Hola, hows life in BA?

[marksoc]

USD 1500!! What are you, throwing money on the streets?! Stop trying to live in Palermo and Barrio Norte and USD 800 will be enough for you. Any shared apartment in Congreso charges 800 PESOS for a tourist for a room. There is no need to rent a "I-Want-To-Live-From-A-Foreigner" apartment unless you really need the luxury.

 

[Ailujjj]

I think the advice here is quite good... for someone like me. I like restaurants, clubs/dancing, going out for drinks, activities (requiring entrance fees), and so forth. Plus - a fair amount of taxis at night to go to and from (daytime I'm fine with public transport). I do all of that at home and I do even more of it here. Yes, it costs less but I do more of it so it comes close to evening out.

For someone who doesn't tend to eat out, cooks at home, doesn't spend a ton on their social life to begin with - it will be a LOT less expensive. EG my parents are not restaurant types at all, they far prefer preparing their own food. What they spend here on food is consequently a fraction of what I do for that reason.

You can absolutely find a place to live for under 400$ US if you are prepared to share and aren't too picky - that is way, way more than enough. Your budget with a small supplement from teaching may be enough. But - for many people - it wouldn't be.

 

[gouchobob]

Guys you are buying a 13" pizza to less than £1= 6 pesos? Those pizzas cost at least £10 in London. You pay 1.10 pesos for a metro ticket there, London about 15-20 pesos.
But I understand that it must be a very expensive city by local wages... with all that inflation over the years, checked the current prices of everything including accommodation, it seems very cheap to me, or maybe it is Europe/ London that is so expensive.

Jan 2010 Rank Country, City (Oct 2009 Rank)[Change in Rank]
1 Japan, Tokyo (1) [0]
.
.
268 Uzbekistan, Tashkent (267) [1]
269 Bhutan, Thimphu (262) [7]
270 Argentina, Buenos Aires (266) [4]
271 China, Dalian (271) [0]
272 Yemen, Sanaa (263) [9]
273 Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar (272) [1]
274 China, Guangzhou (273) [1]
275 Zimbabwe, Harare (276) [-1]
276 China, Tianjin (275) [1]

I think in general you are getting good advice. The cost of living indicated above surprises me somewhat. Looking at the Mercer cost of living survey B.A. is 112 out of 144 and about the same as Portland Oregon. This would square more with my view of the COL here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_cities_for_expatriate_employees

$5000 to live for 6 months, I don't think so if you are going to pay
$650 a month rent. Some have indicated you can find rooms for less, which may be true but I'll bet these are far from being deluxe. Any money you make teaching(if you make any at all) should be viewed as a bonus, not to be counted on.

I think I would agree with those who say come down travel around see and enjoy the country until your money runs out then head home.

 

[steveinbsas]

I think it will be difficult to find a small studio for rent in Recoleta for $650 per month, but it's worth a try.

The cheapest room for rent in Recloeta may be this one. If it is on the ground floor, it could have been used by the portero. The ad doesn't mention how big it is or even if there is a window.

"Cozy private room with bathroom in an exclusive Recoleta high-rise building that features 24-hour doorman. Located in an affluent, safe area across the street from Plaza Vicente Lopez, 2 blocks from Santa Fe and surrounded by restaurants, cafes, shopping and transportation. Room features high-speed wireless internet, kitchenette with microwave and small fridge, a single bed and a full private bathroom with bath/shower, toilet and bidet. Weekly maid service with change of sheets and towels included, as are all utilities. No roommates or shared spaces; just a nice private room. $450U$/month. PayPal and Google Checkout accepted.

More info: http://www.1054apar tments.com/ rea"

 

[porteña]

Hi,
I agree with the posts about being able to rent, even a place for you alone, for around $400 USD/month, if you are willing to live in other areas.
A friend of mine told me this week that she has her 1-bedroom apartment for rent in downtown Avellaneda, which is about 25' by bus to the city downtown. It's a nice, unfurnished apartment on the top floor (a 12th or 14th floor). This should give you an idea of the prices in other areas and also outside of the city proper...
Of course, the nicest places to live in are always the most expensive ones...

 

[steveinbsas]

Thanks for all of the advice everyone. I was planning on staying for about 6 months and bringing $5,000. I was also planning on pre paying a studio for the first 2 months and found a reasonable place in Recoleta for $650 a month where I'll be attending classes the first month I'm there. After the first month I get certified & I was going to try and find work teaching English/Spanish. Am I foolish to think I'll find work and does my budget sound OK?

Are you sure the apartment for $650 per month is actually in Recoleta?

(I've seen many ads for apartments that misrepresented the location.)

If you post the address (to the nearest 1000) I can tell you if it is really in Recoleta...

 

[sesamosinsal]

Steve, I stayed in a studio for a month in August of '09 at Las Heras and Uriburu for $550 a month.

In response to the "are you throwing money down the street" comment, I said that $1500 number is a nice number to throw out there if you're living by yourself. $1100 would be more appropriate if you're living with roommates. Both of those numbers allow for spending $100 ARG a day. M-F, I rarely spent more than 50.

If you're paying $800 ARG for a shared situation in Congreso, you're probably going to be living in a shared dorm in a hostel. Expect to pay AT LEAST $250 USD for a shared situation. Anything less than that in Capital, I would consider suspect...

From August until December of 2009, I moved 3 times. One apartment in Recoleta, to another in Caballito, to another in Recoleta. I can tell you it is slightly cheaper to live in Caballito, but a royal pain in the ass if you're trying to get downtown and the Subte workers are on strike or whatever other chaos is going on in Buenos Aires.

I can't wait until May when I go back! The U.S. is just too organized for me.

 

[steveinbsas]

Steve, I stayed in a studio for a month in August of '09 at Las Heras and Uriburu for $550 a month.

Las Heras is one of the most visibly "polluted" streets in the city (especially at sunset when the exhaust from the buses is magnified).

It may indeed be in Recoleta, but it might not be a desirable location to live...even temporarily.

 

[marksoc]

If you're paying $800 ARG for a shared situation in Congreso, you're probably going to be living in a shared dorm in a hostel. Expect to pay AT LEAST $250 USD for a shared situation. Anything less than that in Capital, I would consider suspect...

Nope, it is not suspect. Outside Recoleta, Palermo, Belgrano, you can find Argentinians and foreigners renting big apartments together for 800 pesos per room or even less. When one leaves, another one occupied his apartment, as in any other big city full of young 20-35ers in any other part of the more or less developed world.
My own one-room "studio" costs ARS 650-700m but of ocurse is in the suburbs (in a nice one).

 

[citygirl]

Yes but did you have to furnish that studio? Renting unfurnished apts (ignoring the whole gurantia issue) is possible but it's not cheap to furnish - i'm constantly shocked at how expensive it is to buy things here. 210 pesos for a set of sheets yesterday. And they're only 300 thread count.

Of course you can do things more cheaply. No one is arguing that. It's just a matter of what you're willing to trade off. Living in the suburbs/outside of the main barrios is a lot cheaper. However,you're going to have to deal with longer commutes, roommates (and the potential headaches that come with it), etc. Worth it? Only the individual can decide.