Moving to United States from Uruguay

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Uruguay to United States — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Uruguay to United States, you would find that United States is 50.8% more expensive than Uruguay overall. A UYU3,017,364 salary in Uruguay would need to be roughly $101,324 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Uruguay to United States.

What does your salary buy?

UYU3,017,364 $101,324

To maintain the same standard of living in United States

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 14.8% more

Groceries

pay 43.4% more

Transportation

pay 12.5% less

Housing

pay 2.1 times more

Childcare

pay 2.8 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 39.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate:1 UYU = 0.0249 USD(June 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Uruguay to United States, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
860 ↑ 27% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to United States?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Uruguay to United States.

Is it safe?

Homicide rateUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

UY
11.2
US
6.4
Road traffic deathsUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

UY
13.0
US
14.2

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

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per personWorld Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

UY
$3,135
US
$13,473
Doctors per 10,000 peopleUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

UY
46.3
US
36.1

Uruguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deathsUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

UY
16.0
US
14.0
CO₂ emissions per capitaWorld Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

UY
2.6t
US
13.6t

Uruguay generally does better on environment, though United States leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 peopleUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

UY
33.2
US
37.8
Water stress levelUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

UY
9.8%
US
28.2%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateThe World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

UY
8.3%
US
3.6%
GDP per capitaThe World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

UY
$30,700
US
$73,600

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyThe World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

UY
78.4 yrs
US
80.6 yrs
Infant mortalityThe World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

UY
8.3
US
5.2

United States performs significantly better than Uruguay across all family life metrics.

Data: Dirección General Impositiva, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

WashingtonRain: 41.5 in/yr (1055 mm)
66°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsMontevideoWashington
Jan–Mar81°/63°F (27°/17°C)48°/28°F (9°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun65°/50°F (19°/10°C)75°/51°F (24°/11°C)
Jul–Sep61°/46°F (16°/8°C)85°/62°F (29°/17°C)
Oct–Dec75°/57°F (24°/14°C)57°/35°F (14°/2°C)
View all months
MonthMontevideoWashington
Jan83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C)42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C)
Feb82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C)46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C)
Mar78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C)56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C)
Apr72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C)67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C)
May65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C)75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C)
Jun59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C)84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C)
Jul59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C)88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C)
Aug61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C)87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C)
Sep64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C)79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C)
Oct69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C)68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C)
Nov75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C)58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C)
Dec80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C)46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C)

Data: Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Uruguay passport

Uruguay passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Uruguay passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Uruguay

Visa Free
United States 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 United States than Uruguay?

No — United States is on average about 35% more expensive than Uruguay. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to United States?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $25,331 in United States on a UYU3,017,364 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from United States?

Internet is rarely the blocker — United States has 37.8 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 United States safe for expats?

Uruguay generally does better on safety, though United States leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in United States is 6.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.2 in Uruguay.

How is healthcare in United States compared to Uruguay?

Uruguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 46.3 in Uruguay. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Uruguay: 82).

What's the weather like in United States compared to Uruguay?

The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 71°F in Montevideo. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Montevideo gets 43.3 in.

What language do they speak in United States?

The official language in United States is English. In Uruguay, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

UY US
Population3,407,213337,341,954
CurrencyUruguayan Peso (UYU)United States Dollar ($)
LanguagesSpanishEnglish
Driving sideRightRight
Calling code+598+1
Time zones111
Emergency number911911