BA is incredibly cheap for tourists right now - but will it last?

[perry]

Uruguay somehow manages to have USA-level restaurant prices without USA-level wages.

one of the dearesr cities of the world is Luanda Angola .Most of its people are dirt poor but the small elite filthy rich . This trend is becoming the norm in Argentina as the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting filthy rich

 

[jantango]

More important are the changes that will give Argentinos a better life.

 

[Quilombo]

Uruguay somehow manages to have USA-level restaurant prices without USA-level wages.

This is exactly what I'm expecting to happen. Tomorrow morning Precios Cuidados ends, the BCRA dollar goes to 650, but peoples wages will not rise too.

That being said, I was talking to a friend about the phenomenon I've noticed in Argentina of businesses simply being able to operate without sales. Places like furniture stores, while non-perishable, have insane prices in dollars, no customers, yet they're open from 10 - 6 like clock work. Obviously this isn't applicable to non-canned food, but I'm guessing we'll see more of this, like how with real estate people just don't sell and list apartments at prices nobody in Argentina can afford.

We'll see prices rise, wages stagnate, and perhaps some stability, but Uruguay should be the expectation, not Buenos Aires of the 90s.

 

[sergio]

This is exactly what I'm expecting to happen. Tomorrow morning Precios Cuidados ends, the BCRA dollar goes to 650, but peoples wages will not rise too.

That being said, I was talking to a friend about the phenomenon I've noticed in Argentina of businesses simply being able to operate without sales. Places like furniture stores, while non-perishable, have insane prices in dollars, no customers, yet they're open from 10 - 6 like clock work. Obviously this isn't applicable to non-canned food, but I'm guessing we'll see more of this, like how with real estate people just don't sell and list apartments at prices nobody in Argentina can afford.

We'll see prices rise, wages stagnate, and perhaps some stability, but Uruguay should be the expectation, not Buenos Aires of the 9

Yes, possibly. The nice restauants and amusements expats like may be enjoyed by a much smnaller group. There will be an exodus of expats.

 

[Ciro]

More important are the changes that will give Argentinos a better life.

LOL

 

[TimeTraveler]

I haven’t lived in BA for decades now (I live in the US) but go there regularly, 3-4x a year. Argentina has gone through all kinds of cycles in terms of being cheap or expensive. When it does get expensive, like really expensive in dollars, that’s usually a sign that a large devaluation is coming (although that can take years sometimes).

In my experience some things are almost always more expensive in Argentina relative to, say, the US. My main comparison is Buenos Aires area vs NYC area.

Electronics, clothing, cars, in general manufactured goods, are usually more expensive in Argentina. But other things are much cheaper. Housing is a lot cheaper. So is healthcare. Food is also generally cheaper (can vary depending on the specific item). Services are also a lot cheaper. Say a tennis lesson, or a cleaning lady, an Uber, or a plumber (although the latter can get a lot more expensive if you need to buy new equipment).

all in all I expect Argentina will always be cheaper overall than the US but with a lot more relative volatility than you find in a country like Spain (which is also a cheap expat destination for US residents).