Hola

[tangobob]

I absolutely agree with Quickroute. I would just add one point: Bife de lomo is almost always too much for one, and I have never had a problem sharing, most restaurants are happy to divide it between two. This of course means it is half the price again.
So if you go as a couple and see mini befe de lomo, ignore that and share a full one and enjoy

 

[soulskier]

About time for another Stanley post to the contrary.

 

[Stanexpat]

Even with the cost of health insurance for over 66's I believe cost of living here can be considerably cheaper than the US. It depends on how you are living.

If you are 66+ you're probably not buying a lot of clothes - those can be expensive here.

You can buy an apartment in non touristy area outright for the equivalent of the 15% deposit down payment in the USA. If you want a penthouse in Recoleta or Palermo or Puerto Madero then expect to pay the same as USA or more.

I see posts on this forum about people quoting 200 pesos u$s70 per person for a meal as reasonable? If you want to eat in upscale / expat tourist traps then NO you're money won't go further than in say Florida USA.

If you're prepared to explore a little and ask the locals then the quality is just as good and often much better at a fraction of the cost. My rule of thumb is if the menu says Bife de Lomo for more than a$32 pesos - walk on by!

Lunch - Menu Ejecutivo costs a$22peso in several restaurants in Puerto Madero (a bling bling neighbourhood) incl main course a drink and desert or coffee. - you can buy a coffee and little else for that price in New York

I've lived in London and New york but my groceries here are a fraction of what I paid in those cities.

Electronics are expensive here but just bring those with you.

go and visit Soulskiers turf in Bariloche - you will never see scenery quite like it anywhere else!

I love it when people start saying how cheap B.A. by comparing it it to New York or London. Of course B.A. is cheap compared to there but so is just about everywhere else on the planet.

You can get good food in B.A. in the better restaurants but the average restaurant there often is not very good. I agree the beef is very good there but there is very little variety in the food for a city that size. 90% of the restaurants are beef, pasta, and pizza, or some combination of the three.

Clothes, electronics, appliances, cars, are all more expensive. Food in supermarkets is a little cheaper than in the U.S. but not much. Real estate may be more or less depending on what part of the country you are comparing it to.

By the way I was in the store here the other day and they had Los Alamos a decent Argentine Malbec on sale for $8 a bottle, about the same price as there.

If a retired couple in the U.S. is getting by on 3 or 4 thousand a month (and this is probably more than most have)then $800 a month for health insurance is going to sound like a lot of money to them.

 

[mini]

Lunch - Menu Ejecutivo costs a$22peso in several restaurants in Puerto Madero (a bling bling neighbourhood) incl main course a drink and desert or coffee. - you can buy a coffee and little else for that price in New York

Where is that? I've been in PM for two months now & have not found menus for under A$R30. Ok, there is TGIFridays for A$R25... but uhmm, no thanks!

Can we all say it together: "inflation!"


EDIT: Ok, today I walked by "La Guacha" and they did have a menu ejecutivo for A$R25.

 

[soulskier]

Stan, thanks for making my prediction come true, like clockwork.

 

[Stanexpat]

Stan, thanks for making my prediction come true, like clockwork.

Your welcome. I would say the COL in Argentina is reasonable but it's not cheap like some think. People shouldn't promote it that way, otherwise you'll end up with a lot of disappointed people once they arrive.

 

[soulskier]

I would categorize the cost of living as inexpensive, it used to be cheap. Suerte!