Argentina is expensive. Really don't know how middle class here get by

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Fiscal

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My income is in USD and is relatively high for the US. My wife was definitely wrong about getting by on $1500 here. The only place where Argentina seems cheaper is with food. And even then, only in some cases. A fancy restaurant here is $100 vs $300 in Los Angeles. But there are tons of mid ranged restaurants that are $35-45 that are more or less the same as a US restaurant. Clothes, electronics, etc often seem more expensive, much more expensive in fact. Rent in a ritzy building is about the same in LA.

The difference is that in LA there are thousands of yuppies like me with the same income. From what I've been told, a doctor in Argentina doesn't make more than $50k, which is less than what a secretary makes in LA.

So how do people manage here? I understand there are plenty of wealthy Argentinians. But is there a middle class here? Who are they? I can't imagine a doctor making 50k having a decent quality of life here.
 
Doctors make U$S 50,000? Really? Annually? I didn't think they earned as much as that unless they're high level surgeons. Is this correct?

I think restaurants are cheaper in BA. A glass of wine in an average place in NYC is U$S 15 not including tax and tip. Electronics have always been more expensive in Argentina.
 
sergio said:
Doctors make U$S 50,000? Really? Annually? I didn't think they earned as much as that unless they're high level surgeons. Is this correct?

I think restaurants are cheaper in BA. A glass of wine in an average place in NYC is U$S 15 not including tax and tip. Electronics have always been more expensive in Argentina.
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A good doctor here makes much more tha 4k a month.
Rent cost the same as in LA?are you crazy?where do you rent?in the strugamu?In belgrano,a one room apprt cost about 12.000 pesos,that is 300 dollars a month,where do you rengt in LA for 300 a month?
 
I don't know where you eat out. But at my favorite places I can have a nice meal with a glass of wine for less than 20$ with a tip. There is no city in the U.S. I could afford to buy an apartment. I have a nice apartment here. There is no city in the U.S.where I could live on my social security. I can here. With dollars ,if you are not extravagant, it is easy to live a very nice life here.
 
Aztangogirl said:
I don't know where you eat out. But at my favorite places I can have a nice meal with a glass of wine for less than 20$ with a tip. There is no city in the U.S. I could afford to buy an apartment. I have a nice apartment here. There is no city in the U.S.where I could live on my social security. I can here. With dollars ,if you are not extravagant, it is easy to live a very nice life here.
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How many USD? And when did you buy your place?
 
jantango said:
What middle class? It no longer exists in the USA or Argentina.
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There is no middle class in Los Angeles but there are plenty of lawyeds, doctors, engineers, finance/hedge fund types that make $400k plus. Which is a lot of money but in LA does not get you far if you want to buy a house or send your kids to private school.
 
Fiscal said:
There is no middle class in Los Angeles but there are plenty of lawyeds, doctors, engineers, finance/hedge fund types that make $400k plus. Which is a lot of money but in LA does not get you far if you want to buy a house or send your kids to private school.
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U$S 400,000 is not enough to live on? Won't pay for private school (anyway why do you need private school if you live in a nice suburb?). You can't get a nice home on a salary of U$S 400,000 ? OMG. Is everyone homeless in LA?
 
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