Inflation in BA?

[citygirl]

Well, I have lived here for quite a while and certainly don't pay gringo pricing and my dinner companion is Argentine so not an issue. The cheeseburger was 45 pesos and the club sandwich was 47 or 49 (I don't have the receipt in front of me). Both did come with fries. 16 or so apiece for the beers and no cubierto at the bar.

Average entrees are around 50-60 pesos these days. At nicer restaurants, you're looking at closer to 80 and up. A group of friends (5) went out for breakfast the other day. No one ordered anything extravagent - say the average was 2 coffees and 2 medialunas a piece. The check was split evenly- it came to 50 pesos a person.

Those are the realities of living here.

 

[PhilipDT]

I dunno, that seems pretty steep for burgers and a sandwich. But then again its been a while since I've ordered a burger or sandwich while at a restaurant.

 

[steveinbsas]

A group of friends (5) went out for breakfast the other day. No one ordered anything extravagent - say the average was 2 coffees and 2 medialunas a piece. The check was split evenly- it came to 50 pesos a person.

Those are the realities of living here.

While waiting for my turno to get my last Argentine criminal report, I had a coffee and a huge pile of toast (instead of 2 lunies) for 7 pesos (slightly off the beaten path near Plaza de Mayo). Just before I left CF (late last June) the price had increased to $9, but a 13" cheese pizza (fresh baked to go) was reduced in price from $7 pesos back to $6 pesos at the pizza factory a block and a half from my apartment in Belgrano. Apparently, business dropped off with the price increase. The best thing about the pizza was that they did NOT use too much cheese (at that price how could they?).

Hopefully, both of these places are still in business and haven't raised their prices significantly since I left town.

 

[starlucia]

We recently had dinner at Brasserie Petanque: a salmon entree (62 pesos), a pork entree (58), a bottle of Dona Paula white (55), and 2 cubiertos of 6 pesos each. The dishes were good, but still, they cost almost exactly what the salmon and pork dishes currently cost at L'Express (a French bistro in Manhattan.) Meanwhile, a Thai curry at Lotus is currently 61 pesos (chicken) or 86 (shrimp), while in NYC, their counterparts run USD $11-15. Boggles the mind a bit when restaurant prices are not only on par with the US, but with its most expensive city.

 

[citygirl]

Thanks for all your concern but really, the prices are the prices. Sugar is charging close to 35 for their burger. Hell, a burger, fries & small drink at McDonalds is like 28 now. 45 for a cheeseburger is expensive but not out of line for what is going on now.

And while I'm a food snob (we NYers are you know), I enjoy a good burger now & again.

Another price point - my BF and I have been going to the same restaurant in Belgrano (little neighborhood sushi place) for the last 2 years. The same meal (gyozo, split a sushi platter and 1 large beer) used to cost us about 120 pesos (maso). It's now close to 200 for the exact same order.

 

[PhilipDT]

Just ordered for delivery 1/4kg of extra rare vacio (arrived medium at best) with fries. 24 pesos up from 18 last year but still enough for 2 people (with bread).

Considering I didn't have to cook I think its fairly damn cheap.

 

[perry]

Inflation is shocking in Buenos Aires but I have to say it has been good for real estate and our local business has never been busier. There seems to be a rush to buy properties atm to offset the inflation and weakening dollar.

I do not see this panning out well in the future with a correction in 2012.

 

[PhilipDT]

wouldn't this be a bad time to spend dollars right now? It seems to me like the dollar is heavily undervalued here

 

[perry]

wouldn't this be a bad time to spend dollars right now? It seems to me like the dollar is heavily undervalued here

Not spending dollars at the moment is madness . With close to 30% inflation and a peso that is not devaluing this is creating the impetus for all these large purchases.

In 2010 Argentina sold more cars than ever recorded in history and for the simple reason to offset inflation.

Now there is no other country in the world that people put their savings in cars as they depreciate but in Argentina it is el reves they appreciate and used cars here fetch unbelievable prices in dollars.

 

[PhilipDT]

Not spending dollars at the moment is madness . With close to 30% inflation and a peso that is not devaluing this is creating the impetus for all these large purchases.

In 2010 Argentina sold more cars than ever recorded in history and for the simple reason to offset inflation.

Now there is no other country in the world that people put their savings in cars as they depreciate but in Argentina it is el reves they appreciate and used cars here fetch unbelievable prices in dollars.

If dollars are undervalued right now it seems like spending too many of them is madness. There surely will be a devaluation soon and the purchasing power of the dollar will shoot up, right?