Summary
In October 2026, the median asking price of a house in Uruguay is about USD 368,000, and a 3-bedroom house lists at a median of USD 345,000 (TuLugar). Houses list at a median of USD 2,177 per m². These are asking prices, and they are quoted in dollars.
Size changes everything: a 2-bedroom house lists at a median of USD 162,000, a 4-bedroom at USD 600,000 and a house with 5 bedrooms or more at USD 850,000 across the country.
Location matters as much as size. In Montevideo, a 3-bedroom house lists at USD 247,000 and houses at USD 1,696 per m². In Punta del Este, a 3-bedroom house lists at USD 500,000 and houses at USD 2,933 per m².
Real sale prices are lower. The median registered deed in Uruguay was USD 90,000 in July 2026 (INE), but it covers every type of property. Our estimate is that houses sell about 10% below their asking price, more for houses that need work.
The cheapest livable house costs about USD 65,000 to 85,000 by our estimate, usually a small older 2-bedroom house in outer Montevideo or Canelones. Below USD 60,000, renovation and resale risks climb fast.
The most expensive houses are in Carrasco, where a 3-bedroom house lists at a median of USD 690,000, and on the Punta del Este coast, where houses list at USD 3,900 per m² in José Ignacio and USD 3,700 in Manantiales (Santiago Pereyra, house listings, October 2026).
Near central Montevideo, a 3-bedroom house lists at a median of USD 188,000 in Centro and USD 215,000 in Cordón. Suburban houses near Montevideo cost about USD 160,000 to 450,000 by our estimate, with more space and a garden for the money.
On top of the price, a buyer pays about 6% in taxes and fees without an agency, about 9.5% with one and 10% to 13% with a mortgage (INGAR, October 2026). On a USD 345,000 house bought through an agency, that is about USD 33,000.
Yearly costs are low: property taxes often come to about USD 400 to 1,000 a year for a USD 200,000 house, and utilities to about UYU 6,000 to 12,000 a month (USD 150 to 300), by our estimate.
Prices are rising slowly in dollars: promoted-housing prices were up 6.3% in USD over the year to April 2026, but down 1.3% in indexed units (ANV), so they are roughly flat in real terms. Our estimate for the next 12 months is +3% to +6% in dollars.
Our advice: compare any house with the median price per m² of its area, offer about 10% below asking on anything that has been listed for months, and budget 9.5% on top of the price before you start.
What does a house cost in Uruguay, by size and type?
What's the median and average house price in Uruguay?
In October 2026, the median asking price of a house in Uruguay was about USD 368,000 (about UYU 14.8 million, EUR 328,000), and houses listed at a median of USD 2,177 per m² of built area (TuLugar). Apartments list at USD 3,436 per m², so houses are about 37% cheaper per m².
The official figure is much lower: the median value of all registered sale deeds was USD 90,000 (about UYU 3.61 million) in July 2026 (INE). It mixes in land, garages and cheap homes in interior towns, so it shows the whole market, not what a decent house costs. The truth for a normal family house sits in between.
The average is higher than the median, because big houses in Carrasco, Punta del Este, La Barra and José Ignacio pull it up. That is why we use medians by bedroom count rather than one average.
Most listed houses sit between the 2-bedroom median (USD 162,000) and the 4-bedroom median (USD 600,000). At around USD 165,000, you can usually get a livable 2-bedroom or small 3-bedroom resale house in a practical area: parts of Canelones, secondary Montevideo barrios or a smaller interior city.
What's the cheapest livable house budget?
By our estimate, the cheapest realistic budget for a livable house in Uruguay is about USD 65,000 to 85,000 (about UYU 2.61 million to UYU 3.41 million, EUR 57,900 to EUR 75,700).
At this price, “livable” means a small older 2-bedroom house with working utilities, a basic kitchen and bathroom, and some repairs still to do. It is not a renovated house ready to move into.
You find these houses in Montevideo barrios such as Piedras Blancas, Manga, Casabó, Nuevo París, Las Acacias and Cerro Norte, and in Canelones towns such as Las Piedras, Progreso, Pando and Santa Lucía.
Be careful below USD 60,000: very cheap houses often come with renovation work, old wiring, damp walls, weak resale demand or a location that is hard to sell later.
How much do 2 and 3-bedroom houses cost?
In October 2026, a 2-bedroom house in Uruguay listed at a median of USD 162,000 (about UYU 6.5 million, EUR 144,000) and a 3-bedroom house at USD 345,000 (about UYU 13.8 million, EUR 307,000) (TuLugar).
Montevideo is cheaper: USD 139,000 (about UYU 5.57 million) for a 2-bedroom house and USD 247,000 (about UYU 9.9 million) for a 3-bedroom. In Punta del Este, a 3-bedroom house lists at a median of USD 500,000 (about UYU 20.1 million).
The spread is wide. By our estimate, a 2-bedroom house goes from about USD 60,000 in outer barrios to USD 350,000 near the coast, and a 3-bedroom from about USD 140,000 to the USD 690,000 median of Carrasco, and well past USD 1 million for the best ones.
The third bedroom costs a lot: going from 2 to 3 bedrooms more than doubles the national median (+113%) and adds 78% in Montevideo. A 3-bedroom house usually comes with more land, parking and a better family area, not just one more room.
How much do 4-bedroom houses cost?
In October 2026, a 4-bedroom house in Uruguay listed at a median of USD 600,000 (about UYU 24.1 million, EUR 535,000), and a house with 5 bedrooms or more at USD 850,000 (about UYU 34.1 million, EUR 757,000) (TuLugar).
In Montevideo, the same houses are much cheaper: USD 390,000 (about UYU 15.6 million) for 4 bedrooms and USD 430,000 (about UYU 17.2 million) for 5 or more, because many big houses there are old family homes away from the coast. The national figures are pulled up by Punta del Este and its villas.
The top end is a different market. By our estimate, large 5- and 6-bedroom houses in Carrasco, La Tahona, Punta del Este, La Barra and José Ignacio often list above USD 1 million, and the best go past USD 2.5 million. Only at that level can a house open the 11-year tax holiday for new residents: since Law 20.446, the property route to the holiday needs more than UI 12.5 million (about USD 2.1 million). A house above UI 3.5 million (about USD 580,000) plus 60 days a year in Uruguay still makes you a tax resident, just without the holiday. And buying never gives you a residence permit.
How much do new-build houses cost?
By our estimate, a typical new-build house in Uruguay costs about USD 280,000 to 550,000 (about UYU 11.2 million to UYU 22.1 million, EUR 250,000 to EUR 490,000) in suburban and coastal family areas.
New houses cost about 15% more per m² than comparable older ones, by our estimate, and more in new gated communities where you also pay for security and shared amenities. Most new stock is in Ciudad de la Costa, La Tahona, Camino de los Horneros, Carrasco and Punta del Este.
How much do houses with land cost?
By our estimate, a house with useful, serviced land not too far from a city costs about USD 250,000 to 700,000 (about UYU 10 million to UYU 28.1 million, EUR 223,000 to EUR 624,000).
A “house with land” usually means at least 500 to 1,000 m² of land near Montevideo or the coast. Country homes (chacras) often start around 2,000 m² and can be much bigger.
Land itself is not rare in Uruguay. What costs money is safe, serviced land near Montevideo, Canelones, Punta del Este, Colonia or Rocha. Cheap rural land is easy to buy but can be slow to resell.
Uruguay Property Prices
Where are houses cheapest and most expensive in Uruguay?
Which neighborhoods have the lowest house prices?
The lowest house prices are in Montevideo barrios such as Piedras Blancas, Manga, Casabó, Nuevo París, Las Acacias, Cerro Norte and parts of La Teja, and in cheaper Canelones and interior towns.
There, a livable house costs about USD 55,000 to 140,000 (about UYU 2.21 million to UYU 5.61 million, EUR 49,000 to EUR 125,000), by our estimate. Portals have too few comparable listings in these barrios for a reliable median.
Prices are low because many houses are old, resale demand is thin, security is a concern for many buyers, and foreigners mostly look at the coast and central areas.
Which neighborhoods have the highest house prices?
The highest house prices are in Carrasco and Punta Gorda in Montevideo, La Tahona and Camino de los Horneros in Canelones, and Punta del Este, La Barra, Manantiales and José Ignacio in Maldonado.
In Carrasco, houses list at a median of USD 3,272 per m² (INGAR, September 2026) and a 3-bedroom house at USD 690,000 (about UYU 27.7 million, EUR 615,000) (TuLugar). On the Punta del Este coast, houses list at USD 3,900 per m² in José Ignacio and USD 3,700 in Manantiales (Santiago Pereyra, house listings, October 2026). Trophy houses in these areas go from about USD 1 million to more than USD 4 million.
Buyers there pay for privacy, the beach, schools, security, big plots and better construction, and they compete with wealthy Uruguayan families and Argentines, who make up about 50% to 55% of buyers in the Maldonado resort market (broker estimates, June 2026).
Here is how house prices compare across the main areas:
| Area | Median asking price per m² (houses) | Median asking price, 3-bedroom house |
|---|---|---|
| Uruguay, all houses | USD 2,177 | USD 345,000 |
| Montevideo, all houses | USD 1,696 | USD 247,000 |
| Carrasco (Montevideo) | USD 3,272 | USD 690,000 |
| Punta Carretas (Montevideo) | USD 2,848 | USD 375,000 |
| Pocitos (Montevideo) | USD 2,572 | USD 345,000 |
| Malvín (Montevideo) | USD 2,234 | USD 404,000 |
| Buceo (Montevideo) | USD 2,173 | USD 339,000 |
| Parque Rodó (Montevideo) | USD 1,810 | USD 419,000 |
| Cordón (Montevideo) | No reliable median | USD 215,000 |
| Centro (Montevideo) | No reliable median | USD 188,000 |
| Punta del Este, all houses | USD 2,933 | USD 500,000 |
| José Ignacio (Punta del Este coast) | USD 3,900 | No reliable median |
| Manantiales (Punta del Este coast) | USD 3,700 | No reliable median |
| Península (Punta del Este) | USD 3,350 | No reliable median |
| La Barra (Punta del Este) | USD 3,050 | No reliable median |
| Playa Brava (Punta del Este) | USD 2,950 | No reliable median |
| San Rafael (Punta del Este) | USD 2,750 | No reliable median |
| Beverly Hills (Punta del Este) | USD 2,600 | No reliable median |
| Playa Mansa (Punta del Este) | USD 2,500 | No reliable median |
| Pinares (Punta del Este) | USD 2,300 | No reliable median |
Uruguay, Montevideo and Punta del Este totals and all 3-bedroom prices come from TuLugar (October 2026). Montevideo barrio prices per m² come from INGAR (September 2026), and Punta del Este zones from Santiago Pereyra's house listings (October 2026). All are asking prices. The Montevideo barrios in the table are the coastal and central ones, which is why they all sit above the city median of USD 1,696.
How much do houses cost near the city center?
Near central Montevideo (Centro, Cordón, Aguada, Palermo, Parque Rodó and Ciudad Vieja), a house usually costs about USD 180,000 to 420,000 (about UYU 7.22 million to UYU 16.8 million, EUR 160,000 to EUR 374,000). A 3-bedroom house lists at a median of USD 188,000 in Centro, USD 215,000 in Cordón and USD 419,000 in Parque Rodó (TuLugar, October 2026).
Along the main transport corridors (Avenida Italia, 8 de Octubre, Bulevar Artigas, General Flores and Tres Cruces), houses cost about USD 130,000 to 350,000 (about UYU 5.21 million to UYU 14 million, EUR 116,000 to EUR 312,000), by our estimate.
Near the top international schools (The British Schools, Uruguayan American School, Woodlands School, St. Brendan’s School and Ivy Thomas Memorial School), houses cost about USD 350,000 to 1.8 million (about UYU 14 million to UYU 72.2 million, EUR 312,000 to EUR 1.6 million), by our estimate. Most of these schools are in or near Carrasco.
In the areas expats like most (Carrasco, Pocitos, Punta Carretas, Ciudad de la Costa, Solymar, Lagomar, Punta del Este, La Barra and José Ignacio), houses range from about USD 180,000 to more than USD 3 million. A 3-bedroom house lists at a median of USD 345,000 in Pocitos, USD 375,000 in Punta Carretas and USD 500,000 in Punta del Este (TuLugar).
In central Montevideo, a house is often less practical than an apartment: older buildings, little parking and more maintenance.
How much do houses cost in the suburbs?
A suburban house near Montevideo usually costs about USD 160,000 to 450,000 (about UYU 6.42 million to UYU 18 million, EUR 143,000 to EUR 401,000), by our estimate.
That is not much cheaper than central Montevideo, and sometimes more. The difference is what you get: more space, a garden and parking for the same money.
The most popular suburban areas are Ciudad de la Costa, Shangrilá, Lagomar, Solymar, El Pinar, Barra de Carrasco, La Tahona, Lomas de Carrasco, San Nicolás and Camino de los Horneros. Gated communities such as La Tahona and Camino de los Horneros sit at the top of the range.
What areas in Uruguay are improving and still affordable?
Improving areas that are still affordable include La Blanqueada, Goes, Jacinto Vera, Atahualpa, Unión, Malvín Norte, Lagomar, Solymar, El Pinar, Atlántida, Piriápolis, La Paloma and parts of Colonia del Sacramento.
A practical house there costs about USD 120,000 to 350,000 (about UYU 4.81 million to UYU 14 million, EUR 107,000 to EUR 312,000), by our estimate.
The sign to look for is daily life getting better: cafés, services, transport, beach or school access, renovation work on the street and more middle-class buyers, not just “more demand”.
70+pagesThis is just a preview page. Prices and rents move fast: your guide is refreshed every month, and you always get the latest version.
What extra costs should you budget for a house in Uruguay?
What are typical buyer closing costs for houses?
A cash buyer pays about 6% of the price in taxes and fees without an agency, about 9.5% with an agency, and 10% to 13% with a mortgage (INGAR, October 2026). On a house priced at 200,000 dollars, the buyer adds about USD 12,000 to USD 19,000 (about UYU 481,000 to UYU 762,000, EUR 10,700 to EUR 16,900).
The main items: the transfer tax (ITP) is 2% of the cadastral value, not of the price, for the buyer, and another 2% for the seller (DGI). The notary (escribano) charges about 3% + IVA, so about 3.66% of the price, and the agency usually charges the same to each side. Certificates and registration add a few hundred dollars.
The biggest items are the agency and the escribano. The ITP is usually smaller than it looks, because the cadastral value is often well below the market price.
Plan the money early: since Decree 238/026 (October 2026), you can pay at most UI 200,000 (about USD 33,000) of the price in cash, so the rest goes by bank transfer, with proof of where the money comes from. With a mortgage as a non-resident, expect about 40% down and 6.75% in dollars at Santander for a main home (rate of August 7, 2026).
How much are property taxes on houses?
Yearly property taxes often come to about USD 400 to 1,000 (about UYU 16,000 to UYU 40,100), by our estimate. That is for a house worth about 200,000 dollars. Big houses on large plots in Carrasco or Maldonado pay more.
There are two taxes, both on the cadastral value, not on the price you paid: the Contribución Inmobiliaria, set by each department (in Montevideo, the 2026 bands run from 0.25% to 1.80% of the taxable value), and the national Impuesto de Primaria (0.15% to 0.30%).
Montevideo, Maldonado, Canelones and the other departments have their own rules, so ask the escribano for the latest Contribución Inmobiliaria and Primaria receipts before you sign. Unpaid bills follow the property.
How much is home insurance for a house?
Home insurance usually costs about UYU 10,000 to 36,000 a year (about USD 250 to 900), by our estimate, and big houses can cost much more.
The price depends on the insured value, contents, fire and storm cover, liability, location, closeness to the sea, security, the state of the roof and whether the house is lived in all year or only in summer.
What are typical utility costs for a house?
For a 2- or 3-bedroom house, utilities usually cost about UYU 6,000 to 12,000 a month (about USD 150 to 300), by our estimate.
That is roughly UYU 2,800 to 10,000 for electricity, UYU 800 to 2,400 for water, UYU 1,200 to 2,800 for bottled gas if you use it often, and UYU 1,200 to 2,000 for internet (about USD 70 to 250, USD 20 to 60, USD 30 to 70 and USD 30 to 50).
Heating in winter, air conditioning, a big garden or a pool can push the bill well above that.
What are common hidden costs when buying a house?
House buyers often forget about USD 2,000 to 10,000 (about UYU 80,200 to UYU 401,000) of extra costs in the first months, by our estimate.
A basic inspection costs about USD 300 to 800 (about UYU 12,000 to UYU 32,100), and deeper checks of the roof, damp or septic system by an architect or engineer cost more. The escribano checks the title, not the walls.
Other common surprises: damp in the roof and walls, old wiring, drainage or septic work, boundary issues, unpaid municipal bills, extensions that were never declared, sworn translations, and salt and humidity damage near the coast.
Damp is the one that surprises first-time buyers most: it looks cosmetic in summer and gets expensive after the winter rain.
70+pagesWhat do locals and expats say about house prices in Uruguay?
Do people think houses are overpriced?
Many locals and expats find houses in the best areas expensive, while houses in secondary Montevideo barrios, Canelones, interior towns, Piriápolis, La Paloma and the outskirts of Colonia still feel fairly priced by international standards.
Houses take time to sell. The median listing on TuLugar had been online for about 200 days in October 2026. By our estimate, a house takes 6 to 12 months to sell, against 3 to 6 months for a well-located apartment, and high-end villas on the coast often 9 months or more when the asking price is too ambitious.
The main reason people call houses expensive: the best areas are priced in dollars and compete for wealthy local families, Argentine buyers, returning Uruguayans and foreigners, not for buyers on local salaries. And the peso has been strong in real terms since 2023, which makes Uruguay costly for anyone earning in dollars.
The mood is firm but picky. The number of deeds was up 9.85% in August 2026 (4,838 sales, INE), but buyers negotiate hard on houses that need work or sit in weak locations.
Are prices still rising or cooling?
Rising slowly, not booming. Over the year to April 2026, the price per m² of promoted housing rose 6.3% in US dollars across Uruguay, 5.1% in Montevideo and 9.3% in Maldonado (ANV). Measured in indexed units (UI), which follow inflation, the national figure was −1.3%, so prices are about flat in real terms.
INE's median deed rose 12.5% between July 2025 and July 2026, but it moves with the mix of what sells, so read it as a sign of an active market, not as a price index. Uruguay has no official house price index.
Nobody publishes a forecast. Our estimate is +3% to +6% in dollars over the next 12 months, a bit more for rare, well-priced houses in prime areas. Overpriced houses will need longer on the market or a bigger discount.
Our methodology
This article estimates what a house costs in Uruguay: median asking prices by bedroom count, prices per m², entry and luxury budgets, new houses and houses with land, prices by area in Montevideo, its suburbs and Punta del Este, buying and yearly costs, and the rules on cash payments and tax residency that matter for house buyers in 2026.
We start with official data: INE's registered sales (number of deeds and median deed value, July and August 2026) and ANV's price report on promoted housing, which gives actual sale prices and their change in dollars and in UI over the 12 months to April 2026. Because there is no official house price index, we then use portals and brokers: TuLugar (October 2026) for medians by bedroom count in Uruguay, Montevideo and Punta del Este, INGAR (September 2026) for house prices per m² in Montevideo barrios and Santiago Pereyra's house listings (October 2026) for Punta del Este zones. For segments with no published figure (entry level, luxury, new builds, houses with land, suburbs), we sampled listings on InfoCasas, Gallito, Mercado Libre and Engel & Völkers, filtered out weak or one-off listings, and give our own ranges.
For the rules and costs, we used the DGI (transfer tax, Primaria, impatriate regime, 2026 tax-holiday conditions), IMPO (Decree 238/026 on cash payments), the Intendencia de Montevideo (Contribución Inmobiliaria 2026), Caja Notarial and INGAR's 2026 guides for notary and buyer costs, the DGI and RSM Uruguay (2026) for the tax-residency criteria, and URSEA and UTE for utility tariffs.
We checked these figures in October 2026. Peso amounts are converted at about 40.1 pesos per US dollar and 45 pesos per euro (BCU, October 2026). Houses in Uruguay are listed and paid for in US dollars, so the dollar figures are the ones to use; utilities and other small bills are paid in pesos.
Limits: portal and broker figures are asking prices, not sale prices, and they move with what is listed each month; by our estimate, houses sell about 10% below asking. ANV covers promoted new housing only, and INE's median deed mixes all property types. Insurance, utilities, hidden costs and many area ranges are our planning estimates, and we say so in the text.
Key sources used for this analysis include INE, real estate sales July-August 2026, ANV, price report no. 50, TuLugar Datos, INGAR, Montevideo September 2026, Santiago Pereyra Inmobiliaria, DGI, transfer tax, IMPO, Decree 238/026, Intendencia de Montevideo, Contribución Inmobiliaria 2026, INGAR, notary and buyer costs, Forvis Mazars, tax residency, RSM Uruguay, tax residency 2026, UTE 2026 tariff sheet and BCU exchange rates.
