How do people here afford McDonalds/Burger King?

[cruizes]

And I don't think Argentine's eat fast food every day. It's more infrequent for them. So spending 30 pesos every now and then really doesn't affect their bottom line.

McDonald's is always busy with babies, babies and more babies in strollers. I can't figure out how they can possible afford this with their salary.

 

[Napoleon]

I walked by two Mickey D's today and they both were busy. I bought an AR$12 Cuartro Libra con Queso because I felt like it. I don't eat McDonald's in the States. I've eaten at the Kosher McDonald's here once on a tour and the meat quality is much worse than the normal McDonald's (but it's been blessed by a rabbi, so I guess that that makes it healthy).

McDonald's is ridiculously expensive here. The original poster was exactly right in everything he/she said. It's amazing how much people will spend here on McDonald's.

When I go to McDonald's I get one or more of the following:

1) Large drip coffee (w/2 media lunas)
2) Their (now) AR$12 special (was AR$5 when I started buying it in April/May of '07)
3) Their WiFi (though I've been having more and more problems recently)

All are great deals (WiFi is FREE, but you're starting to get what you pay for) for here, but everything else in that place is ridiculously expensive.

 

[citygirl]

It still makes me laugh that the Big Mac is only 23 or 24 pesos for the combo when everything else is 35+ pesos. And not on the menu. And yes, it does seem realistic that this is intended to keep Argentina's rating on the "Big Mac" cost of living index artificially low. I wonder if the makers of that index are aware of the fact that it isn't an accurate reflection at all of the real costs.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

No, you cant afford mcdonalds with 25 pesos. Thats the whole point of this thread. Ok... ? You need at least around 40

Mc Donalds have menus for 20 pesos (Big Mac) and hamburgers for less than 10 pesos.
However, I prefer to go to La Robla and order a picada de mar (fish and sea food tempura plus tortilla, buseca and beans) with beer for 40 pesos per person or less.
Regards

 

[Ashley]

I think the average price for a combo meal is 35 pesos and I think the average (BA) wage is maybe 1,000-1,500 pesos per week so obviously there is a big difference between here and your home town. However, like one of the previous posters stated, McDonalds, B-King etc target a different demographic here. It is a "cool" place for middle-class kids/young adults to hang out (pretty much like somewhere like Starbucks, I think) so I guess the majority of people that eat there earn much higher wages.

 

[Gringoboy]

As others have said, I'd take a choripan and a coke down at Costanera any day.
Rather slit my throat than enter an overpriced, noisy and crowded McCrap!

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Gringos, gringos, if you are at costanera, your should order bodiolita al limon for 15 pesos!!!!

 

[Gringoboy]

I love bondiola with lemon.
I'm a biker and we meet up for 'Motobondiolas'!

 

[elhombresinnombre]

It still makes me laugh that the Big Mac is only 23 or 24 pesos for the combo when everything else is 35+ pesos. And not on the menu. And yes, it does seem realistic that this is intended to keep Argentina's rating on the "Big Mac" cost of living index artificially low. I wonder if the makers of that index are aware of the fact that it isn't an accurate reflection at all of the real costs.

http://www.economist.com/node/18014576


ETA: That's not actually the article I was looking for that I recollect openly claimed price fixing of the Big Mac. But it's mentioned in the comments to this article

http://www.economist.com/node/18587317/comments

original article here

http://www.economist.com/node/18587317/

 

[steveinbsas]

In general people do not eat this kind of food as often as Americans do, I guess that is why they can afford it.

I guess that's also why they are (in general) so much thinner than most Americans.