Cost of living/immigration from Europe

[jb5]

Actually, the amount necessary to get a foreign investment visa is 1.5 million pesos.

 

[LittleNic]

Hello all,

I currently live in Portugal and earn between €1000 and €2000 per month working freelance as a professional translator for European clients. My partner does the same so our yearly combined income is approximately €36,000 before tax/deductions so let's say around €30,000 net. We have lived in Buenos Aires before (worked and studied for over a year) and are keen to move back at some point. I have two main questions:

1. With a joint income of approximately AR$165k per year I am assuming we could live quite well in Buenos Aires but am worried about inflation as I know this is obviously a serious problem in Argentina. In terms of living costs, what would a couple, with a more or less middle class standard of living expect to be paying monthly at present (I last lived in Argentina in 2007 so prices are probably very different now) let's say including all food, rent (2 bedroom modern apartment in Belgrano/Palermo preferably probably with a cleaner once or twice a week) and bills + additional expenses (cinema, restaurants a few times a week)?

2. We have EU passports and are both educated to Masters level. How difficult would it be to get a visa?

Thanks to in advance for your help.

Are you talking net or gros income??

 

[gouchobob]

To each his own but visiting a place is a lot different than living there. If you do come I wouldn't burn any bridges in case it doesn't work out.

 

[mini]

Are you talking net or gros income??

You have the answer in the text you quoted.

so let's say around €30,000 net.

 

[Chris_Porto]

Thank you for all your input.

So starting up a business and using that to get residency is not possible. The other options would be getting a job there, which I'm not really keen on. I wonder if perhaps working part-time would suffice? I'll look into it.

My original question still remains- in terms of income, does anyone have a ballpark figure with regards to the living costs I mentioned in my original post?

@mini
Thanks very much for your help. I'm not keen on doing the tourist visa thing again as my passport is already full of Argentine stamps and I've heard of people having lots of problems in the past once they've been there for a while- I wouldn't want to risk it. I'll see what other options I have although it doesn't look like there are many!

@gouchobob
I have studied and worked in Argentina for about a year and a half in total with 13 months being the longest time I have spent there consecutively. I have visited several times in addition to the time I spent living there.

@Littlenic
Yes, net, as mini mentioned. At least AR$165k per year net for two people, although it's likely to be around 25% higher in reality.

@Lamb
It is! And I would miss it desperately if I left, but saying that I also love Buenos Aires...

 

[fifs2]

Sigh - for those of you that are local, you have NO idea the costs incurred by most expats who don't have access to a guarantia, pay for furnished apts, don't have family and friends to give a discount or do work on your apt for low/no costs, etc, etc. . So no, there is no guarantee that the OP would be able to afford a card (which starts at about 40.000 pesos to buy a basic model).

Regarding foreign investors - I believe it requires a 1.000.000 peso investment.

If you want to move here & setting up a company here (without having to invest a million pesos), the company requires that the director have residency.

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

Hold the faith citygirl...you have the knowledge, there will always be newbies thinking inside their own small circles of such. Not their fault, keep advising and helping and remember to breath....

 

[mini]

My original question still remains- in terms of income, does anyone have a ballpark figure with regards to the living costs I mentioned in my original post?

I think your question has been answered as best as we can. You can live on E30,000 per year and have a nice middle class life in one of the barrios you have chosen.

Looking at the question another way: How much of your E30K can you save? Well, that depends on your lifestyle (only you know that) and how you work around the housing issue. Housing is the biggest expense.

 

[John.St]

I'm not keen on doing the tourist visa thing again as my passport is already full of Argentine stamps

Then get a new one.

 

[steveinbsas]

Quote:Originally Posted by Chris_Porto
I'm not keen on doing the tourist visa thing again as my passport is already full of Argentine stamps

Have you considered applying for Argentine citizenship? If you really want to live in Argentina it might be possible. The "tourist visa thing" may eventually become a thing of the past and a new passport won't make any difference.

 

[Chris_Porto]

@John.St
I have a perfectly fresh, untouched British passport with no stamps at all as I always travel on my Irish passport but my problem with this whole idea is that I would effectively be living there illegally and without any sort of rights which I really don't want to do. Also, I'm not sure about how it would work in terms of banking/tax; I would basically be illegally in the country and be working illegally....

@Steveinbsas
Yes, that's what I've read. Citizenship would definitely be a better option, for my situation. I would probably be intending to stay in Argentina for 3-4 years minimum and possibly a lot longer so it would make more sense. Do you have any further information about this procedure?

@mini
Thanks so much.
Yes, housing is certainly the problem. We are going to try and be sensible about it and work and save in Europe for a few years so that we could maybe afford to buy somewhere when we get to Buenos Aires. It would make a massive difference to not have to pay rent.