'Please help us! Info on moving to beautiful Uruguay!' Expat

• EXPAT LUNCH: Sunday, May 27, 2012
  Not a week missed in 6-1/2 years!
• Now in Asuncion, Paraguay too!
• EXPAT DINNER: Thursday, May 24, 2012

Please help us! Info on moving to beautiful Uruguay!

I don't know MVD at all well but as a general comment, most ROU dwellings seem on the small side to me. There are heavy construction labour taxes levied on a per square meter basis which might partly explain why the average dwelling size is quite small.

Beef and futbol are Uruguay's state religions.

A neighbour of mine does occasional beef exports to Venezuela and Colombia but seems to hit all manner of bureaucratic problems at both ends. Most of our beef cattle are Herefords and Angus but you do see the occasional Brahma. The ROU is not the easiest place to start nor run a business (unless its agricultural) so be warned.

I live on a small farm about 120kms west of MVD near the "garden city" of Colonia Valdense (pop 4000) so my experiences are very different to MVD. We've settled in well, enjoy hobby farming, have planted 1000+ trees so far, we've been adopted by a couple of local families as honorary grandparents, I do volunteer stints of English conversation sessions (not lessons) when the local schools fall short of teachers, I co-sponsor Team Ingold in the Formula 2000 saloon dirt track races (winners 4 years in a row :) I enjoy the beach when its not too crowded and the pool when it is... in short, I've never before been so contented in this life.

During the 1980s, passers-by in rural Ireland stopped waving to people they saw... here its still done :-)

Any others out there, would love to hear more!

I think you will find that many ONE bedroom apartments are in the 40 to 60 meter size. However, there are plenty of TWO bedroom, THREE bedroom as well as TWO bedroom plus service and THREE bedroom plus service places that go up from that in size. "plus service" means it has a small 'bedroom' (and often bathroom) that was originally a maids quarters.

The advertised size also does not include the balcony. I saw one place that was 40 meters with a 60 meter balcony (too bad the weather isn't nice enough to use that year round).

I"m not quite sure what you mean by "demands"?

Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay

If you are staying long term you will want to make serious inquiry into the method of heating. It can range from absolutely none to floor heat, either electric or central. The central floor heat is the best you can ask for.

I think the electric heat (floor or otherwise) can be very expensive. Those you may be told that is it not very expensive. I think both view points may be correct... if you heat your place like is common in Uruguay (ie: no heat, or very little occasionally) then electric heat will NOT be expensive. However, if you heat it like people are used to in the Northern USA... let your imagination run wild.

If you DO NOT ASK, you will probably not be told about the heat... unless maybe it is the central losa (central floor heat).

Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay

Apartment deposits. Plan on 5 month deposit. Also 1 month commission for the real estate agent that finds your apartment and the first months rent. ie: to move in you will need 7 months rent.

It may be possible for a 6 month rental you can get a smaller deposit, but the law allows 5 months so many will ask that. Your deposit will go in a special escrow account for rental deposits.

Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay

Sephera: Wow sounds awesome to have a "big sister" I am just ready to get out of the states, people here are SOOOO close minded, know NOTHING about anything except America. And think that their "poo doesn't stink" I want to go and see everything I can. I am only 23. Also for the fact that the US isn't doing that well, the dollar will soon be collapsing along with the rest of the economy. It's already almost worse than the Great Depression. As to where to live, still have no idea. Any ideas? We would like something not exactly "high class" but something with low crime because we are going to be new and need to be able to walk around and explore safely. Not much into beach, teeange hot spots or clubs. How was the move for you? Scary? Our original plan was to move to VZ but wow its SOO bad there. Now the #1 homicide rated country in the WORLD! And Chavez the president.. well.. that is a whole other level. Where about do you guys live? Do you rent? House/Apt? Are you glad you did it? Any info or little personal thoughts are welcomed! I've never been outside of the US but at the same time can't wait to get out! Chao

Oh and as for VZ I deff hope it isn't like VZ hence why we chose Uruguay! VZ was our first pick, and not so much anymore!!

I'm not sure there is student housing as we would think of it in the USA. If the students are not living at home, then they may stay at a "pension". A pension could range from the worst of the worst sleazy places to stay to something that might be limited to female students or anything in between. But in short a "house" with rooms or shared rooms for rent and varying facilities and clientèle.

Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay

-- Other comments are very much welcomed!

The Uruguayans generally get their caffeine fix from Mate, so coffee isn't a big thing like in the USA.

To get a general feel for apartment rental prices look at buscandocasa.com. For better deals, look in the classifieds section of El Pais newspaper (online, or print edition). Those ads have VERY FEW details.

• Buscando Casa

Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay

Secondly, I guess the reason why we are so open to ideas is because money is not an issue. I don't know another way to say that, and I don't want to sound rude or anything, but we haven't picked something specific because since the cash flow is there we can do anything. ( NOT anything, to those are that critical ) Tell me about things that Uruguayans NEED! Anything, there are so many different possibilities.

So they dont have the kind of coffee they have here huh? Interesting I can't wait to try it! Actually a lot of places don't have the types of coffee we have here in the states. Which is good, I noticed just traveling to little Cuba ( Miami ) they have the little expressos also. DELICIOUS! Anywho, 65 pesos for a latte Miguel said doesn't that equal to about 3-4 USD? just curious??

Thanks again!

Kristina & Miguel

Miguel, there are some groups that PUSH Uruguay as a cheap place to live. I don't think you see much of that on Total Uruguay. If we look at restaurant food (the prices include 22% sales tax). When I came from Costa Rica, you could stuff yourself on rice and beans for lunch for US$2 or US$3. In Uruguay lunch would be about US$7.50. For that you got a stake and a side dish worth talking about. Now lunch under US$12.50 is a difficult find (see another topic here in Search of a Cheap Lunch).

What do Uruguayans need? I don't think they need anything at all! To be more clear, Uruguayans aren't waiting for something some the outside to come in and do something so they can be happy. Maybe Alberto has a different answer. (p.s. remember to sign in so people can PM you). Or maybe you can start a VZ vs UY discussion on the Spanish side (link below).

Once you've spend some time here you may get some ideas of what's needed here. But from afar don't presume Uruguay is some beautiful pit in the third world that is desperately lacking something.

The expat community may well tell you that Uruguay (well, Montevideo) needs more ethic restaurants.

I'm not trying to sound difficult here... but I've been outside the USA for 8 years and often see people come with the attitude that because it is different from the USA there must be something lacking and that people are therefore unable to be happy or content.

I would also say that having traveled in many Central and South American countries, each one is distinctive and lumping them together as "Latin America" gives a false sense of sameness.

Now let's see if some others will join in with some diverse views.

• Spanish Forum

Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay

Let me re-phrase the word NEED .. What I mean is what sort of business do you think would thrive there, considering you guys live there! You guys are the only ones who know if there needs to be restaurants, car service stations, or gas stations or anything along those lines. I never meant nor said you NEED anything. Just had to throw that out there one more time so I don't get jumped on again.

Kristina

I think the expat market is quite small. I also think the "wants" of the expats change the longer they have been away, ie: less interested in imported goods not available here.

For the Uruguayan market you really need to spend time to study it (as with any market).

"Uruguay being a 3rd world country pitt?? Where on earth did that come from?" It came from the assumption by some that Uruguay (and other countries outside the USA) are lacking something and "need" outside help (whether they are looking for it or not). Maybe I took the wrong slant of the word "need"... "want" is a much better word to use, I think.

Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay

Generally speaking, people like things the way they are.

Now, for the "what we need" part... I sort of agree with Patrick in that we may need foreign goods and foreing ways of doing some services. But, except probably about the food, I disagree with Parick's conclusion in that we like things the way they are. Things are much complex than that.

The first barrier to new goods and services will be economical. Even the Uruguayans with acceptable to very good income would probably not spend in things that they don't need (and that means REALLY need, or even DESESPERATELY need). In other words... our culture is rather conservative in terms of opening our wallets. That is slowly changing these days, but still true.

Second barrier, will be the size of the market. We are only 3 million, and I'd say that not more than 25% of us would qualify as middle-class or higher for USA or European standards.

For some exotic goods, market is still smaller, cause we are away from both the inmigration and tourism waves, so Uruguay is quite mono-cultural, and the average population don't have much contact with non-regional food, music, ways of dressing, or ways of thinking. Even McDonnalds took a long time to filter in. They concentrated in children and they had slowly established, as those children grew up. But most Uruguayans still think that a Chivito in any local bar is much better than a hamburger. Pizza Hut had to close cause Uruguayans preferred Uruguayan style pizza, and Subway and other international franchises could not set foot. Ethnic is even less likely to hit the massive market in Uruguay, specially if it's spicy, like Mexican or some Asian cuisine.

What I understood from Glenn suggestions, is that most chances are that the lack of some goods or services in Uruguay are not due to the fact that nobody thought or tried them before, but due to the fact that they don't have enough market here to make them economically sound. I think that this happens in most of the world today. The world is much more connected than we think and goods and ideas flow inmediately. A Uruguayan, for example, could be surprised to find mate drinkers in Europe, the US, and the Middle East, with no Rio de la Plata background or contact. Some people had simply read about mate on the web or media, found it in a local store, and tried it. That's how the world is today.

Just one more thing so you fit well in Uruguay: When you say "America" referring to the US, remember that in the rest of America that is the name we use for the continent as a whole. In fact, the term "America" has been used to refer to the whole continent two centuries before any european stepped on one of the 13 colonies.

Again, come and see. You'll both be welcome. If you want to work and find some unfilled need you may try. Otherwise, and if money is not an issue, you'll find Uruguay is a great pleace not to work... hahaha There are a lot of cultural activities in which you can easily join in; and people still have a lot of time to chill out with friends.

Of course they are... I'm overgeneralising. Things are very different in a prosperous rural area like Colonia Valdense than in a city like MVD. Our local "industries" are agriculture, agrobusiness and looking after the many aged but wealthy Argentinos who come to live in our old folks homes. While we talk generalities about Uruguay, it pays to remember that there is a great chasm of differences between MVD and rural Colonia both politically and economically... and I'm not just talking about the car patentes :-)

I've only been here 4 and a bit years but over that time I've formed the impression that the Uruguayos who stay here are the ones who (generally speaking) like things as they are. I'm the local native English speaker who gets called in when there are shortages of proper English teachers in our local schools (for "conversation practice" not for "teaching.") I seem to be especially good at predicting which of the kids will stay here and which will go away to Europe or elsewhere... the laid-back tend to remain and the go-getters go.

There is such a weight of bureaucratic obstructionism, punitive employment taxes and resistance to change with respect to business and commerce here as well as banks which seem to view small enterprise as something distasteful/unworthy of support that it is no surprise that the ambitious young tend to leave for foreign parts while the laid-back contented ones remain. I'd be first to agree that many of those who remain are happy to spend several hours a day moaning about things but its rare to find anybody prepared to put in the effort to try to change the status quo. The average funcionario earns nearly twice the income of the average non-funcionario so the result is not surprising. When it comes to retirement, the formerly self-employed get a joke pension, the formerly employed get just about enough to live on and the former funcionarios and bankers seem to do quite well. You really can't expect to see a vibrant economy when the system reserves the greatest punishments for those who might be prepared to try to build one.

I find it to be an ideal society for a retired olde pharte like myself and am blissfully happy so long as I stay well away from business/commerce and avoid employing anyone unless its absolutely necessary. :-)

We encourage everyone to share their opinions, comments, thoughts and information, please consider sharing...

Please register or login in to reply to this post:

• Login
  (Register)

• Security of Americans in Uruguay? (Expat)
• Meet Americans in Uruguay (Punta del Este)
• moving to Uruguay (Expat)
• Moving to Uruguay (Immigration)
• More related posts for Please help us! Info on moving to beautiful Uruguay!

Related posts on other sites:

• What are the prospects for Americans in Uraguay? (World Forum)
• Post: Why Retire in the Philippines Expat? (Philippines Expat and Travel Forum)

Related eBooks:

• The Expat's Guidebook For Moving To Uruguay eBook: Scott Lilly