Inflation in BA?

[kianahaeri]

Hello everyone,
I will be moving to BA next Wednesday to work on my thesis. I came across this article which left me in a bit of shock:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/world/americas/06argentina.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=argentina&st=cse
how are the prices as we speak? I hear lots of controversy over the prices. Some say it's ridiculously cheap when you're spending dollar, others say it's an expensive city. Any insight for me? (i'm trying to figure out how much money i should bring with me)

 

[hannstew]

If you do a search in the archives you will find about 95% saying that it is not cheap even with spending the dollar. I would say bring the same as what you are spending now per month in Canada or more if you want to live decent. It is not cheap as you are hearing from some blogs. Prices are rising practically weekly in Ar.

 

[mariposa]

i second that. prices are rising weekly, and it is not a cheap city at all. of course you are much better off with a dollar based income.

and yes, look in the archives.

 

[marksoc]

With 600-800 Euros you can live cheaply if you share appartments in non-touristy neighborhoods. With 1000 Euros you can live ok in your own in a touristy neighborhood (if you get a local to offer you the warranty needed to rent at argentinian prices). With 600 Euros you can live ok in the interior of the country. Of course, I am not speaking of private schools, paranoid people that needs security guards or super-expensive medical insurance (OSDE) that is really not necessary,because you have cheaper ones (Hospital Italiano).

 

[citygirl]

Very few tourists here will have access to a guarantor to rent at local prices. Further, very few will want to sign a two-year lease since most will leave before then nor do many people want to go through the hassle and expense of setting up an apt (utilities, furniture, etc).

The advice given is good - BsAs is NOT cheap and hasn't been for a long time. How much you will spend really depends on the lifestyle you are accustomed to but it's good advice to plan on at least spending what you spend at home.

 

[PhilipDT]

City girl has a point but you can often find furnished apartments that aren't designed for foreigners for a fraction of the price of the ones that appear on craigslist. You will usually have to negotiate around the garantía though, but that can often be handled w/ large cash upfront.

Also echoing others, bs as isn't cheap. It isn't expensive either though. Rather it's the difference in the relativity of the prices that throws you. For example if I were to take the equivalent of a what is 70 (USD 17) peso taxi ride here back in the us I would spend U$d70 (ar280) EASILY. But then for that same $70 dollars in the us I could buy two bottles of grey goose which here would cost me 660 pesos or U$D 165!!!!! Not to mention that for the difference in the price of an iPad you could fly to the us and buy one there.


Here are unordered lists of cheap and expensive.

Cheap:

• Labor - plumbing, construction, illegal immigrants to clean your house,etc
• Transportation - Except for gas which is the same as the US if not a bit more, taxis are very cheap (though not as cheap as a few years ago). buses, subways and trains are practically free.
• Rents - I'm renting a large 1600sq, beautifully furnished, expenses included, 4 bed 2 bath townhouse with a huge roof terrace, for 1100USD/month. Thats pretty good next to most big cities in the US. Not sure about utilities and prop taxes but I've heard both are still cheaper than the US.
• Fine Dining - Not THAT much cheaper but still cheaper than equivalent food in other cities.
• Museums - Most are FREE.
• Arg fast food - USD 0.62 for an empanada? USD 6.00 for a grande pizza napolitana?
• SOME GROCERIES - Bread, pasta, cow meat, in season vegetables, gross processed ham and cheese...
• Most Argentine wines - I was tempted to just put argentine wines with out the qualifier but there are quite a few good argentine wines that sell for less in the US than they do here, but most of them are cheaper here. Plus, in general, argentine wines are some of the best values on the market. A real treasure.
• Undrinkable local liquors - 1L of vodka for USD 2.50? Have fun!
• Unsmokable paraguayan weed - I never was much of a stoner in the states but had enough friends who were to know what a gram goes for back there. The prices here blew me away or the did till I saw what ever it was they were calling weed.
• Hookers and blow - Or so I've heard, I'm way way too scared to go near something that has sex for 25 pesos an hour.
• Local cheep beer - USD 1.25/L
• Some tailored clothing
• Dry Cleaning
• Private spanish lessons - I'm paying USD 8.75/hr for lessons from a girl with a masters in linguistics
• Eggs
• Red Bull
• I'll edit more in as I think of them.

Expensive

• Things that run on electricity - I already mentioned the iPad example but it goes all the way down to things like rice cookers, available in the US for USD 35+ starting in argentina at USD100
• Liquor - Gave the grey goose example already but its all like that. Expect to pay at least 150% of normal prices.
• Wine from anywhere except Argentina - Expect to pay 200-500% of the list prices of wines from the exterior and the selection sucks.
• Drinking at bars - Some exceptions but generally much pricier for crappy cocktails.
• Mexican Restaurants - And they mostly suck.
• Sushi - And it mostly sucks.
• Cheese - And it mostly sucks, plus the selection is abysmal.
• Jamón Crudo - and some (bout half) of it sucks...
• Salmon
• Duck - if you can find it
• Tabasco - 4-5x US price
• GOOD COFFEE - unless you like crappy nearly unroasted sugar coated coffee beans, expect to pay 2-3x US prices for coffee.
• American Fast Food - McDonalds is pricey here and the food still sucks just the same
• Olive Oil
• Most Quality Clothing
• Cars - HOLY CRAP!!!! Most cars i've seen are nearly 2x the price of the same car in the US
• Cinema
• Recreational Vehicles - Maybe I should have just put things that run on gasoline right after things that run on electricity
• Milk - More than double the US price
• Nuts - Plus I can't find pine nuts anywhere
• I'll edit in more as I think of them

 

[citygirl]

Phillip - out of curiosity, what neighborhood do you live in? I'm just looking at your "cheap" list and the prices are way out of whack as to what I see. 24 pesos for a large pizza? I see them listed for 35 & up by me and many are 45 and up. Same, empanadas are 4.50 on average per piece by me. Most Spanish teachers I know are charging more than what you are paying as well (I pay 90 pesos for an hour and a half) Ditto on rent - you're paying less than most people I know for a much bigger apt.

And I find clothing more expensive by A LOT. I no longer shop here but instead wait until I'm back in the US.

As far as taxis, jeje, that's subjective - I don't take them anymore due to the price. At an average of 20 pesos, taking a few a day adds up quickly.

 

[BAwithkids]

Rents - I'm renting a large 1600sq, beautifully furnished, expenses included, 4 bed 2 bath townhouse with a huge roof terrace, for 1100USD/month. Thats pretty good next to most big cities in the US. Not sure about utilities and prop taxes but I've heard both are still cheaper than the US.

Where are you renting? And do you have plans to move anytime soon??? Thanks for the terrific post - even if some of it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, it's still great to learn about relative costs...

 

[PhilipDT]

Phillip - out of curiosity, what neighborhood do you live in? I'm just looking at your "cheap" list and the prices are way out of whack as to what I see. 24 pesos for a large pizza?

A few blocks off of Jujuy & Independencia. Not the prettiest or most happening barrio but much cleaner than San Telmo and in a year of living here I've never felt unsafe. Only downside is getting to palermo to go out and barrio chino to go shopping. But one day our little useless subway will meet with the green and make my life so much easier. Hell it only took 6 years for the 4 blocks between rivadavia and corrientes, I'm sure the D line connection is right around the corner.

Empanadas from my local place (Pizza Boy Jujuy 536, 4943-1976) are 2.50 up from 2 this time last year. Empanadas are just so so, but I think the pizza is one of the best in the city.

 

[citygirl]

ahhh - how interesting the price discrepancies based on neighborhood. I'm in Canitas/Belgrano area.

In my neighborhood:

Large Napolitana pizza (from a not fancy place) is 42 pesos, so 11 dollars or so.

Empanadas, 4.50 pesos (so about 1.15)

Average Rent for a furnished 1 BR is around 1000-1100 ( so what you're paying for a 4br)

Dinner for 2 last night (he had a cheeseburger, I had a club sandwich. 2 beers each). 175 pesos including tip (45 dollars)

Average drink at a bar in Canitas - 30 pesos (speciality drinks can run 40 and up)

And just as an FYI on health insurance - I'm currently paying (including IVA) 1150 pesos for month for my OSDE plan as a single person