Why I Live In Paraguay Instead Of Living In Uruguay

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Several readers have asked me why I moved to Paraguay, and left Uruguay.

After spending ten months living in Montevideo, Uruguay, I realized I was looking for something different.

I didn’t go to Uruguay with many expectations.  After doing a lot of research, it looked like it could be a good place for me.  But the only way to be sure is to actually live there.

That’s something that many expats miss.  They read about a country and build it up in their minds as a perfect place.  Once they get there, they start to run into the realities of day-to-day place.  Some of them even get angry, as if the country lied to them.  Or, they never even consider a country because it doesn’t have a lot of people talking about it.

It’s much better to accept that each country is what it is.  You’re going to like some things, and you’re not going to like others.  You’re probably not going to be able to change the way a country is.  You’ll need to decide if you’re willing to change yourself, in order to fit in.

Here is what I decided after being in Uruguay, and how it led to me moving to Paraguay.

What I didn’t like about Uruguay

Things change very slowly in Uruguay.  I always felt like they had a really good day, many, many years ago.  Everyone in Uruguay liked it so much, they decided to never change anything from how it was on that day.  I heard the same thing from a couple of Uruguayans.  Things are the much the same as they were ten years ago.  And if you come back in ten more years, they probably won’t have changed much.

The cost of living was also relatively high in Uruguay.  I could have moved back to Texas and lived nicely on the same amount of money.  Now, my goal isn’t to find the cheapest place to live.  I’m looking for a place where I can live in a certain level of comfort.  But if I can live the same life somewhere else, for less money, then I may as well move to the less expensive place.

Uruguay is a very bureaucratic country.  Personally, I’ve already had more than a lifetime’s worth of bureaucracy back in the US.  Paraguay isn’t a minimal-government Utopia.  However, there is an improvement.  In Uruguay, it felt like the processes were designed to prevent you from accomplishing what you want to do.  In Paraguay, it feels like people are actually trying to find a way to get you what you want.

What I like about Paraguay

It feels like people believe in a better future here.  At the local shopping mall, there are dozens of sidewalk vendors outside.  They sell sunglasses, DVDs, fruit, clothes, and much more.  Some people might consider that a bad thing.  However, I see it as people who were able to save up some money and are trying to improve their financial situation.  That’s the kind of spirit I like.

It’s much more diverse than I expected in Paraguay.  One of my favorite things about living in the US was the “melting pot” of cultures.  Especially when it comes to restaurants.  Immigrants are another sign of hope.  They tend to go where they think will give them a better life, and leave places they think aren’t going to improve.  You’ll find a wide variety of foreigners in Paraguay.

What I miss about Uruguay

Uruguay’s infrastructure is often better than Paraguay’s.  The roads are in better condition.  The Internet is a slightly more reliable in Uruguay.  Paraguay is a bit more “rough around the edges”.

I found it a little easier to meet Uruguayans than Paraguayans (other than the local spouses of expats I know).  I think the people are probably equally friendly in each country.  It just seems like Paraguayans are generally busier.  So you may need to make more of an effort in Paraguay.

What should you do?

Even if someone’s been to every country on the planet, they can only give you their views, based on their experiences.

It’s like the old fable of the blind men trying to describe an elephant.  The man near the tail thought it was like a snake.  The man near a leg thought it was like a tree.  They each were only able to base their description on the part they had experienced.

With any information you read, the first thing you need to do is separate the facts from the opinions.  Consider the person’s natural bias when you read their opinion.

Then, when you think you’ve found the place where you’ll be happiest, visit it for as long as you can. Get a feel for what it would be like living there.  And form your own opinion of whether you’re happier there.

After all, the whole purpose of moving overseas is for you to be able to live a happier life wherever you end up living.