Job Offer in Buenos Aires

[marksoc]

Rent (with internet and utilities): 1450 (365 per week)
Groceries: 800 (200 per week)
Transportation: 300 (75 per week)
Dining Out: 450 (112 per week)
Phone: 100
Weekend Entertainment: 800 (200 per week)
Misc: 250 (62 per week)

Total: 4150

Does this sound reasonable?

Yes. If you get free tickets for clubs (easy to do, "lists" online, etc) and don´t drink your budget inside, you will have more for the "Extras" line. With the raise it will be easier. Again, if you pay 100 pesos for a restaurant, you obviously love your overpriced food. I don´t eat Thai in Buenos Aires, I eat it in Thailand, were it costs USD 1.25 per plate. Here it is meat, chicken, potatoes and batatas, empanadas, ice cream and wine. Disgusting, right?

 

[bebero]

Rent (with internet and utilities): 1450 (365 per week)
Groceries: 800 (200 per week)
Transportation: 300 (75 per week)
Dining Out: 450 (112 per week)
Phone: 100
Weekend Entertainment: 800 (200 per week)
Misc: 250 (62 per week)

Total: 4150

Does this sound reasonable?

Perfectly reasonable.

 

[Xeneizes]

Hey everyone,

I would like to thank everyone for all of the advice I have received in this thread. It was definitely crucial toward helping me make my decision, and though many of you tried to scare me away, I am happy to say I have accepted the job and will be traveling there at the beginning of August.

Although it is tough to take a job that pays about $16,000 US when some of my friends are making 60-70K straight out of college in the US, I feel like the experience is invaluable and opportune, and the company has recruited lots of very bright people from around the world. You can't put a price on certain things.

I also revised my budget based on what I've read. I also may or may not have mentioned that the company adjusts for inflation company wide each August, which I believe should apply to me based on our conversations, so that will bump up my gross salary 500-1000 AR$ hopefully.

But with the initial 4150 AR monthly budget,

Rent: 1500 (375 per week)

Includes internet, cable, utilities in a hopefully nice (cockroach free!) shared apartment with international feel

Groceries: 800 (200 per week)

85% cooking at home (15-17 times/wk incl. breakfast) with emphasis on chicken, pork, steak, vegetables, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, cereal, eggs, beans (not sure if any of these are expensive)

Transportation: 125 (32 per week)

Mainly Subte/bus/walking to work/nightlife, with the occasional taxi home (2-3/month) from the clubs/bar if it is very late and I am alone

Dining Out: 525 (131 per week)

15% of the time (3 times/wk) primarily in the range of better than empanadas but nothing fancy. Cheaper parillas often likely.

Phone: 100 (25 per week)

Through my company I can get a phone plan with my US phone for about this much.

Gym: 100 (25 per week)

Rate with my company's gym.

Weekend Entertainment: 725 (180 per week)

Bars 1-2 times per week, Clubs 1 per week, mostly drinking beer and often bought in stores when not at bar, occasional trip to museum/shopping/park/etc (Do they have anything like Spanish Botellon's in BA?)

Toiletries/Supplies: 125 (32 per week)

Toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, deodorant, soap, cleaning products (remember, in a shared home)

Miscellanous: 150 (38 per week)

Unexpected costs, very occasional shopping or on street purchases. I will buy all of my clothes in the US before coming, and add a few things slowly.

Total: 4150

How does this sound? I'm excited to come down there in about a month!

 

[Barney]

Miscellanous sounds really low, let's say you one time a day want to buy a coke, something to eat like a empanada or some lays. That would be something like 8 x 30 = 240 peso already. Calling home sometimes if somebody comes up in a locutorio(20/30 peso), a gift for a friend, etc. Newspapers/magazines might not seem necesary but most people do end up buy them sometimes. Local magazine runs around 15 peso, newspaper 3/4

Bottelon is called previa here and basically means you go up to someone's home, buy a few beers and something to eat and go clubbing once you are finished with the beers and you end up drinking 1 or 2 drinks in the club. Beer in a bar runs 20-30 peso, speed con wodka/fernet, etc 30-40 peso and sometimes higher

 

[Barney]

I bought yesterday by the way 2 litres of quilmes and 2 small bags of lays for 34 peso(envase is about 8 peso or so)

Buying one bottle of beer and a bag of lays is probally around 20 peso

 

[Barney]

Yes. If you get free tickets for clubs (easy to do, "lists" online, etc) and don´t drink your budget inside, you will have more for the "Extras" line. With the raise it will be easier. Again, if you pay 100 pesos for a restaurant, you obviously love your overpriced food. I don´t eat Thai in Buenos Aires, I eat it in Thailand, were it costs USD 1.25 per plate. Here it is meat, chicken, potatoes and batatas, empanadas, ice cream and wine. Disgusting, right?

It's kinda expensive to fly to Bangkok for a 1,25 dollar plate....

I agree with the free list, or free entry untill a certain time, I can do it at almost all the places I go, just have to pay sometimes if I meet friends at different place then I picked.

I am guessing though that somebody in his mid 20's probally wants to go to some of those clubs. Niceto Vega, Rumi, Club Arazoz, Asia de Cuba, Pacha, Crobar and then it would probally cost you something like 50-80 peso te get in and most likely without a drink

 

[Xeneizes]

Miscellanous sounds really low, let's say you one time a day want to buy a coke, something to eat like a empanada or some lays. That would be something like 8 x 30 = 240 peso already. Calling home sometimes if somebody comes up in a locutorio(20/30 peso), a gift for a friend, etc. Newspapers/magazines might not seem necesary but most people do end up buy them sometimes. Local magazine runs around 15 peso, newspaper 3/4

Bottelon is called previa here and basically means you go up to someone's home, buy a few beers and something to eat and go clubbing once you are finished with the beers and you end up drinking 1 or 2 drinks in the club. Beer in a bar runs 20-30 peso, speed con wodka/fernet, etc 30-40 peso and sometimes higher

Yeah, it probably is, but I'm including things like soda/chips in eating out (or groceries when i pack lunches for work) and I don't like to spend on snacks like that. Might buy an occasional paper but I have the internet for that. Previa sounds cool, I'll try to avoid drinks in the club all together.

 

[Barney]

I might have red it wrongly but you want to eat out 16 times for 400 peso? Or about 25 peso?

I don't know where that's possible, but most options are in the 35-50 peso range

Cheap parilla will also be something like 60 to 80 peso

 

[Xeneizes]

I might have red it wrongly but you want to eat out 16 times for 400 peso? Or about 25 peso?

I don't know where that's possible, but most options are in the 35-50 peso range

Cheap parilla will also be something like 60 to 80 peso

Well, that's why I'm posting my budget now, haha, to get opinions like yours. I'll edit it. It's now 12 times for 525 (~44 each)

 

[Xeneizes]

I might have red it wrongly but you want to eat out 16 times for 400 peso? Or about 25 peso?

I don't know where that's possible, but most options are in the 35-50 peso range

Cheap parilla will also be something like 60 to 80 peso

16-26 pesos http://www.lonelyplanet.com/argentina/buenos-aires/restaurants/parrilla/el-desnivel
17-45 pesos http://www.lonelyplanet.com/argentina/buenos-aires/restaurants/parrilla/estilo-campo
16-20 pesos http://www.lonelyplanet.com/argentina/buenos-aires/restaurants/parrilla/la-lechuza

I'm sure there are others for under 35, and I know those may be listed wrong. You know more than me because you're there, but I have a sneaking suspicious most people who post on this site are expats or portenos who live very luxurious styles that I'm just not expecting or wanting as a 22 year old.