Inflation ???

[steveinbsas]

About a year ago the price of the same bread I paid $28 pesos for yesterday was $18 pesos...and the thirty eggs I paid $100 pesos for cost about $60. The exchange rate was what, about $16 to one and now it's about $18???

Just checked XOOM for the first time in a while.

Rate on May 3, 2017: $14.95
Rate on April 30, 2018: $19.91

So, about a 33% increase in the past year.

I can live with that...without complaining.

I deal with "inflation" as I continue to "pick off" the "best buys" on Mercado Libre, where many of my purchases are interest free for 12 months and I only buy those items that are competitively priced with equal items that are not offered interest free.

Purchases over $1300 from sellers who are willing to ship by mercado envios now include free shipping thanks to the new "mercado puntos" system so I often buy in sufficient quantities to qualify for free delivery directly to my door en el campo.

The price of some of the items in my "favorites" list on ML jumped from ten to thirty percent in the past week. I quickly made several bulk purchases from sellers who had yet to increase their prices.

Bottom line: Shopping can save ya some big bucks if yer fast enough on the draw.

 

[garryl]

The debate whether there is inflation or not is still on. Just the fact that dollar to peso rate is still the same is a big problem for dollar earners. The middle class and local people probably are just fine, relatively speaking, their income is adjusted to inflation. It's the expat who earn dollars get hurt. This is the classic time to sell real estate and buy at a different country. That's why there are so many Chinese selling their junk apartment for 1-4 million dollars each. Real estate value has "appreciated" about 10-20 times in last 15 years in China. Today, Argentina is similar. Peso is artificially strong against dollars. It can happen in Argentina, a small country with no technology or strong business, it certainly will last a while in China, until the whole thing collapses and resets.

 

[Rich One]

The point was that a kilo of bread in BA costs more than a kilo of meat....?

It`s sometime confusing for me , each time i quote a BA price or pricing situation, that sounds too high for Argentina , posts show up with the price of eggs in Belgium, the cost of living in the Seattle area, the price of bread in a small community in Argentina..? It`s always good to hear other options. ? Maybe it`s meaningful to compare the cost of living in BA with other more expensive, major urban areas around the world? For expats living in BA its of no consolation....
'

 

[toongeorges]

It`s sometime confusing for me , each time i quote a BA price or pricing situation, that sounds too high for Argentina , posts show up with the price of eggs in Belgium, the cost of living in the Seattle area, the price of bread in a small community in Argentina..?

Escuchame, people prefer talking over listening ;-)

Maybe it`s meaningful to compare the cost of living in BA with other more expensive, major urban areas around the world? For expats living in BA its of no consolation....

Not sure how accurate prices are for Buenos Aires, but you have a website to compare the cost of living between cities, e.g. Buenos Aires vs Brussels: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-livi...ry2=Belgium&city1=Buenos+Aires&city2=Brussels

 

[Rich One]

I just watched the Gourmet Channel program in Paris...! makes no sense to compare with BA prices who cares.... the quality is so far superior for farmers market products , fresh baby carrots, huge white asparagus, les fromages , etc. is a world apart no way to compare .... with BA stuff... and the croissant au beurre, puts to shame the medialunas...

 

[garryl]

I just watched the Gourmet Channel program in Paris...! makes no sense to compare with BA prices who cares.... the quality is so far superior for farmers market products , fresh baby carrots, huge white asparagus, les fromages , etc. is a world apart no way to compare .... with BA stuff... and the croissant au beurre, puts to shame the medialunas...

Sunday (in Paris it is every other day) market produce is always good in Europe, it's the real farmers market, the veggies and fruits are picked ripe. There are so many fake farmers crap in California now on Sunday, people pull stuff out of boxes, pretend to be a farmer's market produce.

 

[RandomS]

the quality is so far superior for farmers market products , fresh baby carrots, huge white asparagus, les fromages , etc. is a world apart no way to compare .... with BA stuff

This. Also I don't know why members in this forum don't talk about food safety and standards that much. With inflation in prices, things can start a race to the bottom.

 

[TomAtAlki]

Inflation in Argentina is the second highest in the world in us dollars currently at 30% annually . If there is no serious devaluation of the peso in the next year in less than 2 years prices will be nearly double todays rate . The middle class are suffering badly and consumption is way down on everything . Very few new restaurants are opening but hamburger bars are popular in Palermo Soho . Still very expensive though with very little change from 300 pesos for a burger , fries , and a beer . I was in Iquitos Peru in the amazon and this is a magnificient city with some of the best produce in south america . You can eat incredible seafood , chicken, and beef dishes for less than US$ 5. In the belen market of iquitos the largest of South America incredible meals can be had for less than 10 soles or US$ 3 dollars . Its the fastest growing city for expats in Peru atm and its not easy to see why as you can really live like a king for less than US$ 1,000 a month ( here it would be US$ 3,000 or more )

I believe that Iquitos is one of the most isolated cities in South America, access is almost exclusively by air. It impressed me as an oil boom town. I think the extra cost of living in Buenos Aires is truly worth it.

T/

 

[Rich One]

Sunday (in Paris it is every other day) market produce is always good in Europe, it's the real farmers market, the veggies and fruits are picked ripe. There are so many fake farmers crap in California now on Sunday, people pull stuff out of boxes, pretend to be a farmer's market produce.

I buy veggies in a small village 100 kms from BA Capital. the carrots are like wood and have no taste..? lettuces are all dry and no good nothing like baby bib lettuce salads? the pears are pocked with brown marks of rot ?What is the problem? the prices are the same or higher than Capital Chinos..? In Paris farmers markets 10 varieties of tomatoes. in all colors..? never seen that ? green, red , yellow , etc.

 

[Ries]

I think the problem is you are in a small village 100kms from capital. I have been served salads, at La Carniceria, for example, with all colors of tomatos- red, green, yellow, ,etc. Because expensive restaurants like that have purveyors who grow and sell higher quality produce. Similarly, there are stands near my house, in Barrio Norte, that sell excellent tasting carrots, baby bib, and nice looking pears. Its because the individual stand owner goes, every day, to the central market, and has a good relationship with the higher quality produce purveyors. Whereas your guy is buying from a guy who is buying from a guy who just checks "pears" off the list, and then it takes another 3 or 4 days to get to you.
Several of my local produce stands will tell me- Dont buy that today. Wait til I get the fresh one in the morning. Or- the season is over for that, we feel the need to have SOMETHING, but dont buy it. High quality produce, in any city, takes some tracking down- and its certainly available in BA- especially at the feria agronomia, at the mercado Bonpland, and other places where you are buying direct from organic growers. But its sure not everywhere, and most people, frankly, are not willing to pay more for fresh arugula, or the best tasting melons, or those tiny yellow tomatoes. You need to shop for it where the fancy folks shop.