Food prices are amongst the highest of the planet

[John.St]

What would success look like for Milei haters? Almost every category of food from beef to fried chicken is significantly cheaper here than the rest of the world

OK, I admit, rice is slightly more dear. (20 cents per kilo) and Thai food is expensive. So are we just a cheap Pad Thai away from y'all admitting Milei is doing well ?

People who wish Argentina would crash and burn just because they dislike the democratically elected president are evil

The problem is that wages in Argentina haven't followed suit, measured in foreign currencies like US$, SFR or EU€. There are now about 30% more people living under the poverty limit, a total of 55% who have less than the price of the basic canasta. You don't have to be a Milei hater to observe that.

Milei's problem is that Argentina was on the way to become another Germany 1923, people would need small prams to carry their wages in 1,000,000,000 pesos bills home, with the previous government leaving a 150% inflation, and a huge deficit on the budget.
The only two futures I can see for Argentina is digging the financial hole deeper and deeper, or the necessary, very unpleasant measures Milei is taking.

 

[Ceviche]

Poverty in South America (% of population living with less than $5.50 per day):

2012

Chile: 2%

Argentina: 4%

Brazil: 26%

Venezuela: 29%

2022

Chile: 5%

Brazil: 30%

Argentina: 36%

Venezuela: 90%

 

[Tilda]

How not to be poor in paradise.

I hesitate to present my opinions here because first, I’m not the intended audience of the forum and second, I’m worried that you will just tell me to get out of here.

I’m lucky to own my house and have a job that I like, even if I feel like I’m doing more work than my salary warrants. I know for a fact that my husband does.

We are at the moment above the poverty line because we don’t pay rent but food is taking up the mayor part of the budget. There is no eating out. There are no weekend trips to Chile.

The cute baby in the profile picture is 14 and, with his 17 and 13 year old brothers, is eating a lot!

After 16 years in this country, at 45 years old, with an established career as a teacher I’m here for the long run. This is my first real crisis. And it’s scary. Lots of people are scared.

 

[steveinbsas]

How not to be poor in paradise.

I hesitate to present my opinions here because first, I’m not the intended audience of the forum...

Having already read what you wrote at the end of your post, I think it's time that the entire audience of the forum, especially any of the members who may not be fully aware of what expats with families trying to live on local salaries or retired expats wirh low dollar incomes are dealing with now compared to six to nine months ago.

and second, I’m worried that you will just tell me to get out of here.

Like someone (who may not have realized that Perry's concerns were never about himself) told him to leave Argentina after he (Perry) repeatedly (over time) expressed his concerns that food costs in Argentina have become increasingly (and alarmingly) high for Argentines trying to feed theír families?.

Í can only speak for myself, so I'll take the opportunity to thank you for all of your posts, especially this one.

After 16 years in this country, at 45 years old, with an established career as a teacher I’m here for the long run. This is my first real crisis. And it’s scary. Lots of people are scared.

Less than a week ago, my closest (35 y.o.) neighbor told me it now costs $20.000 per day to feed his family of four. He doesn't pay rent, but his salary as a police officer at the naval base is strecthed to the limit. He and his lady had been making craft items to sell on weekends in the plaza in Punta Alta, but in the past few months, their sales revenue often can't cover their fuel costs.

 

[Quilombo]

I lived in California, but were you in a different place called California than the one where I lived (in LA)? Prices have risen here in Buenos Aire but are still much, much lower than in Buenos Aires.

A few different places in LA County; LA itself, Burbank, Glendale, Malibu, etc. and it was the same everywhere, some things more expensive, other things much, much cheaper. The reason why is import tariffs, variety, and gouging. There's no competition here, and the government protects Argentine companies while they have consumers over a barrel. I don't know why people thought this would stop when Milei became president, especially with the tax increases on imports.

Here we get killed with tariffs, and Milei is no different than Alberto, full state sponsored protectionism for Argentine conglomerates: $7,700 for a god damned can of corn from France isn't going to get Argentine companies to stop gouging people, nobody is going to buy that, and it's not going to put any downward pressure on food prices. You have to permit imports AND eliminate tariffs to do that. My personal opinion is to simply eliminate IVA on items that belong to the canasta basica, but I suppose that would be too easy.

 

[ArgentinaVet]

How not to be poor in paradise.

I hesitate to present my opinions here because first, I’m not the intended audience of the forum and second, I’m worried that you will just tell me to get out of here.

I’m lucky to own my house and have a job that I like, even if I feel like I’m doing more work than my salary warrants. I know for a fact that my husband does.

We are at the moment above the poverty line because we don’t pay rent but food is taking up the mayor part of the budget. There is no eating out. There are no weekend trips to Chile.

The cute baby in the profile picture is 14 and, with his 17 and 13 year old brothers, is eating a lot!

After 16 years in this country, at 45 years old, with an established career as a teacher I’m here for the long run. This is my first real crisis. And it’s scary. Lots of people are scared.

Thank you for participating and telling your story.

The current recession is brutal and frightening, however, better days are coming now that the Ley Bases has been passed (it still needs to be gone over once more by the lower house of Congress).

Greed will soon take over from fear and market participants will start getting the economy moving now that the RIGI, blanqeo, more reasonable labor regulations will be the law of the land. Milei will now have all sorts of new emergency economic powers and there will be many more decrees deregulating the economy and facilitating the creation of jobs and investment.

 

[Redpossum]

Having already read what you wrote at the end of your post, I think it's time that the entire audience of the forum, especially any of the members who may not be fully aware of what expats with families trying to live on local salaries or retired expats wirh low dollar incomes are dealing with now compared to six to nine months ago.


Like someone (who may not have realized that Perry's concerns were never about himself) told him to leave Argentina after he (Perry) repeatedly (over time) expressed his concerns that food costs in Argentina have become increasingly (and alarmingly) high for Argentines trying to feed theír families?.

Í can only speak for myself, so I'll take the opportunity to thank you for all of your posts, especially this one.


Less than a week ago, my closest (35 y.o.) neighbor told me it now costs $20.000 per day to feed his family of four. He doesn't pay rent, but his salary as a police officer at the naval base is strecthed to the limit. He and his lady had been making craft items to sell on weekends in the plaza in Punta Alta, but in the past few months, their sales revenue often can't cover their fuel costs.

Very well said, Steve. You knocked it out of the park with this one.

 

[nikad]

How not to be poor in paradise.

I hesitate to present my opinions here because first, I’m not the intended audience of the forum and second, I’m worried that you will just tell me to get out of here.

I’m lucky to own my house and have a job that I like, even if I feel like I’m doing more work than my salary warrants. I know for a fact that my husband does.

We are at the moment above the poverty line because we don’t pay rent but food is taking up the mayor part of the budget. There is no eating out. There are no weekend trips to Chile.

The cute baby in the profile picture is 14 and, with his 17 and 13 year old brothers, is eating a lot!

After 16 years in this country, at 45 years old, with an established career as a teacher I’m here for the long run. This is my first real crisis. And it’s scary. Lots of people are scared.

You are at that point where boys would eat a whole pizza each and over a pound of milanesas, etc. It must be tough indeed. not sure why you think you do not belong to the audience though. In my household we had through the years a mixture of sources of income: from good freelance foreign income, to local salaries ( considered above average ), to being lucky and flipping a property, to being unemployed, to having crappy foreign income, a bit of everything really. In my eyes, food has never been this expensive ( not even in 2001 ) compared to local salaries.

 

[QuilmesSlo]

Covid and the government response, has unleashed global inflation. Currently in Spain where restaurants are 2x my recollection of them.

The real question is whether we will see meaningful improvement in the economy before people like rise up and say no more.

I admire the spirit of a people wanting change despite short term pain (and more?). It is a heartbreaking situation.

 

[Rich One]

I believe something similar to Menem's period 1998-1999 will happen, where Argentina was the most expensive place..!! Then one day people suddenly woke up to find out 3 pesos = 1US$. The end of convertibility. Amen.