Latvia 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%
LV
6.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

UY
$25,216
LV
$26,312

Latvia generally does better on employment & economy, though Uruguay leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

UY
78.3 yrs
LV
76.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

UY
6.2
LV
2.2

Uruguay generally does better on family life, though Latvia leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Dirección General Impositiva (2016), State Revenue Service, Latvia (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Weather in Latvia vs Uruguay

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Riga Rain: 24.9 in/yr (633 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Montevideo Riga
Jan–Mar 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun 65°/50°F (19°/10°C) 60°/42°F (15°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 61°/46°F (16°/8°C) 67°/51°F (20°/11°C)
Oct–Dec 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) 41°/31°F (5°/0°C)
View all months
Month Montevideo Riga
Jan 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C) 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C)
Feb 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C) 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C)
Mar 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C) 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C)
Apr 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C) 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C)
May 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C) 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C)
Jun 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C) 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C)
Jul 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C) 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C)
Aug 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C) 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C)
Sep 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C) 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C)
Oct 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C) 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C)
Nov 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C) 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C)
Dec 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C) 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C)

Data: Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia, Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre

Can you move from Uruguay to Latvia?

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

Uruguay passport

Uruguay passport holder visiting Latvia

Visa Free
Uruguay passport holders can enter Latvia without a visa.
Latvia passport

Latvia passport holder visiting Uruguay

Visa Free
Latvia passport holders can enter Uruguay without a visa.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Latvia than Uruguay?

On average Latvia is about 24% less expensive than Uruguay, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Latvia?

Budget about €12,525 for 3 months in Latvia (based on a UYU3,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Latvia?

Connectivity is usually fine (Latvia: 25.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Latvia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Latvia safe for expats?

Latvia performs significantly better than Uruguay across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Latvia is 2.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.2 in Uruguay.

How is healthcare in Latvia compared to Uruguay?

Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 34.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Latvia, compared to 46.7 in Uruguay. Latvia scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Uruguay: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Riga is 50°F, compared to 71°F in Montevideo. Riga receives around 24.9 in of rainfall per year, while Montevideo gets 43.3 in.

What language do they speak in Latvia?

The official language in Latvia is Latvian. In Uruguay, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

UY LV
Population 3,384,688 1,847,785
Currency Uruguayan Peso (UYU) Euro (€)
Languages Spanish Latvian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +598 +371
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 112