If big-city living is for you, Montevideo will be your favorite place in Uruguay, with its shady parks and sycamore-lined streets, sophisticated restaurants, bistros and sidewalk cafes, artisan markets, antique shops and book stores.

The city has it all with respect to culture and convenience. Teatro Solís is a magnificently restored old-world theater, serving as venue for some of the most famous theater groups and orchestras in the world. There are numerous schools of dance, music, and art. The city is home to 35 radio stations, various TV channels, and it has good cable TV and high-speed internet services.

And the prices in restaurants are remarkable: No matter how hard you try, you’ll be hard pressed to exceed a $50 dinner tab, even when spending $25 on a bottle of wine, which is expensive in Uruguay.

Montevideo has a diverse offering of neighborhoods, many of which are very attractive for the potential expat, especially Ciudad Vieja and Centro.

According to the 2005 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey published by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Montevideo is almost the least expensive city in the world in which to live, being ranked at number 140 out of 144 cities in the survey.

Montevideo, is a big city with the a small city feel, a South American capital that feels like Europe, and a city where you can still buy a small apartment for less than $20,000.