Argentina's 300% inflation creates ghost town on Paraguay border

[MilHojas]

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/argentinas-300-inflation-propped-up-peso-spawn-paraguay-border-ghost-town-2024-05-27/

Paraguayan shoppers used to flock in their droves to the border town of Nanawa to buy cheap imports from Argentina, where the weak peso currency for years kept relative prices low for fuel, medicine and groceries smuggled in across the frontier.

Archived version

 

[Redpossum]

Ahh, Reuters.

"Reuters found on average a half liter bottle of olive oil cost $15 in Buenos Aires, with some brands priced as high as $26"

I just paid 4500 pesos at my local chino yesterday.

 

[Ruta Otto]

Ahh, Reuters.

"Reuters found on average a half liter bottle of olive oil cost $15 in Buenos Aires, with some brands priced as high as $26"

I just paid 4500 pesos at my local chino yesterday.

They probably looked in the supermarket websites

 

[AdrianB]

So sre chinos on average cheaper than carrefour, dia, disco etc?

 

[Reply Guy]

So sre chinos on average cheaper than carrefour, dia, disco etc?

Depends on the product, you can usually get better deals at Coto with sales.

Jumbo is probably the most expensive supermarket

 

[Redpossum]

Depends on the product, you can usually get better deals at Coto with sales.

Jumbo is probably the most expensive supermarket

This, exactly. There is no hard and fast "X is cheaper than Y" rule in Argentina. It varies from item to item, and sometimes from week to week.

Chino can be great for some items, but they have no senior discount, and you really need to check expiration dates carefully before you buy. For younger folks who are still working, the savings might not be worth the time. But for us old farts on a fixed income, shopping around to 5 different places is no big deal. My standard round of shopping includes the bakery, the big Coto, the dietetica, the fiambreria, the chino, and then two or potentially three different verdulerías, and then possibly another different bakery. And sometimes the pharmacy, any of three different ones.