New York Couple Moves to Uruguay: Pros and Cons of Living in a New Country
'24.01.2025'
ForumDaily New York
A New York couple moved to Uruguay. They told CNN about the difficulties and advantages of living in a new country.
Austin Mullins and Jack Richards, both from the US, had been friends for many years. In 2020, they traveled together to journey on Fire Island. They returned to New York as a couple. The guys moved in together and got engaged two years later.
In January 2023, Austin and Jack moved out Big apple to Uruguay. They have been living there happily for the last two years. The guys are permanent residents of this South American country.
"A Special Place"
"We love it here. We think it's a really special place," Austin says.
Austin and Jack say it all started during the pandemic, when they spent a lot of time together watching TV in their apartment.
"We're addicted to a TV show called Escape to the Chateau," Jack says. "Most of our American friends have never heard of it."
The show follows a couple who buy and are renovating a 19th-century French chateau. Austin and Jack are intrigued by the idea of "buying an old run-down house and renovating it."
However, life in a rural town "did not seem attractive to them."
“Europe was attractive,” Austin says. “But then we realized we needed to go somewhere where we could learn a language that would be useful.”
Deciding that Spanish would be the most useful language to learn, they narrowed their list down to the appropriate areas.
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Jack runs a digital marketing agency. Spain wasn't an option because he'd be working remotely. Most of his clients are in the US. So the guys started looking south.
“I brought up Uruguay,” Austin says. “And so we started looking at the culture. The political climate. The economic climate. And it all looked good.”
They were attracted by Uruguay's "strong" LGBTQ protections and "stable political system." They also found that the country had a variety of old properties they could potentially renovate.
"The capital solved everything that the French castle couldn't," says Jack, referring to the nightlife and culture of the capital of Montevideo. "There was also an airport that we could fly into and out of."
The Big Move
Before leaving New York, the couple, who have been engaged since April 2022, decided to tie the knot.
Then they packed up and had a farewell party. The guys spent New Year's Eve 2022 with their friends.
A week later, the couple flew to Montevideo, Uruguay, to start a new life. They initially arrived on a tourist visa, which allowed them to stay in the country for 90 days.
Austin and Jack's first few weeks in the country weren't quite what they'd imagined.
“January is a weird month. January here is like August in Paris,” Austin explains. “The streets are deserted… So we’re like, ‘Okay. Where is everyone?’ It’s really hot, but there’s no one on the beach. All the restaurants are closed. So it was really weird.”
Luckily, things picked up in mid-February, when “the carnival starts and the city becomes much more lively.”
"There's a lot of music around. There's a lot to see," Austin says.
By the time March rolled around, Montevideo had become even more lively. The kids were finally able to get a real taste of city life.
The couple was looking for a larger property for their renovation project. They say they had a hard time finding a bank that would give a substantial mortgage to two non-citizens making money outside the country.
Realizing they would have to put their dream on hold, the couple settled on renting an apartment in an area called Parque Rodo.
"We love this area," Austin says. "It's a five-minute walk to a really nice park in town and 10 minutes to the beach."
When the guys learned that most leases in the country are for two years, they were initially hesitant. After all, these are very long-term commitments.
"Nobody here wants to give you a year's lease," Austin says. "That's why we really had to commit to staying for two full years."
After they decided to stay in Uruguay for a longer period, they gradually began to feel at home.
Homemaking
The locals were "extremely kind and patient," but Austin and Jack say they found Uruguayan culture "quite isolating." They have yet to make any Uruguayan friends.
"All our friends are from other nationalities," Jack says. "Uruguayans are very nice. But those who were born and raised in the city of Montevideo tend to only be friends with people they've known their whole lives. And it's very, very difficult to ever get invited to their home or be a part of their lives."
The couple say they found it easier to make friends with Uruguayans who were born outside the city.
As for language, both are currently learning Spanish, but stress that they are “far from fluent.”
"I grew up in Arizona, so I had a little exposure to Spanish, but Mexican Spanish," Jack says. "Uruguayan Spanish is very different."
"Language is definitely a barrier to greater integration with locals," Austin adds. "That's important."
Austin and Jack say the slower pace of life in Uruguay has been "both a blessing and a curse" for them.
"Nobody's in a hurry here," Jack says. "Everyone's in a hurry in New York. It's nice to slow down, but at some points it would be nice if Uruguay sped up a little."
Both believe they now have a healthier lifestyle because of better access to fresh fruit and vegetables. Food is cheaper here. The couple gets "more daylight and fresh air."
"We eat fresh fruits and vegetables all year round," Austin says.
“We pay a lot less to live here than New York, and probably a lot less than even most places in the U.S.,” Austin says. “But compared to the rest of South America, the costs are generally high. And even for locals. There’s a dearth of employment opportunities here.”
In terms of cultural differences, Austin and Jack say they've noticed that there's "a lot less toxic masculinity" in Uruguay.
"Even straight men kiss each other on the cheek to say 'hello' and 'goodbye,'" says Jack.
They also found that the culture was very similar to European culture and less similar to the rest of Latin America.
Overcoming difficulties
The U.S. State Department currently advises travelers to “exercise increased caution” when visiting Uruguay due to crime. The State Department notes that “violent crime, homicide, armed robbery, carjacking, and theft” occur throughout the country.
Austin and Jack admit that they didn't think about safety before moving, stressing that they never felt particularly unsafe while living in Uruguay.
When asked what their friends and family think of the location, Jack notes that many of them can't even seem to find it on a map.
"We have a lot of friends who say, 'Oh, how's Paraguay?'" they say. "I had one person who asked, 'How's life in Uganda?'
The biggest challenge the couple faces is undoubtedly the fact that only one of them is currently working full-time.
"The hard part is I haven't been able to find a job," Austin says. He found work teaching English, but he hasn't been able to secure a long-term position.
"It's a bit of a struggle," he adds.
Ultimately, this means that everything is a little 'up in the air' in terms of the couple's future in Uruguay.
"That tension also made us stronger," Jack says.
Austin admits that while the situation was stressful at times, they "learned to cope with a lot of things" together.
"We need each other here," Austin adds.
Although they are happy in Uruguay, Jack and Austin do not rule out the possibility of returning to the United States one day.
"Another problem is aging parents and grandparents," Jack says.
They emphasize that the ability to return to the United States regularly, as well as “to visit most other Western countries at will,” is a privilege they take seriously.
“For example, we have returned several times over the past two years to visit family,” says Jack. “While we don’t want to return to the U.S. because of our quality of life and political reasons, for many people it is still a land of opportunity.”
For now, they are happy to stay in Uruguay and continue to “work on the dream.”
"We're taking donations!" Austin jokes.