How many of you want to leave Bs As?

[steazy mccloud]

Well what happened in this particular villa is my girlfriends uncle who is an architect, headed a project to tear it all down and build new houses on the sites of all the old ones. this was only in the last year so while its improving Ive still seen some things in the streets that will stick with me. Mostly just bad results from people fighting.

But like I said, I get greeted wherever I go and am known and respected. I play soccer there every sunday and work in the carniceria from time to time taking money or making milanesas.

most of my friends all went to private school though so I spend my weekends in Palermo usually. Im all over the city at all times. my only real negatives I see around me are the complete lack of police for anything, power outages, trash just thrown with no shame, and wachiturros mostly

 

[El chabon]

For the people who posted, what's the situation on the plans to leave?

 

[Smcali23]

my only real negatives I see around me are the complete lack of police for anything, power outages, trash just thrown with no shame, and wachiturros mostly

Don't knock the wachiturros!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTcMXdsHPp0

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

I've been here 6 years and we have no plans to leave anytime soon. Came in 2006 and met the woman who later married me. We have lived both in BsAs and Mendoza (two different worlds). I now really enjoy this place but it wasn't always that way. Here were my stages:


0-3 months - LOVED BsAs! Couldn't get enough of it. Honeymoon period.
3-24 months - HATED BsAs! Couldn't wait to leave! All I started to see was the litter, the crime, and the BS you had to put up with including rude people, slow service, and Argentine "friends" trying to make money from your "friendship." And what's up with people not being able to walk in a straight line on the sidewalk? I was so happy everytime my 90-day visa was up. "Yea, I get to go back to the REAL world."
24-48 months - Ok, Maybe I can Deal With It. I started getting myself immersed, making real friends, getting involved in my community, learning both sides of political, social, and cultural issues. Raised the level of my Spanish.
48 months to now - This Is A Great City! There is a lot to appreciate here. The arts and culture is fantastic, the politics are always interesting (stop complaining - get involved in the party of your choice), the economics are fascinating, and it is a cheap city. I compare the ratio of housing-to-salary, healthcare-to-salary, and education-to-salary from where I lived in the US to BsAs. Yes, this is a cheap place.


I spent the better part of the last 18 months commuting to and working in the US. Guess what? A lot people are rude there, as well, we have more litter than I remembered, people don't walk in a straight line on the sidewalk, the politics are very screwed up, and the economy is still in the mud and will be for a long time.

I do think there is an adjustment period where much of what you experience is negative, but if you can get past that then I think you'll find BsAs (and the rest of Argentina) to be a great place.

 

[El chabon]

the economics are fascinating, and it is a cheap city. I compare the ratio of housing-to-salary, healthcare-to-salary, and education-to-salary from where I lived in the US to BsAs. Yes, this is a cheap place.

Housing 2500 - 5000 peso = Or roughly 50% of income on housing
Health care 1200 peso(estimate for OSDE) - 5000 peso - Roughly 30% of income
Education - Guess depends on your situation but if you have 2 kids that go to middle class private schools I am guessing it's about 1500 peso - 5000 peso - Or roughly 40% of your income.

No way I do think this are decent ratios, those numbers are a bit different if you make 10.000-15.000 peso but that in the US should be compared to as 150.000-200.000 dollar take home salary.

I don't think that if you roughly 5000 to 6000 peso just on housing, healthcare and education you can speak of a great ratio, it's more then most Argentines make!!!!!!

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

Housing 2500 - 5000 peso = Or roughly 50% of income on housing
Health care 1200 peso(estimate for OSDE) - 5000 peso - Roughly 30% of income
Education - Guess depends on your situation but if you have 2 kids that go to middle class private schools I am guessing it's about 1500 peso - 5000 peso - Or roughly 40% of your income.


How about these REAL numbers?
Retail sales salary (1 person): 7000+ pesos/mo
2 Bdroom rental in Colegiales: 1800 pesos (25%)
OSDE (family): 867 pesos (12%)
2 kids in private school: 2200 pesos (31%)

 

[citygirl]

Um.. the numbers you posted don't seem very representative either.

1) Pretty sure 7000 is a mid-upper middle class salary (ie, not the norm for retail sales) A lot of professionals I know are below that.
2) 2 BR rental for 1800 pesos? Really?
3) OSDE family for 867? How? I pay 1350 (or more, haven't checked recently) for 1 person.
4) No idea on schools

 

[El chabon]

Housing 2500 - 5000 peso = Or roughly 50% of income on housing
Health care 1200 peso(estimate for OSDE) - 5000 peso - Roughly 30% of income
Education - Guess depends on your situation but if you have 2 kids that go to middle class private schools I am guessing it's about 1500 peso - 5000 peso - Or roughly 40% of your income.


How about these REAL numbers?
Retail sales salary (1 person): 7000+ pesos/mo
2 Bdroom rental in Colegiales: 1800 pesos (25%)
OSDE (family): 867 pesos (12%)
2 kids in private school: 2200 pesos (31%)

Your numbers are way off but even then you pay roughly 70% of your income on just education, rent and health-care. So so far no insurance, water, gas, internet, transport, cable, phone, ABL, taxes. Not to even talk about clothes and food for atleast 3 persons

Good luck

For some reference in Northern Europe

Mortage = 600 to 900 euro
Health care = 200 euro
Education = Free, no need for private education
Middle class salary = 3000 euro a month

With takes your figures to about 30% of income. Most of the first world, besides from maybe the bigger cities have the same kind of ratio

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

Sorry, forgot to give #'s for San Diego

Retail sales salary - $2240
2 BR rental - $1450
OSDE-type healthcare - $900
2 kids private school - $1465

 

[sleslie23]

I don't *want* to leave, but economically, it is less and less feasible to stay here.