Farms and ranches for sale in Uruguay

Ranch, estancia and chacra: what each term means

In Uruguay, a campo is a working rural property (a farm or ranch), usually from dozens to thousands of hectares, used for cattle, crops, dairy or forestry. An estancia is a large ranch with a main house, staff quarters, barns and improvements. A chacra is a small rural property of a few hectares, mostly used as a country or vacation home: the minimum size for subdividing rural land is 5 hectares (12.4 acres), or 3 hectares (7.4 acres) in Montevideo, Canelones, Colonia, San José and Maldonado.

What a hectare of farmland costs

According to Uruguay's Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (DIEA), farmland sold for an average of USD 4,178 per hectare in 2025 (about USD 1,690 per acre), the highest level since the series began in 2000: up 5% from 2024 and 27% from 2020. The average is based on 1,718 sales of 10 hectares or more, and it varies widely by department and soil: in 2025, a hectare in Colonia was worth four times as much as one in Artigas.

Department averages can swing from one year to the next where there are few sales: use them as a reference, not as the price of a specific property.

Source: DIEA-MGAP, published March 23, 2026

The CONEAT index

CONEAT measures the productive capacity of the soil on each rural parcel; 100 is the national average. It is published by the Ministry of Livestock and can be looked up for free by department and parcel number (padrón) in the ministry's soil viewer. Values range from very low in the eastern hills to more than 200 on the deep soils of the west and south.

It is the most widely used price benchmark: the higher the CONEAT, the higher the price per hectare. Per unit of productivity, however, land with a CONEAT between 80 and 120 costs the least.

Source: DIEA-MGAP, 2025 sales

Leasing versus buying

In 2025, farmland leased for an average of USD 133 per hectare per year, with large differences by use. Many buyers lease their land to local producers while they decide how to run it.

Source: DIEA-MGAP, 2025 leases

Regions and land uses

Beef cattle is the main activity on 65% of Uruguay's commercial farmland, and on more than 80% in Artigas, Salto, Durazno, Tacuarembó, Lavalleja and Maldonado. Dryland crops (soybeans, wheat, corn) are concentrated in the west and south, in Soriano and Colonia; dairy in San José, Colonia and Florida; rice in the east, in Treinta y Tres, Cerro Largo and Rocha. Forestry covers about 1.2 million hectares, led by Rivera and Río Negro. In Maldonado, alongside cattle, there are vineyards and olive groves, and near the coast of Maldonado and Rocha, ranches are also sought after for the scenery.

How foreigners buy farmland in Uruguay

Today, the rules do not require Uruguayan citizenship or residency for an individual buying farmland. If a company buys, all of its capital must be held in registered shares owned by individuals, unless the Executive Branch authorizes otherwise. The law also bars companies controlled by foreign governments or sovereign wealth funds from owning rural land.

If a property exceeds 500 hectares at CONEAT 100 (200 in Colonia, Florida, Maldonado and San José; 100 in Canelones), the seller must first offer it to the National Institute of Colonization (Instituto Nacional de Colonización), Uruguay's land settlement agency, which has 20 business days to respond. Buyer and seller each pay a 2% transfer tax on the official cadastral value, withheld by the notary. Rules can change: confirm them with a Uruguayan notary before signing.

What to check before you buy

The CONEAT index and soil map for each parcel; the survey plan and title; water rights (ponds, wells, irrigation) and who holds them; native forest (which cannot be cleared) or soils designated for forestry; road access and rights of way; existing leases; the condition of the main house, barns, fencing and water points; and whether the property must first be offered to the National Institute of Colonization. Our team supports you at every step, together with your notary.