Cost of living in Argentina for foreigners improving?

[Che1990]

Those are monopolies and domestic protections that the libertarian leader has no plans to address. Those regulations protect the entrenched businesses who enabled his presidency. Decrees and laws set during the dictatorship of the 70s which still exist today for the same reason they did at that time.

As this recent opinion piece attempts to explain:

El control de precios que mantiene cautiva a la industria inmobiliaria

El sistema de colegios inmobiliarios y la matrícula obligatoria, heredados de decretos de la dictadura y reforzados en democracia, mantienen trabado al mercado con controles de precios, burocracia y privilegios corporativos. Para muchos especialistas, liberar la competencia es clave para...

www-ambito-com.translate.goog

Though similar issues have existed in US for decades as well. Not laws, just old-fashion conspiracy and collusion. Only last year the Supreme Court ruled against the antitrust practices of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and their terms of accessing the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). On paper this was supposed to lower commission costs for consumers, but reports are that not much has changed so far one year later.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/15/economy/nar-realtor-commissions-settlement

Yeah, it's ridiculous that's it's not a political debate, considering how many people have to rent (either temporary and paying 1 months commission, or traditional and paying 2 months seguro de caucion), and how many rent out ther homes and have to pay commission for long-term rentals.

It's a massive cost for many people in society, yet there's no political debate to do away if it. It's crazy. But, as you mentioned, it's the corruption.

 

[Che1990]

Those are monopolies and domestic protections that the libertarian leader has no plans to address. Those regulations protect the entrenched businesses who enabled his presidency. Decrees and laws set during the dictatorship of the 70s which still exist today for the same reason they did at that time.

As this recent opinion piece attempts to explain:

El control de precios que mantiene cautiva a la industria inmobiliaria

El sistema de colegios inmobiliarios y la matrícula obligatoria, heredados de decretos de la dictadura y reforzados en democracia, mantienen trabado al mercado con controles de precios, burocracia y privilegios corporativos. Para muchos especialistas, liberar la competencia es clave para...

www-ambito-com.translate.goog

Though similar issues have existed in US for decades as well. Not laws, just old-fashion conspiracy and collusion. Only last year the Supreme Court ruled against the antitrust practices of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and their terms of accessing the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). On paper this was supposed to lower commission costs for consumers, but reports are that not much has changed so far one year later.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/15/economy/nar-realtor-commissions-settlement

although, it seems that there is debate and they do want to deregulate "https://www.infobae.com/economia/20...mobiliario-que-propone-y-a-quienes-beneficia/"

 

[Che1990]

Here when the local butcher sells less he increases the prices.???

That's the local logic - not making much money as I'm selling very little, therefore, I need to put my prices up to compensate - it's incredible but that is business accument for many - not all - here.

The concept of reducing prices, charging less and making more through volume and turnover is an alien concept for many. Too much hard work.

 

[perry]

i find it outrageously expensive especially for food which by all accounts is the dearest of the world . Asían food is ridiculously expensive in Buenos Aires simple rice fishes are 20 dollars each and to Buy sushi is to pay three times Tokyo prices these days for inferior Quality .

This video from Chinatown Chicago shows prices thay are a steal in argentina .same ítems close to three times dearer in Argentina

.

 

[dlish]

A few months ago there was a video on TikTok/IG about a furniture business that was doing really well because they had good prices.

If you come across this again please post it, in case I buy furniture. Thx.

 

[desde_Holanda]

That's the local logic - not making much money as I'm selling very little, therefore, I need to put my prices up to compensate - it's incredible but that is business accument for many - not all - here.

The concept of reducing prices, charging less and making more through volume and turnover is an alien concept for many. Too much hard work.

Sounds like a great opportunity for foreigners with the right business acumen to start a business in some kind of consumer goods with competitive pricing. Why I never read about that?

 

[dlish]

Sounds like a great opportunity for foreigners with the right business acumen to start a business in some kind of consumer goods with competitive pricing. Why I never read about that?

I think the opposite is true - you need to be a local to navigate the endless ups and downs and twists and turns of the economy here

 

[gracielle]

7 October 2025...."Otra Mañana" interviewer: Antonio Laje on A24.com
ARG owner is 35 years old, reinvented himself, and today people line up to shop at one of his 20 wholesale stores....

 

[Quilombo]

So, I've been outside of Argentina for a few months now, but I still keep up with the news, and I have to say, while I knew it before, living through it has been another thing: Argentine businesses truly have consumers over a barrel.

Since Argentina and Brazil are in a customs union, I'm often looking at or buying literally the same brands, same model numbers, same product, and a ton of stuff is increasingly bilingual to make shipping to the rest of Mercosur easier, but the price differences between here and Argentina are night and day. While it's true that VAT here is 4% lower, prices are anywhere from 10% to 50% less, or even lower than Argentina, and you can't simply chalk it up just to freight.

This is what Milei and the "pro-market" guys don't understand, and what several of us have been saying since 2023 when it looked like he was going to win: taxes could be 0% in Argentina, but basic economics will always be ignored in favor of insane margins as @Che1990 was saying. These companies don't want to compete, and I'm not sure if Rich's question about butchers was rhetorical or not, but this is exactly what I've seen time and time again: Argentine businesses, even those that sell perishable goods, would prefer to sell 1 unit for $5 instead of 2 for $9.50, even if that means losing their original investment.

Milei and Caputo's conceptualization of economics are purely theoretical because that's what they studied in school (and orthodoxically at that; Austrian, and neoliberal respectively). They're also both so wealthy that they probably haven't gone grocery shopping personally since Menem was in office, and earnestly believe that if you "cut red tape" and "free the market" things will just sort themselves out, but don't know or don't care that Argentine business men have always viewed laize-faire economics as an invitation by the government to gamble as to how high they can set their profit margins before they either go bankrupt due to a lack of sales, or political pressure forces the government to intervene in the gouging (think pre-pagas).

Finally, let's remember that the US doesn't directly intervene in other countries economies (and elections) the way it did here when things are going well: things are so bad in Argentina that, at best, Scott Bessent is truly corrupt, and is just saving his friend Rob Citrone from having to take a bath on his Argentine investments, or at worse, the US fears a Tequila Fernet Crisis, and is trying to prop Milei up lest Trump lose one of his most loyal sycophants in the region.

TL;DR cost of living for all, not just foreigners will continue to get worse; beatings to continue until morale improves.

 

[darksider415]

So, I've been outside of Argentina for a few months now, but I still keep up with the news, and I have to say, while I knew it before, living through it has been another thing: Argentine businesses truly have consumers over a barrel.

Since Argentina and Brazil are in a customs union, I'm often looking at or buying literally the same brands, same model numbers, same product, and a ton of stuff is increasingly bilingual to make shipping to the rest of Mercosur easier, but the price differences between here and Argentina are night and day. While it's true that VAT here is 4% lower, prices are anywhere from 10% to 50% less, or even lower than Argentina, and you can't simply chalk it up just to freight.

TL;DR cost of living for all, not just foreigners will continue to get worse; beatings to continue until morale improves.

When my wife moved here, Buenos Aires was significantly cheaper in most aspects than Rio de Janeiro. Now that we're looking at moving to Brazil, we're calculating a roughly 50% cut in our expenses, even factoring in getting a much more expensive property than our current apartment.

We're flying to Brazil next week to look at land and possibly get the move kicked off, and it's not coming a moment too soon.