Is Life Now With The Blue Dollar/euro Really Cheaper?

[MikeB12]

@Mariano - Yes

 

[Sleuth]

If you have access to blue market dollars, there is no doubt that life is cheaper now. We had to buy a flat screen TV and got 20% off with our bank card and 12 payments with no interest. That made the whole purchase about the same price as it would be in the US.

I was also just checking pricing on cars and, for example, the Toyota RAV 4 is U$S 35,100 here for a base model. The base model in the US is U$S 23,300. BUT, take that initial price times the official rate of ARS $5.1 and your cost in pesos is ARS $179.010. Now, if you're actually getting your pesos at the blue market rate, divide that peso cost by ARS $8.20 and you're getting the car for U$S 21,830. A pretty significant savings... There were several reports about Argentines brining money back into the country by buying Boden bonds and getting the blue rate here, then using that money to buy major purchases like cars and apartments. Obviously this is a very small percentage of the population who is able to do this.

 

[citygirl]

The problem is though - most people here don't live in the world of the blue rate.

 

[French jurist]

Not only the Blue dollar makes life cheaper, but life is much better since one year down here.

We can eat for 6$ daily, not only the hand of God is Argentinean but God itself, they just finished cleaning the Riachuelo (took a dive in La Boca last week, trouts were jumping all around me, I even think I saw a mermaid), Argentina finally got recognized by winning the WSOPs (Word Series of Pizzas), you can walk in Pompeya by night while flashing your iPhone 5, etc.

 

[citygirl]

jajajajaja - thank you for making me laugh this morning Frenchie!

 

[Rich One]

Maybe it's cheaper? but just the feeling of being richer makes you feel better every morning, perhaps it's just a "sensation"?

 

[dennisr]

If you have access to blue market dollars, there is no doubt that life is cheaper now. We had to buy a flat screen TV and got 20% off with our bank card and 12 payments with no interest. That made the whole purchase about the same price as it would be in the US.

I was also just checking pricing on cars and, for example, the Toyota RAV 4 is U$S 35,100 here for a base model. The base model in the US is U$S 23,300. BUT, take that initial price times the official rate of ARS $5.1 and your cost in pesos is ARS $179.010. Now, if you're actually getting your pesos at the blue market rate, divide that peso cost by ARS $8.20 and you're getting the car for U$S 21,830. A pretty significant savings... There were several reports about Argentines brining money back into the country by buying Boden bonds and getting the blue rate here, then using that money to buy major purchases like cars and apartments. Obviously this is a very small percentage of the population who is able to do this.

New Car: Easy my friend, if that new Toyota you want is imported, you should make the purchase quickly, ha ha. Sounds like the 20% surcharge is in your future.
http://www.iprofesional.com/notas/157189-El-Gobierno-ahora-evala-aplicar-un-recargo-a-la-compra-de-autos-importados

 

[mariano-BCN]

I wish healthy food get cheaper there, it's absurd I've to pay 2 or 3 times more for my tofu in BsArs, even in the Barrio Chino, than in Europe. Tofu is made of Argentinean soy-beans.

 

[Sleuth]

New Car: Easy my friend, if that new Toyota you want is imported, you should make the purchase quickly, ha ha. Sounds like the 20% surcharge is in your future.
http://www.iprofesio...utos-importados

Agghh! One thing I can say for the government here - they move quickly. New regulations are implemented overnight.

 

[starlucia]

I wish healthy food get cheaper there, it's absurd I've to pay 2 or 3 times more for my tofu in BsArs, even in the Barrio Chino, than in Europe. Tofu is made of Argentinean soy-beans.

Why even bother eating tofu in Argentina? The soybeans are GMO and grown in pesticides. Makes more sense to stick to the (purportedly) organic or non-GMO dried beans from health-food stores.