Uruguay, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Many Americans (and Europeans) come to Uruguay with expectations of cheap real estate, easy residency, nice climate, inexpensive living, friendly English speaking people, private and protected banking and so on.  The good news is that the people are friendly and many speak English.

Expectations are dangerous things.  Most of the expats we have talked to have really tried to do their homework before coming all the way to Uruguay (this includes us).  Many of these people are frustrated, disgusted and are ready to relocate elsewhere.  Unfortunately, the information available about retiring or living in Uruguay comes from people that wish to sell you their services or products.

We were attracted to Uruguay for many of these same reasons.  A cosmopolitan yet inexpensive lifestyle with no visa worries sounded like a wonderful place to spend the months from November through April.  So we came here to see and this is what we have found.

·         Apartment rentals can be very expensive during the Uruguayan high season which runs December through March.  In addition, availability is severely reduced by January.  Run down forty square meter apartments in Montevideo or Colonia run between $1,100 and $1,500 per month before the cost of utilities.  Punta del Este or Piriapolous will cost significantly more.

·         You can reduce your rental cost by executing a longer term lease but expect to be asked for a deposit equal to five or six months rental.  You can reduce this deposit amount by paying the entire cost of the lease up front. 

·         There will be an immobliario (rental agent) involved and you will pay them a commission equal to 10% of the lease or one month’s rental whichever is less.

·         It is best if you can find qualified assistance for the residency process although we understand it can be done by yourself.  We have listened to story after story about law firms here in Uruguay taking thousands of dollars from people for results that are never achieved.  The process, done right, by honest people who know what they’re doing is quick, painless and inexpensive although we have been informed that the process has changed significantly with the recent change in government.

·         Bringing hard goods, vehicles, furniture or appliances into Uruguay before obtaining residency (possibly after as well) can be problematic and very expensive.  Our friends were told it would cost $300 in fees (not counting transport or insurance) to bring their vehicle into Uruguay.  One month after their vehicle arrived in port and $3,000 later they have sprung their vehicle from the customs authorities.

·         Prices for food are similar to that in the United States but more than in southern Europe.  Beer and wine costs more; a liter of the local beer costs $3 plus a $.60 bottle deposit in the grocery store as compared to $1 in Spain.

·         Restaurants are not cheap.  Beef prices appear cheaper than in the US but it can be deceptive.  Uruguayans do not age their beef similarly and the cuts are very different so it is difficult to compare.  An average meal “menu del dia” for two will cost $25 to $40 (compared to $12 to $15 in southern Spain).  If you both have a steak and share a bottle of wine you will pay $65 to $80 or more.

·         The cost of consumer goods; clothing, appliances, furniture, etc. is very high and quality is very, very low.  This is due partly to the fact that there is very little or no manufacturing in Uruguay and these items must be imported.

·         We’ve been here for December through February and the climate has been simply divine.  Daytime highs in Montevideo generally don’t exceed 27 or 28 degrees Celsius and gentle breezes blow most days.  There are occasional hot and humid days without breezes but for the most part, summer here feels like spring to us.  Because of this we expect that the winters might be fairly cold although probably mitigated by the river and the ocean.

·         There is a lively and friendly expat community in Montevideo.  There are several different groups that typically meet in the evenings or on weekends so you can get plugged in fairly quickly.

·         The buses run constantly during the day and getting around the city is relatively cheap and easy once you figure out the routes.  The bus station, Tres Cruces, is the primary place to catch buses traveling to other cities.

·         Service is an interesting thing in Uruguay.  Wait staff do exactly that; they wait until summoned.  There is also the amusing overemployment issue where there is one person for each job and that is all they do.  Nowhere is this more apparent than in a fast food joint.  The cashier takes your order and makes change.  Another person looks at the ticket and gets your sandwich.  Yet another person obtains your french fries while yet another makes your drink.  While this may not sound so bad be advised that no action is taken on any ticket until the previous ticket has been fulfilled.

There’s much more of course.  We chose to live in Ciudad Vieja which is the old part of Montevideo and very near the port.  The streets are noisy nearly all night but the shops and other businesses close up and pull down their steel shutters by 8 pm on weekdays and earlier on the weekends.  This has the effect of making Ciudad Vieja appear to be a deserted ghetto which it is most definitely not.  We have had several people tell us (but not by anybody who has lived here for any length of time) that Ciudad Vieja is a dangerous place to live.  You wouldn’t want to be walking around alone at 3 o’clock in the morning but that would be true about most other parts of the city and in fact, most other cities.

The language is definitely different.  We are intermediate Spanish speakers and learned our Spanish in Andalucia.  Being relatively new to the language it has taken us some time to adapt to the idioma here in Uruguay.  They have trouble with our soft” c’s” and “z’s” and we struggle to hear a “y” or “ll” pronounced “sh”.  The formal “usted, ustedes” verb forms are utilized (not common in Spain) and word usage varies dramatically as well. 

Interestingly for us, many Uruguayans will answer or speak to us in English when we speak Spanish to them.  At first we thought that our Spanish was so difficult to understand that people were encouraging us to switch the conversation to English.  Later we find that this is normal and is a way for them to practice their English while we practice our Spanish although we have been told that Castellano spoken with a strong American accent is indeed difficult for most Uruguayans.  Apparently nobody needs to practice listening in their second language.

Living in the cities of Uruguay is neither cheap nor expensive.  The people are friendly and the climate benign if not absolutely divine during the summer months.  You can choose to live in a good sized city, an expensive tourist resort area, a small town or a tiny rural village.  Public transportation is good and reliable.  There are ways to avoid both problems and significant expenses once you know your way around and have connected to a few quality people.

Our advice:  Visit Uruguay once or twice before considering a commitment to living here.  Perhaps a visit in the summer and another during the winter months and stay at least a month each time.  Make connections with other expats and explore different parts of Montevideo and different parts of Uruguay.  Once you are comfortable that this is where you want to be then make a well planned, properly assisted move and avoid the costs and headaches others have experienced.  Most of all do this with your eyes wide open.