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Sharleen (63.176.159.123) -

Does anyone else feel very confused by the discrepancy between general wages paid and the cost of living in Montevideo?

Before I came here all everybody told me was "South America is SOOOOO cheap" but they are very very wrong! I think most of the prices I see on a daily basis - food, clothes, household goods - they are on par with what I paid at home in Florida! The only difference is that my wages are only a quarter of what they were at home!

Does anyone else struggle to make ends meet or am I doing something wrong?

Comment #1 Sim Bartson from Montevideo (Contact Member) -

Maybe the discrepancy is between cultures. You cannot live as an American on Uruguayan wages.

Comment #2 Shawn D. (190.135.10.139) -

What do you mean by "living as an American"? I don't think we live much differently to anyone else.

I am coming to Uruguay in September for a few months and I was hoping to get an idea of the cost of living - it sounds pretty expensive.

I mean, I don't live an extravagant lifestyle but I don't want to be scraping by. If prices are on par with the US and wages are so low then I don't think you can say "living like an American" is the problem - everyone needs to buy the same things at the end of the day.

Comment #3 Dan from Norwalk, CT (Contact Member) -

If we were to define the "middle class" as those with average/typical incomes (in any given country), then a "middle class" US citizen's standard of living would definitely be hihger than that of a "middle class" uruguayan citizen. By the way, the Uruguayan middle class in Montevideo, for instance, does not live anywhere near the water or "franja costera". Those are considered (in general -- I am generalizing!!!)the local upper middle classes or the upper classes. I am referring to people living in neighborhoods like Centro, Cordon, Pocitos, Buceo, Malvin, Punta Gorda, Carrasco, etc. The vast majority of Montevideo residents (and most Uruguayans)live in conditions that are quite different from those in the "franja costera".

Comment #4 Sim Bartson from Montevideo (Contact Member) -

Do you think the middle class of the USA or Uruguay is happier?

I think the USA middle class is more stressed about work and paying the bills/loans.

Comment #5 Dan from Norwalk, CT (Contact Member) -

Happiness is a subjective thing, you know Sim... and I don't really think it's related to income level. I'm sure there are plenty of rich people around the world who are unhappy and plenty of poor people who claim to be joyful... Who knows? Regarding stress levels, again, it's hard to tell...Life in Uruguay seems almost stress-free on the surface...but did you know that this country has some of the highest suicide rates in the region?

Comment #6 Geoffrey from USA (Contact Member) -

yeh I had heard that - apparently the town of Castillos in northern Uruguay has incredibly high suicide rate. A friend of mine was teaching english there and 3 of her students committed suicide (no cruel jokes, I'm being serious).

But as for the middle class comments - I think many people in Uruguay are struggling to pay their way. Most people cannot afford to buy a property, even if they are working really hard they have to continue paying rent (which is wasted money) for their whole life. Its an impossible situation, so hard to work your way up in Uruguay.

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