South America · Montevideo
Cost of living in Uruguay
Uruguay is 33% cheaper than the US, ranking #47 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In Uruguay, food & groceries is the priciest category relative to the world (139), while communication is the most affordable (72).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $66,500 in Uruguay.
Quality of life
84/100 · #78 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About Uruguay
The Spanish founded the city of Montevideo in modern-day Uruguay in 1726 as a military stronghold, and it soon became an important commercial center due to its natural harbor. Argentina initially claimed Uruguay, but Brazil annexed the country in 1821. Uruguay declared its independence in 1825 and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition.
Read the full background
A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros (or Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros) launched in the late 1960s and pushed Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By year-end, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was restored in 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio (FA) Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control by the Colorado and National (Blanco) parties. The left-of-center coalition retained the presidency and control of both chambers of congress until 2019. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the South American continent.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is Uruguay expensive to live in?
Uruguay is 33% cheaper than the US, ranking #47 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is food & groceries; communication costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in Uruguay?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $66,500 in Uruguay, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is Uruguay cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 66.6, against 100 for the United States.
What is the quality of life in Uruguay?
Uruguay scores 84 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#78 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 78 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
Explore more: compare countries · full ranking · South America