As we are settling into life in our new country, we are getting a better sense of the ongoing costs associated with living here. Because we were smart and lucky enough to have saved enough money to buy our land, home and vehicle outright, we do not have ongoing costs associated with paying the debt of those things (like a mortgage, car payment, etc.).
Here are some of the ongoing costs we have found associated with living in Uruguay:
- Energy. Because we bought a solar water heater we got government subsidy on our electricity bill, so our bill is around $30 monthly. Once the subsidy runs our (after 2 years) we will be paying more like $50 monthly. We also use propane for our oven/stove which runs us about $10 monthly. Total energy costs are therefore about $40 monthly or $480 annually
- Our ongoing car costs include monthly gas (for vehicles and lawn mowers) at about $200 monthly, and annual insurance and registration fees for our scooter and car at about $1,200. So, total transport we will say is around $300 monthly or $3,600 annually
- We have a very savvy accountant who has set us up to pay social security, property taxes combined with health insurance from a very fancy local private health network for our whole family for $150 monthly or $1,800 annually
- Although we are attempting to build up the infrastructure to produce more of our own food, the truth is now we buy most of what we eat. Our ongoing food costs are probably in the range of about $500 monthly or $6,000 annually for our family of four
- Let's just have another category of incidentals. Home supplies, replacing or fixing things, etc. at an average monthly cost of another $100 monthly or $1,200 annually
Some people say it is expensive to live in Uruguay. Our ongoing expenses for a family of four are:
-$1,100 monthly or
- $13,000 annually
The way we see it, the big cost savings versus our life in the U.S. are health care and education, as well as a small enough housing cost so as to not have to take on debt and pay monthly mortgage and interest to a bank. We get high quality meat and produce for cheaper here, but processed foods and consumer goods (TVs, electronics, home goods) are much more expensive. It seems to me the stuff that matters (health, education, housing, food) cost way less (at least in the rural areas) and the things that don't matter (consumer and processed crap) cost more. It kind of forces a shift in priorities.
Here are some of the ongoing costs we have found associated with living in Uruguay:
- Energy. Because we bought a solar water heater we got government subsidy on our electricity bill, so our bill is around $30 monthly. Once the subsidy runs our (after 2 years) we will be paying more like $50 monthly. We also use propane for our oven/stove which runs us about $10 monthly. Total energy costs are therefore about $40 monthly or $480 annually
- Our ongoing car costs include monthly gas (for vehicles and lawn mowers) at about $200 monthly, and annual insurance and registration fees for our scooter and car at about $1,200. So, total transport we will say is around $300 monthly or $3,600 annually
- We have a very savvy accountant who has set us up to pay social security, property taxes combined with health insurance from a very fancy local private health network for our whole family for $150 monthly or $1,800 annually
- Although we are attempting to build up the infrastructure to produce more of our own food, the truth is now we buy most of what we eat. Our ongoing food costs are probably in the range of about $500 monthly or $6,000 annually for our family of four
- Let's just have another category of incidentals. Home supplies, replacing or fixing things, etc. at an average monthly cost of another $100 monthly or $1,200 annually
Some people say it is expensive to live in Uruguay. Our ongoing expenses for a family of four are:
-$1,100 monthly or
- $13,000 annually
The way we see it, the big cost savings versus our life in the U.S. are health care and education, as well as a small enough housing cost so as to not have to take on debt and pay monthly mortgage and interest to a bank. We get high quality meat and produce for cheaper here, but processed foods and consumer goods (TVs, electronics, home goods) are much more expensive. It seems to me the stuff that matters (health, education, housing, food) cost way less (at least in the rural areas) and the things that don't matter (consumer and processed crap) cost more. It kind of forces a shift in priorities.
