B.A. Supermarkets More Expensive Than London, Madrid or NY...!!!

[rrptownley]

Not to say that my quality of life here isn't any better than it would be if I lived in London, what constitutes quality of life for me here is different.

I would never have learned how to cook my own chutney or how to darn a sock in London.

 

[PhilipDT]

I don't agree that BA supermarket is more expensive than NY. Thats total bollocks.

Obviously not everything is more expensive but lets take some examples

Mediocre Chilean Salmon $11/lbs in Buenos Aires
vs
Delicious NW sockeye or Alaskan Chinook $8/lb




Bell Peppers in buenos aires $1.84/each
vs
Organic delicious bell peppers @ whole foods, 1.50/each


Cheddar Cheese La Suerte (The only real industria argentina offering and good but not great) $24/lbs!!!
vs
Do even need to make this comparison?

 

[El chabon]

Perhaps your guess is as good as mine, but it's my guess the Bohemian days for "most expats" in BA are over and most of those who are still here have the income to live a much better life than the one you described. Nonetheless, the life you describe is certainly possible and some (younger) expats may still find it desirable.

You can also be stuck here(kid, family, GF/wife who doesnt want to leave or who studies here or lack of job opertunities elsewhere) and I highly doubt many expats here can more or less spend what they want. The lifestyle I described more or less is a fit for all

When you consider the cost of renting or buying an apartment and paying for utilities, and insurance in London, Paris, Rome or any other European capitol, BA may still look like a bargain. Also, it's much easier to be a year round expat in Argentina than Europe or most (if not all of) the most popular expat destinations (where immigration laws are actually enforced and breaking them can have serious consequences).

I would never consider living in a big metropolis in Europe, but would never live outside of the metropolis BA while living in BA, I am guessing this is true for most people who are not from big cities.

Europeans can easily move to the EU, Americans easy to the USA, this is a bit more dificult if you want to move with your wife(and kids) but it's not impossible. If it's impossible your stuck(see above)

Regarding the original post: Yes, the prices of some of the groceries in the USA and London are significantly lower than in Argentina, the selection and quality is so much better: just look at the price and quality of something like canned tuna and I've never found canned crab or salmon. If I didn't like cooking from scratch and preferred prepared foods or eating in restaurants, I probably would not be an expat in Argentina.

Good explination, but not everybody got the time for that, see for example the example of 2 young professionals

 

[French jurist]

No idea in the US, but in the UE, food prices are in fact distorted because of subsidies (Common Agricultural Policy represents nearly half of the EU budget = 50 billions of Euros).

Prices we pay in Europe don't reflect the real cost of production... Add to that income & indirect taxes needed to fund the EU and I'd be interested in the comparison.

The soviet-like system here is in Europe, not in Argentina... )

 

[Rich One]

No idea in the US, but in the UE, food prices are in fact distorted because of subsidies (Common Agricultural Policy represents nearly half of the EU budget = 50 billions of Euros).

Prices we pay in Europe don't reflect the real cost of production... Add to that income & indirect taxes needed to fund the EU and I'd be interested in the comparison.

The soviet-like system here is in Europe, not in Argentina... )

Not sure what you mean?
We are considering Consumer Prices for similar products, are we supposed to know and discuss the level of subsidies, say in dairy products, between Madrid and B.A. Products in Argentina reflect the Cost of Production????

SOVIET LIKE SYSTEM.....

 

[davonz]

No idea in the US, but in the UE, food prices are in fact distorted because of subsidies (Common Agricultural Policy represents nearly half of the EU budget = 50 billions of Euros).

From what i remember this mostly impacts the price of dairy products (milk/cheese/butter etc), and that is to make the EU produced items able to compete with imported dairy goods from countries like NZ. So it makes the EU produced items cheaper, but not the imported, so i dont think it distorts the price to much as i can buy NZ butter/cheese/milk powder for a reasonably cheap price in EU, cheaper than arg cheese/butter/milk in arg.

As for prices in ARG supermarkets, they have been higher than EU for the last 3 years now. Some things are cheaper, but not many, and the quality in arg is crap. The biggest price distortions in ARG are for luxary items, chocolate, chips/chrisps, biscuits. But also canned products, dairy products, veges (quality is crap in arg), bread.

It amazes me that i can buy USA grapes or Chilian grapes in NZ cheaper (US$3 to $4 per kg) than what i can buy arg or chilian grapes in BSAS (30+ pesos per kg last time i looked), or ecuadorian bananas (US$1.50 per kg but often on special for around $1) that cost around 10 pesos per kg in BSAS where they dont have to travel to the other side of the world..

 

[French jurist]

Not sure what you mean?
We are considering Consumer Prices for similar products, are we supposed to know and discuss the level of subsidies, say in dairy products, between Madrid and B.A. Products in Argentina reflect the Cost of Production????

Because the European subsidies have a hidden cost in this case (paid via taxes or such), so it should be included in the price too for a perfect comparison.

Like said Davonz though, this applies mainly to dairy products.

 

[Ashley]

Well, depends.
Something alike Gruyere Cheese cost 115 pesos per kilo at the Disco at Talcahuano y Santa Fe but 40 pesos at Estacion Lomas de Zamora. The Central Market is also unexpensible. The problem is that people wants to pay Lomas de Zamora´s prices at Recoleta.

No, people just don't want to have to drive/bus/train over an hour away to buy their stuff in Lomas de Zamora! Plenty of expats live in less prestigious barrios of Buenos Aires...yet in Capital, the prices really don't vary much. It's not realistic for anyone that works to have to go out to the provincia to do their shopping, especially if they don't own a car.

 

[citygirl]

I'm not so sure I'd trust the quality in the mercado central and it certainly is a huge PITA to get there, even if you do have a car.

As I'm sitting in NYC at this moment, I can say that I personally have spent less on restaurants/supermarkets here than I do in Buenos Aires. It's a n1 sample obviously but I was just doing the math on what I've spent vs what it would have cost me in BsAs and it's definitely been cheaper here. And I've saved a huge amount on clothes shopping but that goes without saying.

Where my parents are in upstate NY, it's incredible how much cheaper it is than Buenos Aires. To be fair, while in a city, it's hardly Buenos Aires but still - pretty shocking.

 

[Crema Americana]

Food in Buenos Aires is expensive, especially if you're comparing at the "official" rate. I think if you use the blue rate food prices would seem more reasonable. Well, aside from anything imported. It makes me sad to see Nutella at over 30 pesos now... I remember a year ago it was 16 and I didn't buy it then because I thought it was too much. I think that's the most frustrating thing about it - to see that your money is getting you less and less each month and you start to cut back. Buying a jar of peanut butter has gotten to be a splurge item!

And whether using official rate or blue rate, the average earning wage isn't even taken into account... $5 in the US while having more buying power, also is easier to earn than here. In fact I can't even get dollars here.

When you compare cities I think it's important to keep what the average citizen earns in mind (New York supermarkets are expensive, even compared to other US cities, but New York wages tend to be higher, too.)

Crazy American preppers don't seem so crazy anymore.