How's everyone hanging in there with the cost of living these days?

[FrankPintor]

Fruit and veg are very seasonal here, a few weeks back, we could buy strawberries at 4000 pesos for 2kg. Now they're twice the price. Tomato season is starting, I got a bag of 4kg included in a bigger bag of fruit and veg for 5000 pesos. I'll keep buying and keep making and bottling tomato sauce. Cucumbers are cheap now as well, I need to start pickling. Prices for lemons seem to be spiking, though oranges and lemons are normally available all year round. Watermelon season is just getting started now as well.

A "maple" of 24 eggs (not free-range) costs 4500 pesos now. In CABA we used to buy chicken, pork, eggs and cheese at Distribuidora Ovo in Villa Urquiza,

If you have the time and mobility, outside of CABA you can buy produce at the side of the motorway (do the Argentinian thing of picknicking on the grass verge, watch the cars go by and enjoy your "chori" or your bondiola ) and look for the fruit sellers, e.g. Ruta 9 towards BA before Lion Place, Ruta 4 "La Curva", Ruta 8 km 70 " Frutas y verduras el peaje", earlier this year they were giving away tomatoes for making sauce, or the watermelon sellers at the intersection with Ruta 6. Maybe not worth making a specific journey for those, but if you're out this way seeing the sights, take advantage.

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Fruit and veg are very seasonal here, a few weeks back, we could buy strawberries at 4000 pesos for 2kg. Now they're twice the price. Tomato season is starting, I got a bag of 4kg included in a bigger bag of fruit and veg for 5000 pesos. I'll keep buying and keep making and bottling tomato sauce. Cucumbers are cheap now as well, I need to start pickling. Prices for lemons seem to be spiking, though oranges and lemons are normally available all year round. Watermelon season is just getting started now as well.

A "maple" of 24 eggs (not free-range) costs 4500 pesos now. In CABA we used to buy chicken, pork, eggs and cheese at Distribuidora Ovo in Villa Urquiza,

If you have the time and mobility, outside of CABA you can buy produce at the side of the motorway (do the Argentinian thing of picknicking on the grass verge, watch the cars go by and enjoy your "chori" or your bondiola ) and look for the fruit sellers, e.g. Ruta 9 towards BA before Lion Place, Ruta 4 "La Curva", Ruta 8 km 70 " Frutas y verduras el peaje", earlier this year they were giving away tomatoes for making sauce, or the watermelon sellers at the intersection with Ruta 6. Maybe not worth making a specific journey for those, but if you're out this way seeing the sights, take advantage.

I know there's not a tremendous amount of parks available but have never understood sitting by the side of the road "enjoying" the roaring traffic.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I know there's not a tremendous amount of parks available but have never understood sitting by the side of the road "enjoying" the roaring traffic.

It's weird, isn't it? But it's not just an Argentine thing: the French, for instance, do this a lot. A whole family in a tiny car yet they still have room for a folding table and chairs so they can do lunch properly. And if anybody thinks I'm poking fun, I'm not - in fact I rather admire them for it.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Fruit and veg are very seasonal here, a few weeks back, we could buy strawberries at 4000 pesos for 2kg. Now they're twice the price. Tomato season is starting, I got a bag of 4kg included in a bigger bag of fruit and veg for 5000 pesos. I'll keep buying and keep making and bottling tomato sauce. Cucumbers are cheap now as well, I need to start pickling. Prices for lemons seem to be spiking, though oranges and lemons are normally available all year round. Watermelon season is just getting started now as well.

A "maple" of 24 eggs (not free-range) costs 4500 pesos now. In CABA we used to buy chicken, pork, eggs and cheese at Distribuidora Ovo in Villa Urquiza,

If you have the time and mobility, outside of CABA you can buy produce at the side of the motorway (do the Argentinian thing of picknicking on the grass verge, watch the cars go by and enjoy your "chori" or your bondiola ) and look for the fruit sellers, e.g. Ruta 9 towards BA before Lion Place, Ruta 4 "La Curva", Ruta 8 km 70 " Frutas y verduras el peaje", earlier this year they were giving away tomatoes for making sauce, or the watermelon sellers at the intersection with Ruta 6. Maybe not worth making a specific journey for those, but if you're out this way seeing the sights, take advantage.

Thanks for the reminder, Frank. We've not mentioned this for a while, I think, but if you live within the city walls there are still the weekly Ferias de la Ciudad which come to your locality. You have to pick and choose which things are best for you. We tend to get honey, nuts, oil, bread cheaper and better in the feria but other produce we generally buy from permanent shops and stalls.

 

[Caribbean Cool]

If I hadn’t rented a house for a year and paid all the rent up front, I’d pack up and leave! Crazy expensive ! But; if you watch out then you can decrease the financial damage. Argentina is no longer an expat heaven!
But on the other hand; if you need a medical treatment; it offers great medical services. Medicine is expensive though. I went to easy to get some curtain rails. Price is almost 10 times of Ikea. Table mats like US$ 10 (that was a shock). At my long time local cafe 2 medialunas, orange juice, cafe 6500. I’m going to another one where the same menu cost 3800. Fruit is very expensive. Asked for a bag of pretzels and they were 7500. Free range eggs 6 of them 3500.

The truth.

 

[sergio]

The truth.

I think the time has come when even the most diehard expat has to admit that Argentina is now expensive.

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Petrol is still cheap (If you're used to European prices)

 

[duggie]

After spending a year in BA, I'm now renting a brand-new 1 bedroom furnished apartment in central Mendoza for $800 Canadian per month ($568 USD) - all utilities and taxes included - via Airbnb, so you know I'm overpaying. But where I'm from in Canada, this apartment would easily set me back $2,500 to $3,000 CAD unfurnished, then add utilities. I too love to complain about local grocery prices, but I'm spending a whole lot less here than I would back home and on pretty much everything...except for coffee. Holy shit the coffee prices.

 

[sergio]

After spending a year in BA, I'm now renting a brand-new 1 bedroom furnished apartment in central Mendoza for $800 Canadian per month ($568 USD) - all utilities and taxes included - via Airbnb, so you know I'm overpaying. But where I'm from in Canada, this apartment would easily set me back $2,500 to $3,000 CAD unfurnished, then add utilities. I too love to complain about local grocery prices, but I'm spending a whole lot less here than I would back home and on pretty much everything...except for coffee. Holy shit the coffee prices.

I think long term expats own their homes so they feel the effects of inflation on their utility prices, expensas, transport, food, etc.

 

[Vossos]

I think long term expats own their homes so they feel the effects of inflation on their utility prices, expensas, transport, food, etc.

Although aren’t prices arguably cheaper than BA? Posadas for example everything seemed half the price if not less than BA. Without ties to CABA I’d be more inclined by other cities in Argentina