Moving to New Zealand from Uruguay
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Uruguay to New Zealand — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Uruguay to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 14.0% more expensive than Uruguay overall. A UYU3,000,000 salary in Uruguay would need to be roughly NZ$153,000 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is New Zealand cheaper than Uruguay?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 17.1% less
Groceries
pay 2.1% more
Transportation
pay 0.9% more
Housing
pay 44.4% more
Childcare
pay 79.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.0% 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.
What salary do you need in New Zealand?
What does your salary buy?
UYU3,000,000 → NZ$153,000
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
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 New Zealand cost about 1% more than cities in Uruguay.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to New Zealand
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Uruguay to New Zealand, based on official data.
people moved from Uruguay to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Uruguay to New Zealand.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
New Zealand performs significantly 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
New Zealand 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
Uruguay generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in air pollution deaths.
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
New Zealand performs significantly 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs significantly better than Uruguay across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Dirección General Impositiva (2016), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in New Zealand vs Uruguay
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Montevideo | Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 61°/46°F (16°/8°C) | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montevideo | Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C) | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) |
| Feb | 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C) | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C) | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) |
| Apr | 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) |
| May | 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C) | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C) | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) |
| Jul | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C) | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) |
| Aug | 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C) | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C) | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) |
| Oct | 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C) | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C) | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C) | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) |
Data:
Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Can you move from Uruguay to New Zealand?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Uruguay and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Uruguay passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand passport holder visiting Uruguay
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 New Zealand than Uruguay?
No — New Zealand is on average about 14% more expensive than Uruguay. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly NZ$38,250 in New Zealand on a UYU3,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
Internet is rarely the blocker — New Zealand has 38.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
New Zealand performs significantly better than Uruguay across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.2 in Uruguay.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Uruguay?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 46.7 in Uruguay. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Uruguay: 82).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Uruguay?
The average high temperature in Auckland is 66°F, compared to 71°F in Montevideo. Auckland receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while Montevideo gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Uruguay, the official language is Spanish.
