National average 4,178
Colonia9,707+19.7 %Soriano7,964−7.6 %San José6,842+5.1 %Canelones6,492−5.7 %Maldonado5,647−2.0 %Florida5,265+12.3 %Río Negro5,138−9.0 %Flores4,667−11.7 %Durazno4,032−17.5 %Rocha3,839+22.3 %Lavalleja3,736+5.0 %Treinta y Tres3,384+6.9 %Bar length and order follow the official annual figures. Percentage: change against 2024.
The price
The 2025 average was USD 3,194 per hectare, down 10.7 % year on year and about a quarter below the national figure. 20,572 hectares traded across 111 contracts, so the market has real depth.
What the border does
Melo lies under 90 kilometres from Río Branco and the Brazilian frontier. Brazilian buyers and tenants have long been active in Cerro Largo, which partly couples local demand to the neighbouring economy and its exchange rate.
For a European buyer that is an extra variable rather than a warning. You simply need to know it: when the real weakens against the dollar, part of the market's willingness to pay shifts without anything having changed inside Uruguay.
Land use
Traditionally Cerro Largo is cattle country on extensive grassland. Recent years added rice on the flatter ground towards Laguna Merín, and planted forestry. A mean parcel of 185 hectares describes a market trading operating units, not smallholdings.
Sources
Figures verified on 2026-07-27
Information is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal or tax advice. Prices shown are averages from official statistics, not valuations of individual properties.