Uruguayans, like most of their South American counterparts, are generally considered welcoming and hospitable people. They are also incredibly sporty and are bonkers for over football (soccer).

Uruguay boasts some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world, as you're soon about to witness.

The country is mostly flat, at least along the coast, with beaches stretching the length of the country for 700km total. During summer months in particular (December, January, February) it is common to be sat along the coast sipping the national drink, a South-American infused tea called mate alongside friends and a view.

Here's a video to get a sense of the atmosphere of the capital's coastline, as well as a few amateur phonographs:

The country has very little political polarisation. Differences between left and right, rich and poor are not very pronounced here. The whole country’s history is made up of immigration, plentiful food, solid gun laws, strong European vibes, meat & cowboy-culture 🤠 .

Locals are usually shocked to see a 'Westerner' want to come to their country other than for work reasons. Very rarely do I get questioned on anything else besides “why on earth did you want to come to Uruguay?”

Another positive is how cars ALWAYS give pedestrians right of way. Even in the big cities. No matter the rush, 99% of Uruguayans will wave you across and let you cross the road. It's so commonplace that many locals just cross the road at crossroads or junctions without often looking. Knowing full well cars will slow and find a route around them. Be mindful of this when driving here your first few months. It's unique but refreshing!

We will go into the history of Uruguay in a later section. However this 18min video from 1943 is almost as fitting today. That just goes to show how strong the Uruguayan culture has remained. "Nothing spectacular", "Nearly all of it's land is useful" still rings true:

It is more developed than you will expect on arrival. Almost Europe, replanted.

The Uruguayan government has invested strategically into energy for decades, with minimal corruption along the way. Having deployed $8bn into renewables since 2010, it is now looking to take a leap forward in hydrogen , given it's vast water reservoirs underneath it's flat terrain.

A few months ago Uruguay signed a MOU with the EU to export hydrogen and has potential to make further deals.

Microsoft for instance has chosen Uruguay as it's only other A.I and I.O.T lab, outside The States, China and Germany. Google has just announced a new data centre in Uruguay also.

For such a small country in terms of population, tech & energy business is booming here.

Resources in Uruguay are plentiful yet expensive in comparison to the region. The country is in the advantageous position of having abundant resources to export.

For the past 4 straight months in 2023, it has generated 100% renewable energy. In comparison, neighbours Argentina have only managed an admirable 55%.

Currently, prices for fuel, energy, food, consumables, vehicles and tech hardware are much more expensive than countries nearby. You will notice this in many of the graphs shared.

It is both my hope and half-expectation in future years, that prices won't need to rise so crazily like in the rest of the world given the fact commodities won't be in such short supply here.

Uruguayans have been flocking to Argentina still to stock-up on inventories due to being about 50-60% cheaper. 4% of the entire population made the trip across the border in one single holiday weekend for the arbitrage. That's a crazy stat.

This difference is apparently costing the Uruguayan economy around $1billion per year, although we will see if that will be sustained given recent developments across the river in neighbouring Argentina. You have got to imagine the gap will close somewhat.

Talking of energy, Argentina 🇦🇷 suffers from regular power outages or blackouts particularly during summer months. I gather there was a time when people in Montevideo suffered from them too, but that no longer seems to be the case. Uruguay has abundant energy security and in fact quite often exports what is not needed. Equally if there’s a deficit for a short time, energy is easily sourced from elsewhere.

It is extremely common for Uruguayans (and Argentinians) to cook dinner over wood or charcoal, on the parilla, or using older gas cookers indoors. Especially as mentioned on Sundays.

Many also use wood to warm their houses. In the colder months of May, June and July, walking through the city you get that cosy firewood smell because of this.

Of course it is a cultural thing to be celebrated but Uruguay is blessed with vast forests spanning the entire country. It has a massive timber industry. When driving outside the capital for example, you'll notice countless people selling firewood on the edge of the road.

Uruguay is one of the only countries in the region whose forests have actually expanded in recent decades. In the 1990s they occupied 660,000 hectares and now they’ve surpassed 850,000 hectares. 80% eucalyptus and 20% pine trees were planted to provide raw materials for the wood and pulp industries.

Look at me getting carried away with wood & timber! 🪵 Let's talk oil...

The overwhelming majority of people are still running gas & diesel cars, in spite of fuel being the most costly to run in all of South America.

From 2022 until 2023, the Uruguayan car fleet went from 2% to 3% being electric vehicles . Big progress.

There are decent electric chargers & infrastructure in the capital given how many electric vehicles exist currently. They plan to have 30% of city buses being electric in 2 years time (which is likely achievable).

The transport in general in the capital of Montevideo is pretty good. Buses are regular, quick and reasonable. With a free card linked to your ID it is around $1.20 for 1 hour or $1.50 for 2 hours, no matter the length of the trip on the route. Without the card, paid by cash, it is around 50% more expensive. Worth the trade-off for most.

The city doesn’t feel like a capital really, so very little congestion apart from 1 hour each in the morning and evening.

Electricity and energy as mentioned is much more expensive. Therefore unless you're a company the size of Microsoft and Google; Bitcoin mining on a small scale may not be so profitable here.

That didn't however stop Tether from announcing a facility here, in May 2023. I expect they got mates rates for their upcoming mining operation.

If you work for a mining company and have big boy pants, drop me a message as I'd love to ride shotgun and explore the region for suitable sites.

It's also worth mentioning Uruguay and India are exploring a collaboration around wind energy currently. If you haven't noticed already, the government is extremely active right now in finding commercial interest in its resources, from all over the globe.

As of 2022, here is how Uruguay ranks for energy mix. You’ll notice at the bottom of this chart just how much oil & gas is imported:

Back to the more important stuff - the daily life. What is Uruguay like to live in?

Supermarkets and pharmacies are pretty much run by a French monopoly in Uruguay. There’s lots of brands but all with the same/similar owners, which is perhaps why veggies and consumables are 2x-3x more expensive than neighbouring countries.

It is intriguing to see a pharmacy every 2 blocks in Montevideo. I can only imagine since they are so profitable to import or perhaps it is cultural (European-inspired).

Food in supermarkets as mentioned is decent quality and well-sourced, but I try to avoid lining their pockets by opting for the local markets or “ferias” and building relationships there.

Uruguayan food products tend to be well-labelled (in fact overly so). In 2020, it was apparently the case that 37% of corn-based products in the capital were GMO (genetically modified), which led to them introducing the mandatory labelling. If you see a circular 'T' label on packaging, it means it contains genetically modified organisms. 'T' standing for "transgenic":

I mentioned that earlier in the year a water issue arose in Montevideo. When that happened the 'exceso sodio' meme (right) went viral. This was at a time that authorities needed to send desalinated salt water from the sea into people's homes. These stickers are prevalent on most packaged food products, both in Uruguay and Argentina. Even during this so called "crisis" it was encouraging that people still retained their sense of humour without losing their heads.

In terms of buying online, Amazon does ship to Uruguay, but it is quite common for some packages to be held back by customs I am told. I have had success delivering to my destination, but for larger packages apparently it is 'safest' to arrange delivery via a local courier. Especially as couriers don't often guarantee the 'last mile' of delivery nor retain high standards. Glic, Tiendamia & BuyBox import goods from America, with DHL & UPS being decent options as international couriers.

If you are looking to setup a business in Uruguay, there's a huge opportunity. Especially if you are responsive and value your customers; you will soon find yourself at an advantage over other local firms. Honestly it is that simple.

In many industries, you can compete on speed, quality and service alone. Word will catch-on to both foreigners and local Uruguayans. The customer is not 'right' here.

If you're in sales, I have heard that Uruguayans value having someone ready to call. It could be the newest bit of home technology, vehicle, energy infrastructure or agricultural kit. It could have the very best reliability. However locals here will always want someone to call in 5-10 years time, should their kit encounter an issue. They are very resourceful and willing to 'make do' repairing rather than replacing with new parts. Something to be respected, given it can be difficult to source parts here (not least because of the 22% import tariffs).

Many accountants here are also used to creating companies to assist residencies, so don't be afraid to reach out if you need a recommendation.

There are plenty of types of business you can setup, each with different tax treatments and which are not costly at all to setup or administer. Here are 2 options I considered for some context:

To open a new business you will need: a Uruguayan ID, registration with gub.uy (the gov site) followed by with bps (a separate part of gub.uy). The main obstacles you will face will be confirming your identity, as not all systems talk to one another. And securing proof of address (or 'domicilio'), if you have recently arrived.

The country boasts not only a seaport and an extremely pleasant airport, but it also has a large number of free trade zones in which multinational companies working in Uruguay can operate without having to worry about income or import taxes.

Uruguay was the 1st country in the world to adopt the eight-hour workday apparently, early in the 20th century.

Exports are the main focus of Uruguay’s economy. Agricultural goods such as cattle, soybeans, or wood pulp are exported to be an important contributor to the nation’s economy, as mentioned. Construction and Civil Engineering are popular too, but it is the Tech & Services sector that has grown to become a huge market for Uruguay.

Many youngsters have been trained & educated well in engineering and so they’ve created a solid career path for engineers - both civil engineers and software engineers. They have diversified well in recent years.

Real salaries are at the highest level in 50 years. They are still significantly lower than Western standards with the minimum being ~$550pm and the average ~$950pm. Many in software and civil engineering careers earn much more than this, but it is good to see healthy rises discounting inflation.

In spite of offering higher wages, many Uruguayans do find it challenging to save, given the much higher costs of living compared to neighbouring countries (2-3x in many cases).

Laws do favour the employee somewhat. It is more expensive to hire here than other nearby countries also, given the costs of pensions, health & insurance described here.

Employers must contribute 12.6% to social security, and withholding 18-23% from the salary of the employee each month.

The labour market is very competitive given it is a small country and so companies tend to favour hiring Uruguayans over other immigrants. Something to be mindful of, even as a Westerner seeking employment.

Behind El Salvador, the country with the highest approval rating for politics and state of democracy is Uruguay. 59% satisfied, vs 64% in El Salvador and just 37% in Argentina.

Uruguay is a founding member of the United Nations, OAS, and Mercosur.

In 2020, Uruguay got its first center-right president after 15 years of left-wing rule. Next year, October/November 2024 there will be a new election.

Recently, in light of a 'passport scandal' the current President has had to reshuffle some staff with his own approval ratings taking a hit. His approval rating was 46% earlier this year, but the noise on this issue has quietened down in recent days.

Milei had proved a popular figure in Uruguay (like elsewhere in the world) prior to his Argentina victory this week. so it remains to be seen if some of his policies gain consideration here also. One thing is for sure, Uruguay doesn't need the dollar as much as Argentina does, so no one including myself are expecting any drastic political shifts.

The housing market as of August 2023 has been found to be "fundamentally strong, buoyed by robust demand and healthy economic growth".

In Q1 2023 alone, the average price of a house in Uruguay rose by 18.6%. In the capital Montevideo that was a bit more muted at 4.4%, but still driven by plenty of demand.

During 2020, nationwide house prices plummeted by 20%, as both demand & supply fall sharply.

The following year, transactions increased 25% in 2021 and 15% in 2022.

Montevideo accounted for the biggest share of about 34.2% of all property transactions in Jan-May 2023, followed by Maldonado (17.3%), Canelones (13.2%), Rocha (6.3%), and Colonia (5%).

If you are serious about buying, I would reach out to one of the big firms. There are some smaller firms that I have been told may try to take advantage of "gringos", but it is rare. For instance this is a popular firm that ranks well in Google for English search terms but I'm told is best avoided.

If in doubt, please feel free to reach out personally and I will let you know if anyone I know here has had a positive experience. Be it for buying, renting or any other services (e.g. healthcare).

If you find a listing you like, it has been strongly recommend to me that you should say you have an agent or representation here. Do not take one of their agents, since they will have one agent already on the selling side. If the company gathers you don't have an agent on the buyers side, you will pay BOTH agents 3-4% each!

Anyone can be an agent here in Uruguay, with very little work required. You may be able to find a friend that is willing to perform that role for you.

You should calculate that between estate agents fees, all expenses and taxes, transaction costs on a purchase will be around 8% of the purchase price of your property in Uruguay. 10% deposits are usually commonplace.

Acquiring a car is really expensive, regardless of whether you buy new, used or are importing. Just accept that you will pay much more than in the U.S. or Europe regardless of your approach.

I've been told to be careful of used car dealers in particular here. It is a challenge to source used car parts here and so the preference is to purchase new, given there is a guarantee if anything happens to your vehicle. As mentioned previously, Uruguayans value having someone to phone and fix their problems.

New car dealerships rarely budge on price, and won't negotiate against other dealerships. The Uruguayan way is that they don't need your business. I can't tell you this from personal experience but I'm told your best bet is to try and get some free 'extras' like car mats or fuel thrown-in.

Importing cars can also be extremely costly also. All cars, both new and used attract a 23% import tariff. For trucks it is 7-8% and for parts 22%. Uruguayan citizens can only import 1 used car every 3 three years apparently.

Once you secure your residency you have a relatively short window of time to start the process to import your vehicle(s) and belongings without incurring any import taxes. You get one shot at this I'm told. Plus the vehicle [cannot be sold for 4 years it seems](Uruguayan citizens can only import 1 used car every 3 three years however.).

For renting cars, I thoroughly recommend going with the small family business called Mariño Sport. They have a facility in Montevideo and in Punta Del Este. This is a company too than can provide an airport drop-off and pick-up service. I'm told they will meet you at the airport, free of charge within business hours. Marino also have no hidden extras that some of the larger car providers will impose. Prices are extremely reasonable and if you find a company cheaper, just note it is likely for a reason. The reviews for some of the other larger providers are littered with people complaining about reported damage that was not of their doing or of being charged for actually putting miles on the car. I've personally used Marino half a dozen times with zero issues. Much recommended.

Uruguay receives immigration from neighbouring countries in LATAM like Argentina and Brazil due to more favourable tax policies.

Indians have arrived due to software consultancies.

North Americans and Europeans are also choosing to retire in Uruguay. I have definitely connected with more libertarian minded people moving from the West, which is a huge plus. People I’ve enjoyed connecting with.

In recent years, the country saw plenty of interest from both Russians and Ukrainians coming here. This led to some political drama with a few dozen Russians obtaining fast-tracked and false passports to find their way into the country fast.

In prior years also, they experienced an uptick of Cubans, Venezuelans (and as mentioned Indians) coming from abroad to work. There is a recognition and some grievances that they make the job market more challenging for locals. I have only heard of a few instances of people not feeling accepted by a very select few Uruguayans on one-off occasions. I know in many parts of the world however, this is becoming very much the norm.

It's interesting to note that Uruguay is not such a religious country. Whilst Catholic is most common, over 55% stated in 2020 that they had no-religious affiliation.

Despite that, Uruguay still has one of the biggest Jewish communities in the world. I have lived nearby to a few synagogues, churches and religious buildings and they are all very well integrated into society. With the constitution providing freedom of choice over religion.

Overall, there is close to zero animosity to any group here. Uruguayans know how to mix, which is a major selling point with the divided state of the world as it is right now.

Life expectancy has consistently been on the rise, 81 for females and 73 for males. 99% of the population is urban, vs 79% back in 1950.

Uruguay doesn't have a large aging population currently and so looks better than most Western countries. It doesn't have Indian or even Nigerian base (right) but it's a respectable shape (far left) nonetheless:

If this write-up is of interest, you're likely to spend your first few days in the city of Montevideo...

When staying in the capital city, I would thoroughly recommend you focus your property or hotel search in one of 3 barrios initially. Punta Carretas, Pocitos or Buceo. There are others that have their charm and are extremely liveable, but having experimented a bit during the past year these 'barrios' offer everything you need within walking distance - shopping, beach, cafes & nightlife.

You will also feel extremely safe in these areas at any hour, perhaps more so than if you were in any other European city. Montevideo is scattered with intricate historical architecture, amongst modern apartment blocks and single-floor housing. There are surprises around every corner.

Montevideo is a great initial base to get connected and it never quite feels like being in a capital. Just 1.7million people live within the city area. That's around 50% of the entire population of Uruguay but a fraction of many geographically smaller cities in LATAM. My favourite underrated restaurant in the city is Carbonada, it really is top notch. I won't bore you with cafes and 'watering holes'.

Expo Prado is a must-visit in September, showcasing the best of Uruguayan agriculture inside the capital. As is Carnival week in January, where I recommend you watch the main event(s) on Friday or Saturday from Bar Sumo, Montevideo in a typical bar location.

Here are a few select snaps of the extremely varied architecture from Caza Casas on Twitter.

A common mistake I have witnessed people make is to reserve an extended stay in the 'old town' of Montevideo called Ciudad Vieja. It has plenty of photographic monuments and buildings to discover during a day or two, but at night-time you may feel a little more limited and less secure to walk around. If you stay there for more than a few days it may affect your first impressions of the capital & country, given it's proximity to the port and some poorer neighbourhoods.

For instance on Saturday evenings the main market in Ciudad Vieja called 'Mercado del Puerto', features all the traditional restaurants. But come 6pm on a Saturday night of all times, it closes. This was after 10 years ago a number of tourists experienced issues after sundown. I gather the surrounding area is to be renovated in the coming years, but for now its a place to only keep on the lunchtime menu.

Punta Del Este is Uruguay's premier beach resort and therefore is a very popular destination offering properties that are significantly pricier than most other parts of the country. It is an area that has attracted A LOT of Argentinian capital over the years. A lot of wealth.

The Mansa Side of Punta has calmer waters and is where most people live all year round. The houses are less prone to water damage over there apparently.

The Peninsula is where many older buildings are and where everything is in walking distance. Property there is extremely pricey, since it is where you'll find the Yacht club. It is also where the fishing boats and cruise ships dock, and so tourists flock there during high season.

A few blocks north of the Yacht club in this area you will also find the only Bitcoin ATM in the country. It is often not working, but you can get in touch with the owner who is a genuine guy, in order to acquire literally OTC:

On the Brava side of Punta Del Este, there is plenty of housing available because it's further out and a little further walking distance from amenities. It is much quieter, with empty buildings outside of summer months.

Maldonado is practically part of Punta Del Este and is a more affordable city than Punta Del Este. It is actually the second largest city of Uruguay. A great connected place to base yourself.

If you're seeking something more quiet you also have a number of small coastal towns called La Barra, Punta Ballena and Piriápolis. If you come with capital you are spoilt for choice in terms of finding beach-town property.

The towns of Minas, San Carlos & Pueblo Eden are a little tucked in from the coast. And are great options for a healthy balance between amenities and rural life. Moving north of these spots and going further in-land, Uruguay is extremely sparsely populated. Practically all farmland and forest.

People I have met have said very positive things about Rocha. I plan to spend much more time in this region in the next year. The coastal towns in Rocha number less than a dozen. They are small places surrounded by nature with full-time populations that range from 90 to 3,500 people.

Towns like Garzon, La Paloma, La Pedrera, Punta Del Diablo, Chuy and Rocha (itself a town within the region). In this part of the country you will again find some good farms, fincas or campos but for a better price.

Even though Rocha is growing in popularity, you still find reasonably priced properties in La Paloma. This article from 2019 may be a few years old but will give you a glimpse into property and the upsides of living in the Rocha region.

For an additional taster of what it is like to travel to the East of Uruguay, have a read of this travel blog. I've plagiarised some stunning photography from it for this post.

Further East in Rocha you have the national park of Cabo Polonio, which is extremely inaccessible and untouched. There you can only arrive by 4x4 and all the houses have no electricity. It is popular for tiktok detoxes, hippie expeditions but also for normals too. I'm told it is an unforgettable experience being there and stargazing at night, both for locals and tourists alike. Just this week there was a video posted on a rather 'unique' housing development up the road from the Cabo Polonio attraction. I recommend a watch simply to get a glimpse into the variety of developments available in Uruguay.