I moved from the US to Argentina for the lower cost of living

[elhombresinnombre]

Why you asking if “not that it matters” then? I’m a born Argentine. No routes nothing to claim.

S'funny: I'm sure I remember that when you rocked up on this forum years ago you were asking about how you could apply for citizenship and talking about your foreigner's DNI.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Just how cheap is Albania? Is the food any good? I've heard negative comments. Then there is the language to deal with

At least you no longer have the Soviet Radio Tirana Interval Signals to contend with.

Now imagine having that all day and every day?

In those days if you lived within about a thousand miles of Albania you would dread those nights when the weather conditions were just right to allow broadcasts from Radio Tirana to swamp your local radio station. They had a massively powerful transmitter which was so badly adjusted that the transmissions would bleed over into the neighbouring and harmonic frequencies.

 

[Quilombo]

When I mentioned to the group I was thinking of leaving earlier this year I was filled with a lot of uncertainty as to whether it was the right decision/was I motivated by temporary economic problems. Since then, things have only gotten worse here, and I realize day after day while difficult, it is the right thing to do. Yes, other countries have their problems too, and I'll always be connected to Argentina now as a citizen/coming here to visit family and friends, but it's very difficult to see a future here, so I'm glad we have decided to leave, and are now in the final couple weeks of wrapping things up.

These are just some empirical examples of things I'm seeing:

I live downtown, and for the past year I've been telling my husband and friends that I swear the number of homeless people is the most I've ever seen since I first came to Argentina in the early 2010s, and it turns out there has been a giant increase, with either 50% or 75% of homeless people being newly homeless in the past year I had read, and yesterday I saw an article in La Nación saying there's 12,000 homeless people in CABA which further confirmed that it's not just a "sensation" as the Mileistas now like to borrow from the Ks.

Even the war against inflation seems to be a fool's errand. Inflation in CABA increased and was 2.1% in June while the dollar and wages remained flat meaning Argentina once again gets more expensive for poor quality goods and services we have here. One of my best friends has been renting a place (in dollars) for the past 2 years and his lease is up; his landlord wants to increase the rent by 40%, he told her to pound sand, so he's moving. It wasn't a "fuck you" price either, she wants him to rent it still, but she also seems to think people can afford this and it wasn't an opening bid.

I need new shoes and I'm a big guy, I wear size 49s in Argentina so my options compared to most of the forum members are pretty limited, I will admit that. I checked the company I bought from since moving back here 5 years ago. They seem to be out of business, and the size 49s available, all poor Nac y Pop quality, are 80K+ for what are basically $20 shoes from what used to be Payless.

I also keep a tab on the Big Mac and Coca Cola indexes as you guys know since they're all made using local components and labor: $13,400 ARS for a Big Mac Combo now (up from $11,700 IIRC from back in April) and $4,400 for a 2.25L from Dia (was slightly under 4K IIRC).

Again, none of this makes sense, there is no stability, yet there is nothing left to cut when the IMF's fun money runs out. I guess the plan is for everyone to enjoy a trip to Rio while they can because when this 20 billion comes due I seriously don't know how the government plans to pay for it because there is limited growth, flat wages, sky high tax pressure already, and prices resulting in more and more people saying they can't make it to the end of the month: https://www.lapoliticaonline.com/po...o-restringir-gastos-para-llegar-a-fin-de-mes/

 

[LuckyLuke]

I guess the plan is for everyone to enjoy a trip to Rio while they can because when this 20 billion comes due I seriously don't know how the government plans to pay for it because there is limited growth, flat wages, sky high tax pressure already, and prices resulting in more and more people saying they can't make it to the end of the month: https://www.lapoliticaonline.com/po...o-restringir-gastos-para-llegar-a-fin-de-mes/

IMO the answer is simple...when the bill is due they won't pay it back and they'll probably get a million extensions while they kick the can with interest payments.

Call me old and cynical, but I lived in Los Angeles for 27 years before moving to Texas. In that time, neither of my parents could ever afford to buy a house. We rented, moving every couple years. Some years were good, others tight. Sometimes I had my own room, sometimes I shared one with my sister. One year the car dealership wanted to repossess my father's 3 cylinder geo metro. One year he bought a new Jeep. When they eventually divorced they each had over $40,000 in credit card debt. The homeless population grew to 41,290. When I got a job, I worked in accounting in entertainment business management. I eventually managed a dozen high net worth clients across various industries, I managed millions of dollars. I made $42,000 a year. I rented a studio apartment in a so-so neighborhood and drove a 93 4Runner. I ate a sandwich at the office almost every single day for years. Once a week I went out for a drink or dinner with my friends. The most cash I ever had was $4,000. I over withheld my taxes on my W2 so that I could get a refund of $1,200 each year. It usually went to car repairs. If I told you I lived like this in Buenos Aires, you might point out how terrible the country was, but this was Los Angeles in the USA. Poverty, stagnant wages, lack of progress or future prospects can happen anywhere, anytime. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but it's a struggle shared worldwide.

 

[Lanick]

S'funny: I'm sure I remember that when you rocked up on this forum years ago you were asking about how you could apply for citizenship and talking about your foreigner's DNI.

I was asking this but asking for my friend. Asking for a friend doesn’t sound worth responding I believe. That’s why. And so what? Ring born citizen or naturalised would make any difference on one’s opinions?

 

[Jagman]

We are also leaving the country before end of year, been here 10 years on and off. Wife and children plus a dog! Can't wait to be back in Europe. Leaving for a variety of reasons but I agree the pricing here is just crazy, one of the most expensive countries in the world.

 

[dlish]

Can't wait to be back in Europe.

Where are you moving to specifically?

 

[Jagman]

Where are you moving to specifically?

Countryside in the UK.

 

[perry]

To clarify I have some wonderful friendships too but I'm talking about the society as whole.

argentina has the must expensive food of the planet and this makes it unliveable for retorees . In the last 2 years everything is 3 times dearer in US dollars but then they Say inflación has gone down .

 

[chris]

IMO the answer is simple...when the bill is due they won't pay it back and they'll probably get a million extensions while they kick the can with interest payments.

Call me old and cynical, but I lived in Los Angeles for 27 years before moving to Texas. In that time, neither of my parents could ever afford to buy a house. We rented, moving every couple years. Some years were good, others tight. Sometimes I had my own room, sometimes I shared one with my sister. One year the car dealership wanted to repossess my father's 3 cylinder geo metro. One year he bought a new Jeep. When they eventually divorced they each had over $40,000 in credit card debt. The homeless population grew to 41,290. When I got a job, I worked in accounting in entertainment business management. I eventually managed a dozen high net worth clients across various industries, I managed millions of dollars. I made $42,000 a year. I rented a studio apartment in a so-so neighborhood and drove a 93 4Runner. I ate a sandwich at the office almost every single day for years. Once a week I went out for a drink or dinner with my friends. The most cash I ever had was $4,000. I over withheld my taxes on my W2 so that I could get a refund of $1,200 each year. It usually went to car repairs. If I told you I lived like this in Buenos Aires, you might point out how terrible the country was, but this was Los Angeles in the USA. Poverty, stagnant wages, lack of progress or future prospects can happen anywhere, anytime. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but it's a struggle shared worldwide.

I have met a lot of Argentines who have been highly successful in the US. I also know a lot of native bornUS people who are doing very well there.