Pedasí vs Salto
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Salto edges it, 63 to 59, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Pedasí is stronger on cost of living; Salto on safety, internet, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Sleepy Azuero fishing town with surf at Playa Venao and dry-season sun
Full Pedasí profile →Plan a trip to Pedasí →Uruguay's second city, on the river border with hot springs nearby
Full Salto profile →Plan a trip to Salto →Where they differ
- Safety. Salto leads on safety, 64 to 48, against Pedasí. Homicides per 100,000: 12.78 vs 11.28.
- Internet. Salto leads on internet, 84 to 70, against Pedasí. Measured download: 42.3 Mbps vs 82.7 Mbps.
- Air quality. Salto leads on air quality, 90 to 78, against Pedasí. PM2.5: 15.1 µg/m³ vs 9.5 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on healthcare, getting there & around.
Pick Pedasí if you want
- to spend about $350 less a month
Pick Salto if you want
- faster internet (82.7 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
- cleaner air
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Pedasí | Salto |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 53 ✓ | 43 |
| Safety | 48 | 64 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 83 ✓ | 82 |
| Internet | 70 | 84 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 79 ✓ | 71 |
| Getting there & around | 24 ✓ | 22 |
| Climate | 33 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 78 | 90 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 63 | 74 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Pedasí | Salto |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,550 ✓ | $1,900 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Pedasí | Salto |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 12.78 | 11.28 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 69.9 | 88.4 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 85 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 79.3 yrs ✓ | 77.1 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Pedasí | Salto |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 42.3 Mbps | 82.7 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 9.9 Mbps | 28.8 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Pedasí | Salto |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Short-stay visa for remote workers | Digital nomad permit (Hoja de Identidad Provisoria) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days ✓ | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Pedasí | Salto |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 94 ✓ | 16 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Pedasí | Salto |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 15.1 µg/m³ | 9.5 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Pedasí or Salto?
- Pedasí is cheaper: about $1,550 per month versus $1,900 for one person.
- Is Pedasí or Salto safer?
- Salto scores higher on safety (64 vs 48), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Pedasí or Salto?
- Salto: a measured median of 82.7 Mbps versus 42.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Pedasí vs Panama City
- Pedasí vs Bocas del Toro
- Salto vs Punta del Este
- Salto vs A Coruña
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.