If I hadn’t rented a house for a year and paid all the rent up front, I’d pack up and leave!
If, fourteen years ago, I hadn't bought a house in a zona de quintas, on a one hectáre lot (the same size as a small park in the city of BA), I would probably already be dead. Fortunately, I'm still alive and enjoying a healthy life in el campo...one day at a time.
Crazy expensive ! But; if you watch out then you can decrease the financial damage. Argentina is no longer an expat heaven!
Though my cost of living has more than doubled in the past eleven months, it's now just barely over $400 USD per month and that includes everything. I feel like i am living in heaven on earth every time I step outside of my house, even when its raining.
But on the other hand; if you need a medical treatment; it offers great medical services.
Last week, on Wednesday afternoon I stopped at the local medical clinic and made a turno to see the doctor the following morning at 8:30 am. I needed the "ordenes" for the lab work and other examinations to get the healh certificate to renew my driver's permit.
I had the order for the lab work before 9am but waited until Friday to go to Punta Alta to make the appointment. I wanted to pay the electric bill on the first day of the next billing cycle of my credit card.
I arrived at the nearly deserted (typical on Fridays mol) hospital at 9:28, ten minutes after paying my electric bill. The woman in charge of making the apoints entered the office of the lab exactly at 9:30, the same time indicated in a sign in the window that indicated the hours when it was possible to reserve the turnos and/or pich up the results.
I was surprised to get a turno for Monday morning at 7:30 am. When I arrived yesterday at 7:15, the hospital was already full of people waiting in long lines to make turnos to see doctors. There were only two others waiting to present thier paper and wait fot their turno for the blood draw. The small room was quickly filled with others who hsd turns for Friday morning.
Beginning last year, in addition to the lab work, I am required to get a hearing and vision test as well as an electrocardiogram to renew the permit. Last year I paid for the other 3 exams out of pocket. The prices were quite reasonable at pre-devaluation exchange rates. The lab work cost $14.000 pesosa and the electrocardiogram and the hearing tests were $8000. The vision test is administered at the D. L. center and is included in the renewal fee.
Before going to the hospital last Friday I inquired at the private lab where the cost was $14.000 !ess than a year ago. The cost is now $69.000. I thanked them for the presupuesto and went to the hospital where I was surprised to learn the cost would be zero. The cost of the audio exam was $8000 ¡ast year. Tomorrow morning I will pay $17.000. I will also make the appointment for the electrocardiogram tomorrow morning.
Last year the cost was $8.000 and I expect the increase this year will be similar to the audio exam.
I could get turnos for both at the hospital, but making those turnos would entail the nightmare of waiting in line for hours to be assigned a turno at the mesa de entradas as well waiting for up to two hours on the days of the turnos.
Medicine is expensive though. I went to easy to get some curtain rails. Price is almost 10 times of Ikea. Table mats like US$ 10 (that was a shock).
The only medications I have purchased in rhe past four years were ivermectin and hydroxicloriquin and the pre-devaluation prices were reasonable.
I am still using the same "place mats" that I bought at OKKO In Design Center Recoleta in 2006 for 6.90 pesos (slightly more than two dollars each). The mat in photo with the price tag has never been used.
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.
I no longer eat fruit, pretzels, medialunas, or drink orange jucice. I remember how much I used to enjoy consuming all of them and how cheap they used to be, but I didn't stop eating them because of increasing prices. I am grateful to have learned how harmful these foods are and I am also grateful I was able to end my addiction to them.
As I previously posted in another thread, I have only eaten in restaurants twice in more than ten years, and I only ate bife both times. Anything else is out of rhe question. I don't 't avoid eating in resturants because I am frugal. I avoid eating in resturants to maintain my health. I want to know exactlly what I am eating.
Free range eggs 6 of them 3500.
An hour ago l paid $10.000 for 60 free range eggs. I buy them from a dear friend who also owns a quinta in Villa Arias The eggs have brilliant orange yokes and I will consume all of them in the next fifteen days. A typical maple of 30 eggs currently sells in the supermarkets in Punta Alta for $6400.
Some of the small shops and verdurias are currently selling maples of 30 eggs for about $6000 pesos.
