Someone like you... There is only one person like you... and that is you! You ask about surrounding countries... below is a link that addresses the question of "Uruguay vs Paraguay" by one person.In that article, Scott wrote, "I found it a little easier to meet Uruguayans than Paraguayans" (excluding expats). My observations or experiences are exactly the opposite. Of course, neither is write as we are all different. Affordable is another personal and abstract concept. One Canadian that moved to Buenos Aires after living in Montevideo for a couple years used to email me about how everything was much cheaper in Buenos Aires. I don't think you can get any of those kinds of answers on the web. Have a look at buscandocasa.com and see if the rental prices seem more reasonable in Montevideo than Buenos Aires or Brazil. When I moved to Montevideo in 2005 from Costa Rica, it was price shock for lunch. I was used to paying about US$5 for lunch for two. In Uruguay it leaped to US$7.50 (now, you talking closer to US$15+ and I have no idea in Costa Rica. However, it would be extremely unfair to just leave it at that. In Costa Rica, lunch was a plate full of unseasoned rice and beans with a smittering of something else. Yeah, it fill you up, but it was hardly delicious or comparable to what we'd consider a meal in the USA. In Uruguay lunch was a big steak and veggies. A real meal. A plate full of "solid" food. Which was cheaper? Depends on your viewpoint. The Costa Rica lunches were more affordable, but not much of a lunch. Aside, the Gallo Pinto for breakfast in Costa Rica, rice and beans with some salt, oil, culiranto, onion and maybe a bit of other stuff, is quite tasty, but it seemed to be a mortal sin to suggest once might have a taste other than for breakfast! What is a good social life? Hanging out with friends over coffee? Going to the disco from 2am to 8am? If you want cheap without social life, but lots of nature, there are some people in Peru selling a property with guest houses and 85 hectares of land, they reduced their price to US$20, 000. It's close to no-where... a 12 hour boat side from somewhere... no electricity and apparently there is cell service someplace along the drive way. If anyone is curious I can post another reply with a link to info on that. Expert Page: Quick Tips for Getting Settled in Uruguay | 
