Friendly and Tolerant People: Uruguay is a secular country and people feel free to practice any creed. The character of Uruguayans is strongly influenced by the descendants of Spanish and Italian immigrants. This country is said to have the most “European” culture in all of South America.
Low Crime Rate: In general however Uruguay does offer a safe secure environment.
Time Zone Proximity: Uruguayan time is between 2-4 hours behind GMT and 2-4 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the US.
Small Size and proximity to other cities: With the whole country covering only 177 square kilometers (slightly smaller than the state of Washington), the distances to travel to for example the countryside, beaches and river shores, are reduced. The most popular beaches extend over a distance of almost 300 km between Montevideo and the border with Brazil. It’s only a short (and inexpensive) ferry ride across the river to Buenos Aires and only a 2 hour flight up to Sao Paulo in Brazil.
No traffic jams: The movement of vehicles is smooth, even in city centers. Time spent commuting is small. Montevideo may be crossed from one end to another by car in a little more than an hour, at any time of day.
Sanitation: Tap water in is potable and there are no water borne diseases and bacteria.
Good and inexpensive health care: There are two options when looking at health insurance: plans offered by the private hospitals (monthly fees are between $50 and $85), and plans offered by a health insurance company (monthly fees are between $90 and $260).
Food quality: The meat is one of the best in the world. The cattle graze on pastured land. Each cow has approximately the space of 2 football fields to feed from. The fresh produce is mostly naturally grown. You can find several bakeries in every neighborhood and buy fresh bread every day.
Good Education: Currently, the literacy rate is one of the highest in Latin America and on par with the US. Uruguay is the first country to implement the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative, known as the Plan Ceibal. In the first phase it covered 100% of public primary school and their teachers. The ultimate goal is to have full country wide coverage if school-age children and teachers. The plan’s principles include equal opportunities to access technology, the democratization of knowledge and an enhanced learning experience in schools.
Family Values: Sunday is “family day” when Uruguayans get together with their extended family. The family is seen as the basis of society.
Quality of life: This is a reason you will hear many people mention when asked about their decision to move to Uruguay.
In Uruguay there is not a lot of pollution. There are beautiful coastal areas and green country areas. Montevideo is a city that looks at the sea and everyone who visits the Rambla falls in love with it. This sea side walkway stretches from downtown to the suburbs and is perfect for strolling, running, walking your dog or just sitting and enjoying the view. The sense of community is not lost as it is in many developed countries these days and people still have time for each other.
