Has Argentina Become Worse Or Better for Foreign Retirees recently?

[Neil]

So far no-one has answered my question: How much does health insurance cost for someone 65+? Or over 70. And is it even available for someone that age who is applying for the first time?

I believe you are exaggerating the requirements for a Portuguese retirement visa (we were talking about someone retiring, not investing). This is what I found and it supports what I have read elsewhere:

• Passive Income: Evidence of consistent, recurring income (pensions, investments, property rentals).
• Minimum Income (2025): €870/month (€10,440/year) for the main applicant.

Doesn't Argentina now require even higher monthly income? I thought it was U$S 2,000.

I am glad that you find Argentina a virtual paradise but let's be objective in offering advice to people who are considering uprooting themselves.

There is also the issue of whether those unhappy with the government in the USA want to move somewhere so deeply aligned to the current USA government.

The only comment I can make is health ins. For over 65 if you qualify, can range from $300k pesos and up depending on prepaga, existing conditions etc...and the monthly increases are typically 2% per month...The age threshold seems to be around 63-65 yrs old for new subscribers. Although Hosp. Italiano advertises up to +/- 70 yrs old for first time coverage.

 

[Johnny]

The only comment I can make is health ins. For over 65 if you qualify, can range from $300k pesos and up depending on prepaga, existing conditions etc...and the monthly increases are typically 2% per month...The age threshold seems to be around 63-65 yrs old for new subscribers. Although Hosp. Italiano advertises up to +/- 70 yrs old for first time coverage.

At 73 I am paying Hosp Italiano about $540,000p a month. I've had the insurance for seven years. And as Neil advises the monthly increase is about 2%.

 

[SlowWalker]

Shut down? How so? Does a difference of opinion equate shutting down?

You keep replying shutting down people. multiple replies about cost and from my perspective a negative tone, when multiple people have indicated cost is not driving the decision.

Yes it is more expensive than it was years ago when the government propped the currency and you had a vibrant parallel exchange market. That is no longer the case.

There are more areas to Argentina than BA and their cost is cheaper. Not just rent, but restaurant and meat prices, transportation are cheaper in the interior.

So far no-one has answered my question: How much does health insurance cost for someone 65+? Or over 70. And is it even available for someone that age who is applying for the first time?

I believe you are exaggerating the requirements for a Portuguese retirement visa (we were talking about someone retiring, not investing). This is what I found and it supports what I have read elsewhere:

• Passive Income: Evidence of consistent, recurring income (pensions, investments, property rentals).
• Minimum Income (2025): €870/month (€10,440/year) for the main applicant.

Doesn't Argentina now require even higher monthly income? I thought it was U$S 2,000.

I am glad that you find Argentina a virtual paradise but let's be objective in offering advice to people who are considering uprooting themselves.

There is also the issue of whether those unhappy with the government in the USA want to move somewhere so deeply aligned to the current USA government.

You are highlighting a difference between 500 Euros?, 5%?
The cost of the visa likely depends on how its done and what you include (getting all the documentation, notarization, translations etc). My understanding is Europe is very slow and people likely don't want to interact with the administration directly so they higher services. There had been a huge influx in Portugal which has resulted in major changes to society and attitude towards foreigners etc. Also costs have gone up there big time. So what is "required" by law, vs what is required based on quality of life that one wants might be different now.

And according to Argentina, you need 5x the minimum salary. I believe for March it is around 352,400 Pesos (Argentinian Government Website Minimum Salary), so at $1440 pesos/USD it is $1224/month. Whether that is actually enough is up to you. There are other threads about this topic.

You are asking people for advice, they provide their opinion, and then you disregard it and tell them to be objective. Why don't you just ask Google Gemini or something if you don't want individual's response or ask an immigration consultant/attorney?

 

[PatriotsFan]

Health Insurance certainly can vary. I have Hospital Aleman and I am over 65 with pre-existing conditions (fourth year on the plan and lost the under 65 discount after my second year, which pretty much doubled my premium and I do not have 10 years on the plan so no discount for that). I am paying 577,000 per month (no copays for visits) with the monthly increases of approx. 2%. I actually just walked into Hospital Italiano today and asked about transferring to their plan. I was quoted 772,000 per month. I have been receiving email solicitations from Swiss Medical and will see what they have to say, but the people at Hospital Italiano said that my current rate is a good one for private hospitals. "What a drag it is getting old"

 

[Ries]

So far no-one has answered my question: How much does health insurance cost for someone 65+? Or over 70. And is it even available for someone that age who is applying for the first time?

I believe you are exaggerating the requirements for a Portuguese retirement visa (we were talking about someone retiring, not investing). This is what I found and it supports what I have read elsewhere:

• Passive Income: Evidence of consistent, recurring income (pensions, investments, property rentals).
• Minimum Income (2025): €870/month (€10,440/year) for the main applicant.

Doesn't Argentina now require even higher monthly income? I thought it was U$S 2,000.

I am glad that you find Argentina a virtual paradise but let's be objective in offering advice to people who are considering uprooting themselves.

There is also the issue of whether those unhappy with the government in the USA want to move somewhere so deeply aligned to the current USA government.

Virtual Paradise?
OKAAY.
I am not offering advice- I am discussing my reality, and the actual experience of friends of mine.
I have repeatedly said- you should not move to Argentina because its cheap.
You should move here if you like it here. Which means spending enough time to see the pluses and minuses.

Every different country, and indeed, regions of many countries, has different costs and expenses.
I know a lot of people on the West Coast of the USA who have moved out of the US because its not possible to retire with their reduced income.
Some have gone to Ecuador, Columbia, Panama, Mexico, Thailand, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and even Argentina.
In each case, it was a decision based on their particular needs, desires, and income.

For some people, Argentina pencils out. For others, it doesnt.
I know several people who moved to Portugal. To legally get residency, and qualify for health care, none paid less than $10,000. The people I know owned homes in the US, and sold them, and wanted to own a retirement home wherever they moved.
I have no idea what the situation is for EVERYONE, only the people I know who actually did it, and they all bought houses there.
And that is a minimum euro amount, which a couple of years ago, was $300,000 euros, and, now, I believe, is more.
Milei has been discusssing a similar type of residency here, and the number $500,000 USD has been discussed, but I understand its not firm at this time.

This is one type of immigration- where people whos main asset is a home in their home country that has appreciated, and who want the security of owning a home wherever they move.
Its not what 20 something digital nomads do, obviously.

 

[LivingAbroadwithEric]

Go to the Tuesday coffee chat meetups and you'll find the info you seek, it's almost exclusively made up of pensioners/retirees from the West that live in BA full time

Thanks Marshall

 

[LivingAbroadwithEric]

Cost of living has become almost untenable, with the peso wildly overvalued.

how much more does it cost nowadays? Did you come down to retire in Argentina from USA/Canada? What do you think the real value of the PESO should be to the dollar?

 

[Utopos]

For what it's worth, I'm 71 and currently pay Swiss Medical $1.150.000/mo. for my wife and I --- this is with a 10% discount and the lowest tier. My grandsons, 3 & 8 years old, cost me $200k/mo. each. I was able to get SM because our daughter had it 4 years ago, so I was able to be... um, grandfathered in (pun intended). Otherwise we would not have been accepted due to my age.

Also, with Swiss Medical's 40% discount I still pay about $350k/mo for necessary meds. In the past 4 years, our dollar cost of health care has much more than doubled.

Food also, but at least I enjoy that... <Sigh>

 

[Rich One]

A friend from Chicago came back to BA after three years he found out the the cost of living has doubled or tripled since 2023. He left for Cuenca Ecuador and has found out that prices are in dollars . Perhaps half the cost of living in BA.

 

[steveinbsas]

For what it's worth, I'm 71 and currently pay Swiss Medical $1.150.000/mo. for my wife and I ---

Also, with Swiss Medical's 40% discount I still pay about $350k/mo for necessary meds. In the past 4 years, our dollar cost of health care has much more than doubled.

Food also, but at least I enjoy that... <Sigh>

For what it's worth, your post makes me more greatful than ever to still be alive and living a "healthy" life in Argentina. I was still 71 almost five years ago. My monthly "health insurance" cost is $0.00,00 (the same for the past fourteen years). My current monthly "prescribed" meds cost is $2.000,00 (the highest in the almost 20 years I have been living in Argentina).

In spite of the fact that food prices have doubled and/or almost trippled since early 2004, I find it impossible to spend more than $430.000,00 per month on as much of everything that I enjoy eating and drinking (as much as I desire), and that does not entail any self-deprivation whatsoever.

Whenever Í imagine living anywhere else in the world, it only takes a few seconds to shudder at the thought.