Lower-Cost Alternatives to BA?

[Rich One]

El Queso ... Thanks great data on housing options in Asuncion, much appreciated.
As a single person my most important expense is rent,however going thru the motions and expenses of moving for a savings of US$150 in rent is not justified. My second highest expenditure is supermarket bills which amount to US$200 per month, a savings (hypothetical) of US$100 would not be significant. To amortize the cost of moving would take several years...?? Presumably costs here in US$ will go down in 2013...!!!!

I'm tempted to explore places like Cuenca, Ecuador where rents for studios can be as low as US·$300.

 

[Rich One]

How about Egypt? I was there this week. It's especially cheap in the smaller cities. People were very friendly.

Food in Egypt is cheap, like Alexandria f.i., but one can not integrate because of the Arabic language and the Islamic culture, not a location for a foreign family?, schools? jobs? I spent seven years in the Middle East...!! Lebanon would be my choice, but is not cheap.

 

[mariano-BCN]

try South Spain. I was a few weeks ago in Barcelona and to my surprise it's a way cheaper than when I left in 2010. And if you go to Andalusia it's far more cheaper, also Portugal. It's for sure much more cheaper, better quality of life, better food-options than BsArs.
Next week I'll be in Bogota, for the coming weeks so hope to have than recent information about price level of Colombia.

 

[Crema Americana]

I would love to move back to Spain if it weren't for the job situation.

 

[Greg2231]

El Queso ... Thanks great data on housing options in Asuncion, much appreciated.
As a single person my most important expense is rent,however going thru the motions and expenses of moving for a savings of US$150 in rent is not justified. My second highest expenditure is supermarket bills which amount to US$200 per month, a savings (hypothetical) of US$100 would not be significant. To amortize the cost of moving would take several years...?? Presumably costs here in US$ will go down in 2013...!!!!

I'm tempted to explore places like Cuenca, Ecuador where rents for studios can be as low as US·$300.

having been to a lot of the places mentioned, I would think Cuenca is the best choice I have heard so far, I have been there a couple of times, and while been Ecuadors third city it is the nicest in my opinion, also it is not that far from GYE for hooking up to international flights, which can be reached either by bus for around $10 and 8 hours or so, or by plane at around $50 and 30 minutes. The only issue might be the visa situation, as I am under the impression that you cant do visa runs to stay in status there, and would need to secure a proper visa if you are staying there long term, though that can be acomplished via the purchase of $20,000 in Ecuadorian bonds if I rember correctly.

 

[ElQueso]

Just one other thing in regards to Asuncion, are the hot/humid summers just absolutely unbearable? Or at least somewhat manageable?
Is it mostly January/February when it really peaks?
Any place whatsoever to take a dip (river, lake)?
Should that discourage someone if it's the only main negative otherwise?
Thanks.

Well, I've been a couple of time in January and February. But I'm from Houston, where the temperature in the summer reaches as high as 110 on occasions (similar to Paraguay), but it's also very humid. Paraguay isn't really very humid overall, though I suppose Asuncion is a little bit, being right on the river. I don't really mind the heat there, but it can be pretty hot, for sure.

I'd think places like Ecuador would be much hotter, but have never traveled there so can't say.

There are places to swim. Mostly we swam in creeks and such out where the family lives, but my wife and family when passing through and staying in Asuncion for a few days have found a public pools where they've had fun.

One thing funny about Paraguayan women - they rarely wear swim suits. They tend to swim in shorts, and sometimes just t-shirts with nothing on underneath. For some reason, they are a bit modest in this, feeling that a bikini exposes too much, even though some with the shirts are quite exposed, shall we say...

As far as swimming in the river, I'm sure there are places to do that. I may be close to some fo the resorts that they have though. There's also a big lake just outside the city (Lago Ypacarai) where there are a lot of water sports. I've never been up there aside from just driving around and looking, so I'm not sure of all the amenities that might be available.

BTW - before I mentioned a neighborhood to live in and called it San Fernando. I was mistaken - it is San Lorenzo that I meant to mention.

 

[ElQueso]

El Queso ... Thanks great data on housing options in Asuncion, much appreciated.
As a single person my most important expense is rent,however going thru the motions and expenses of moving for a savings of US$150 in rent is not justified. My second highest expenditure is supermarket bills which amount to US$200 per month, a savings (hypothetical) of US$100 would not be significant. To amortize the cost of moving would take several years...?? Presumably costs here in US$ will go down in 2013...!!!!

I'm tempted to explore places like Cuenca, Ecuador where rents for studios can be as low as US·$300.

BTW - the examples I showed were just two real quick, off-the-cuff searches. I think you can find cheaper than even the lower one I mentioned. That was just one site and I took the lower and upper ones that were furnished.

However, I think just about anywhere in the world you move nowadays, that's worth living in at all, is going to somewhat expensive. For one thing, the dollar doesn't buy what it used to. Another, other countries, though still poor, are improving their lifestyle.

My big comparison is between BA and Asuncion, which I have no doubt is cheaper in Asuncion, I just can't put an exact figure to it. I do know for a certain fact that it would be cheaper for me to live in Houston than BA now, and it wasn't always so.

As far as other places go, may well be that Asuncion is lower on the list. Having spent the last 6+ years here in BA and traveling often to and from Asuncion, I can't really speak on other options.

 

[ElQueso]

Presumably costs here in US$ will go down in 2013...!!!!

Oh, and BTW - I guess that all depends on what happens. I've read a lot of well-thought of people talking about the effects QE3 and the almost certainly coming QE4, that they will have a seriously poor effect on the value of the dollar. Hell, even Bernanke is saying that other countries have to get used to the lower value of the dollar as he has stated that he will be printing money to cover the costs of those programs.

I don't know - I'm a bit fearful of runaway inflation in the States in 2013 or 2014. I have a number of good friends who know quite a bit about economics and they assure me that such a thing won't happen - but a lot of people always talk like that until disaster does happen.

Of course, if the value of the dollar falls so much in such a short time, we're all screwed anyway...

 

[Greg2231]

I'd think places like Ecuador would be much hotter, but have never traveled there so can't say.

The weather is one of the best things about Cuenca it is basically spring like 12 months a year

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Climate data for Cuenca, Ecuador Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 26.7
(80.1) 26.1
(79.0) 27.2
(81.0) 24.4
(75.9) 25.0
(77.0) 25.0
(77.0) 22.8
(73.0) 25.6
(78.1) 25.0
(77.0) 27.2
(81.0) 27.2
(81.0) 27.2
(81.0) 27.2
(81.0) Average high °C (°F) 20.6
(69.1) 21.1
(70.0) 20.6
(69.1) 20.6
(69.1) 19.4
(66.9) 18.9
(66.0) 18.3
(64.9) 18.9
(66.0) 20.6
(69.1) 21.1
(70.0) 21.7
(71.1) 21.7
(71.1) 20.3
(68.5) Daily mean °C (°F) 15.3
(59.5) 15.8
(60.4) 15.6
(60.1) 15.3
(59.5) 14.4
(57.9) 13.6
(56.5) 13.3
(55.9) 13.3
(55.9) 14.7
(58.5) 15.3
(59.5) 14.7
(58.5) 15.6
(60.1) 14.7
(58.5) Average low °C (°F) 10.0
(50.0) 10.6
(51.1) 10.6
(51.1) 10.0
(50.0) 9.4
(48.9) 8.3
(46.9) 8.3
(46.9) 7.8
(46.0) 8.9
(48.0) 9.4
(48.9) 7.8
(46.0) 9.4
(48.9) 9.2
(48.6) Record low °C (°F) 3.3
(37.9) 2.8
(37.0) 3.9
(39.0) 1.1
(34.0) 0.0
(32.0) −0.6
(30.9) −1.7
(28.9) −1.1
(30.0) 2.2
(36.0) −0.6
(30.9) −0.6
(30.9) 1.1
(34.0) −1.7
(28.9) Rainfall mm (inches) 67
(2.64) 85
(3.35) 107
(4.21) 109
(4.29) 77
(3.03) 68
(2.68) 53
(2.09) 47
(1.85) 56
(2.2) 73
(2.87) 69
(2.72) 67
(2.64) 878
(34.57) Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 20 21 22 19 15 11 10 10 12 16 13 10 179 Mean monthly sunshine hours 155 113 124 120 155 150 186 186 150 155 150 155 1,799

 

[PhilinBSAS]

Oh, and BTW - I guess that all depends on what happens. I've read a lot of well-thought of people talking about the effects QE3

Of course, if the value of the dollar falls so much in such a short time, we're all screwed anyway...

??? Nope just means more Canadians and Brits - and Argentines! - with incomes buy cheap property in the USA (if that's what they are after!)

Just spent a week in Greece (Athens and one of the more expensive islands) and quality of life/cost of living ratio is very positive. All the anti-Greece stuff in the anglo papers is well overhyped

Preferable to Costa del Sol/ Costa Blanca which are unendurably dull in the winter and I'd say to stay any length of time in Barcelona you need to have to like Catalans some who do seem to have a particular outlook (chip on the shoulder) not unlike some Portenos IMHO.

Istanbul is now getting expensive but such an interesting place to be and the economy is booming. BRICS should be renamed BRICT since SA is so underperforming in comparison with Turkey