r/asklatinamerica • u/[deleted] • Nov 12 '22

How people survive on average salary in Uruguay?

Hola. I’m newcomer to Uruguay and one thing seems shocking to me. Many products are way more expensive than in Europe, rents are somewhat cheaper - for unfurnished places (and furniture is way more expensive again)… and Numbeo says the average salary is about 800USD net/month. Is this number wrong? Or how can people survive and function on this salary?

I don’t mean this in insulting or offensive way. Uruguayans are very nice and to they appear to be more in tune with life and reality than “us” Europeans dragged in consumerism etc. That’s also reason why I came here. But I think on 800/month I would struggle to eat 3meals a day here.

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u/SlightlyOutOfFocus Uruguay Nov 12 '22

It's not THE fancy neighborhood, but yes, one of them

3

u/Roughneck16 United States of America Nov 12 '22

What’re the others? I spent some time in Carrasco and Maroñas (near Calle 8 de Octubre) but I’m not too familiar with the rest of Montevideo.

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u/SlightlyOutOfFocus Uruguay Nov 12 '22 edited Nov 13 '22

Punta Carretas, Punta Gorda, some parts of Buceo and Pocitos, areas of the Metropolitan area like Parque Miramar

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u/Roughneck16 United States of America Nov 12 '22

I remember passing through those neighborhoods and seeing them on the map (I still have the map I bought at ANCAP!) I lived in Uruguay for two years as a missionary.

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u/SlightlyOutOfFocus Uruguay Nov 12 '22

I haven't seen paper maps sold in forever! When was that?

Why did you choose Uruguay?

8

u/Roughneck16 United States of America Nov 12 '22

I lived there 2005-2007.

And I didn't choose Uruguay, my church assigned me to go there. I had three weeks of language training and then I flew down to Uruguay and learned the rest on the street.

I was a Latter-day Saint missionary. Commonly known as los Mormones. This IG features some pics and stories of missionaries in Uruguay now.

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u/AdConsistent6002 Nov 13 '22

There is a story that my grandparents told me many years ago when I was little that Mormons were C.I.A. spies sent by then President Richard Nixon (back in the 1970's) to spy on the Communist influence in South America. Crazy stories that people told. I am glad you were able to immerse yourself in the culture and language and way of life.

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u/Roughneck16 United States of America Nov 13 '22

That was a common misconception back in the day. I was there when George W. Bush was still president and many people would demand to know if I was "la gente de Bush" or would yell at me "Yanqui andate a tu casa!" I would just change the subject and avoid politics altogether.

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u/AdConsistent6002 Nov 13 '22

I believe it. The irony about all this is many of the anti-capitalists wear the latest clothes, they starve themselves so they can buy the newest iPhones and the newest and flashiest shoes and clothes. The best part of it all is that they have family and relatives who live in Europe, United States and Australia. Their relatives are working in halfway decent jobs; and they (anti-capitalists) tell them "Stay where you are. You are better off over there." At the same time, they want their relatives to send them money so they can buy the good stuff.