Uruguay. Tell me about Uruguay!

[HadEnuff]

On another thread someone mentioned they live in Uruguay....a place I'd never considered visiting.

If you've been to Uruguay, tell us about it.

Gracias!

 

[Souschef]

Uruguay

The link is to the CIA fact book. We only spent a day there, so I cannot say anything about living there



https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uy.html

 

[jcfradio]

I will be interested in this thread as well. We are going there in a few weeks.

 

[brett]

We spent six days there two years ago. Flew into Montevideo from Santiago. Aspent a few nights in Montevideo, then rented a car and drove out to Punta d’lest for a few nights. Returned the car in Montevieo. Bused to zcplonis for an overnight stay, then ferry to BA.

We enjoyed the country-what we saw of it. Very safe, people frindly. If you fave a foreign credit card the VAT is subtracted from your restaurant bill. So never use cash. About 18 percent rebate.

 

[kcowan]

We considered it as a snowbird place in 2003 because
1. The beaches north of Punte del Este were beautiful and inexpensive then
2. The country has a good reputation
3. A Spanish-speaking nation
4. Weather is good with only August foggy and cool

We finally decided that it was too remote from friends and family. We picked Mexico as it met 3 of 4 and was cheaper to fly to plus many of our friends were already going there.

 

[JakeinChina]

I've heard so many good things about Uruguay and the people, but it seems so far away from the U.S. if you wanted to make a couple of trips back a year. I think the only direct flight from Montivideo to U.S. is to Miami.

 

[Retired Expat]

I retired to Uruguay in 2013

Hi all,

So what do you want to know about it? Is it Paradise? Well no but I rather like it and couldn’t be happier!

So ask your questions...

 

[Retired Expat]

True the only direct Flight to US is to Miami but then you need to change there to get anywhere else. You can also go to Buenos Aires across the river and fly direct to New York or Dallas. But either direction is a night flight so really not bad at all. Airport in Montevideo is a dream!

 

[HadEnuff]

Hi all,

So what do you want to know about it? Is it Paradise? Well no but I rather like it and couldn’t be happier!

So ask your questions...

How is it as a beach destination for two weeks? Are the beaches nice? Is the non-tourist environment friendly? Safe?

How's the food?

What is the most comfortable time of the year, weather-wise?

 

[Retired Expat]

We considered it as a snowbird place in 2003 because
1. The beaches north of Punte del Este were beautiful and inexpensive then
2. The country has a good reputation
3. A Spanish-speaking nation
4. Weather is good with only August foggy and cool

We finally decided that it was too remote from friends and family. We picked Mexico as it met 3 of 4 and was cheaper to fly to plus many of our friends were already going there.

Hi,

Actually in South America Uruguay has a great Reputation. Government is stable, banks are stable, exchange rate is stable or adjusts to the dollar pretty much as inflation moves so your purchasing power if in dollars is stable. Corruption is low, violent crime is low, you can drink the tap water, illiteracy is low but most only speak Spanish.

Owning property is easy and prices are reasonable but that doesn’t mean cheap. Great meat but veggies while always available are limited in variety. Some big very well stocked supermarkets with lots of imported items.

Great and plentiful medical care at reasonable rates. All the drugs I took in the US are over the counter here and with no drug insurance are the same or less than I paid in copay in the US with the worlds most expensive insurance

 

[Retired Expat]

How is it as a beach destination for two weeks? Are the beaches nice? Is the non-tourist environment friendly? Safe?

How's the food?

What is the most comfortable time of the year, weather-wise?

Beaches are very nice. This is where the Brazilians and Argentinians and lots of Europeans come. They are not the like in the Carribean with bathtub warm turquoise water but there are miles and miles of them and not crowded at all.

Summer season is January and February and the beach resorts get a bit nuts at least compared to the utter tranquility of the other months. I prefer late February early March or December myself

Tourist and non tourist areas are all fine and while there is crime it is not like in other places and I feel very safe here.

Food is healthy, meat is amazing and a great value but Uruguayans are not adventurous food wise. If you want ethnic foods or spicy food this isn’t the place unles you come to my house. So the food is great if just a bit boring. Restaurants are no Bargain however.

Personally I find it much better to live here than to visit.

 

[HadEnuff]

Beaches are very nice. This is where the Brazilians and Argentinians and lots of Europeans come. They are not the like in the Carribean with bathtub warm turquoise water but there are miles and miles of them and not crowded at all.

Summer season is January and February and the beach resorts get a bit nuts at least compared to the utter tranquility of the other months. I prefer late February early March or December myself

Tourist and non tourist areas are all fine and while there is crime it is not like in other places and I feel very safe here.

Food is healthy, meat is amazing and a great value but Uruguayans are not adventurous food wise. If you want ethnic foods or spicy food this isn’t the place unles you come to my house. So the food is great if just a bit boring. Restaurants are no Bargain however.

Personally I find it much better to live here than to visit.

It sounds like you have found a wonderful place to live.
Yes I like spicy... What time, and what should I bring?

 

[JakeinChina]

How is the expat community in Montivideo, particularly the English speaking expats? Is there a good group of them and is it easy to meet new people if you aren't Spanish speaking?

 

[Retired Expat]

How is the expat community in Montivideo, particularly the English speaking expats? Is there a good group of them and is it easy to meet new people if you aren't Spanish speaking?

I know there are regular Expat meetings in Montevideo. I just have never been since I don’t live there but probably more so in that I don’t feel the need.

But I would urge anyone wanting to live here to learn the language. In truth I am not fully there yet and kind of gave up studying Spanish but have to get back to it. It is like exercise, not always fun but always important and beneficial...

 

[Helios]

I just spent a day in montevideo on a tour. Guide was proud that uruguay only had 8% inflation now. Argentina was 51%!! I guess its all relative. I perked up when I heard you could buy a cd in Buenos Airies that paid 45% apy, until I heard the 51% comment.

 

[Retired Expat]

Numbers are deceiving... especially down here. In Argentina under the last government they reported inflation was 9% but it was more like 30% but they fixed the exchange rates to hide the fact but the black market rate for dollars told a different story. Now the opposition (the former government) is screaming about 50% inflation while in truth it is more like 32%. Partly because they are still in the process of bringing costs in line with reality by doing away with ridiculous govt subsidies that kept prices down but stifled all investment. My electric bill used to be $12 a month and gas $3 but brown outs and black outs and gas leaks and explosions. So gas has gone up about 600%. So now it costs $20 for gas for hot waster and cooking. Not unreasonable...

Uruguay being such a small country must import lots of products since it isn’t economically viable to produce them here for such a small population. Argentina is a major trading partner so price changes there effect the economy here in a big way. So it is not that Uruguay has such high inflation but that it has managed to keep inflation down considering what is going on in Argentina, which is kind of a disaster...

As a visitor or Expat living here, who is converting dollars to pesos, the prices are relatively stable since you just get more pesos for your dollars.

Still it complicates life and planning and it would be great if Argentina could get their “s**t” together.