Lower-Cost Alternatives to BA?

[Joe]

I stayed in Peru for six months a couple of years ago. In Cuzco I had a one bedroom (with a jazzuzi) for $400.

Lots of foreign foods available since it is a tourist town and on the backpacker trail (Mexican, Japanese, Israel, Indian all within a five minute walk of Plaza de Armas). You can even flirt with most of the waitresses and not get your head handed to you like in Baires!

The Peruvian currency has been strong for the last couple of years (due to a competent, less corrupt government) so I expect prices have gone up at least 10 percent.

One of the benefits of corrupt governments is by keeping the population in poverty - it does make for budget destinations for travelers - sad but true...

One thing about Spain and Portugal is the VAT which keeps getting raised. I think it is over 20% now. I wonder how cheap it really is there???

I'm also on the constant look out for inexpensive locales. I'm in Thailand now and plan to check out Northern India, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Berlin, Spain and Portugal. And then head to Equador, Columbia and Peru. After that ~2014, I expect Argentina would have imploded and it would be a budget destination again.

 

[fifs2]

I stayed in Peru for six months a couple of years ago. In Cuzco I had a one bedroom (with a jazzuzi) for $400.

Lots of foreign foods available since it is a tourist town and on the backpacker trail (Mexican, Japanese, Israel, Indian all within a five minute walk of Plaza de Armas). You can even flirt with most of the waitresses and not get your head handed to you like in Baires!

The Peruvian currency has been strong for the last couple of years (due to a competent, less corrupt government) so I expect prices have gone up at least 10 percent.

One of the benefits of corrupt governments is by keeping the population in poverty - it does make for budget destinations for travelers - sad but true...

One thing about Spain and Portugal is the VAT which keeps getting raised. I think it is over 20% now. I wonder how cheap it really is there???

I'm also on the constant look out for inexpensive locales. I'm in Thailand now and plan to check out Northern India, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Berlin, Spain and Portugal. And then head to Equador, Columbia and Peru. After that ~2014, I expect Argentina would have imploded and it would be a budget destination again.

Rental prices in Spain are all over the place and depend largely on the city of course but in spite of the vat increase are dropping due to an excess of empty properties. Here in andalusia outside seville you can rent a new180sq m appt with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms for 350 euros a month or less as tenants are in the driving seat. My friend is looking for a new place and the quantity of proprties at 200euros is astounding even for houses with a garden. Our rent on a 230sqm house with 4 bedrooms and pool is now 1000e a month. It was 2500 3 years ago and 1600 last year. House prices here remain high (2000-3000euro per sqm). We arent out of the woods yet as the crisis is now only really starting to be felt across all sectors and proprty tax increases to 10%end of year. In our sphere of reference (family 2 children) life is cheaper re private school, healthcare, cars, flights and our weekly shop. Local argentine shop selling fresh lomo etc at slightly higher prices than bsas. Sorry this is purely a personal perspective but since you mentioned Spain thought id chip in...

 

[mariano-BCN]

Joe: I was in June in Chiang Mai, a cheap place where Westerners stay months, years 'cause everything is cheap, there's good internet connections and services and food are good quality. Thailand is the most Western Asian country besides. And there're lots of cheap flights to Bangkok. I plan to stay there for a while in 2014.
By the way: I'm so sure Argentina economy is going to implode again, I don't see it being a budget destinations ever again. That was only a few years after the crisis, Argentina manages always to be very expensive, no matter how crap the service and productions is.
Fifs2: I lived in Barcelona before and would like to move next year to Sevilla, Granada or Cadiz, depending where I can find a nice place to rent for 500 euros a month. What would you recommend, which village or city? I like to live in the city, with culture events, people, pubs and the airport nearby.

 

[Rich One]

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...

El Queso I was referring to the cost of living in Argentina in 2013 with a Blue Dollar rate much higher than today....!!

 

[fifs2]

Joe: I was in June in Chiang Mai, a cheap place where Westerners stay months, years 'cause everything is cheap, there's good internet connections and services and food are good quality. Thailand is the most Western Asian country besides. And there're lots of cheap flights to Bangkok. I plan to stay there for a while in 2014.
By the way: I'm so sure Argentina economy is going to implode again, I don't see it being a budget destinations ever again. That was only a few years after the crisis, Argentina manages always to be very expensive, no matter how crap the service and productions is.
Fifs2: I lived in Barcelona before and would like to move next year to Sevilla, Granada or Cadiz, depending where I can find a nice place to rent for 500 euros a month. What would you recommend, which village or city? I like to live in the city, with culture events, people, pubs and the airport nearby.

Mariano you won't struggle to find anything at that price in the Cadiz province in cities like Cadiz or Jerez. Cadiz sounds like a natural choice as its culturally live with Seville airport so close but Seville or Granada are loved by all with a higer premium on rents of course. White villages like Vejer, Carmona, Medina have fantastic property options ( renting a 300 yr property in the heart of the vilage) but as i have friends living that lifestyle I can say it only works if you have a car. A good property reference site to use is tucasa.es. Its typically outdated re pricing e.g we saw a house to buy last week thats now 300k cheaper than the site price so you can take any price you see and throw it out the window. Happy to help as I can once you firm up plans!

 

[Ceviche]

Asuncion is good. I have spend considerable time there. In fact, I am also a permanent resident there.

But there is something about that place, that makes you feel bored after 1-2 months. Women are hot and friendly which is a big plus. Housing is cheap as El queso points out. But something about that place is not quire correct.

I think Lima is a better option.

 

[Argento]

So many nice replies! And so many choices too.

For what it's worth, had a nice day in BsAs yesterday. Nice weather, sort of summer-like feel, people's moods seemed slightly better. Noticed again the nicer aspects here. Yet, the negatives seemed to surface again after the high of the nice day wore off. It sure is like push-pull thing with this place. Like-unlike thing.

Mariano-BCN, please do let us know how you find prices these days in Bogota, an update while you're there if possible. Had a great time there back in the day and the elevation is welcome for cooler weather. Someone here mentioned something like $200US per month studios in Bogota or Medellin, but possibly they are barebones. If they have the basic fixings and some utilities included, would be quite the treat. But maybe that's shooting for the stars, unrealistic.

Ecuador is mentioned a lot. I can see why. Just checked the cost of living lists, it's near bottom and yet still seems like a nice place. Well below Asuncion and the other place I originally mentioned. Having reasonable access to a nice beach would be welcome too.

Still curious if a basically furnished small studio, utilities included, in Asuncion for about $400US per month is possible. Maybe yes. Surely in Ecuador I'd assume.
As well, sub-$20US hotels in Asuncion, or is that just being unrealistic? El Queso, do you think that's realistic? I did actually see some in BsAs recently and they weren't bad at all. Doing an internet search for hotel rentals is not always the best as prices tend to be higher. I didn't book my initial hotel stay here in BsAs, and it was much cheaper than what I found extensively searching online beforehand.

Joe, sounds like a nice plan you have there.

Spain mentioned a lot. I considered there before coming to BsAs this time, go figure.

 

[Joe]

Great info about Spain. Any info about apartments close to the center (Don't want to spend money on a car). What are the nice cities and towns in Spain to kick back for a few months? If Spain has reasonable costs I might stay awhile. I think you can stay for three months. I have two passports so I might be able to stay longer (visa runs to Morocco). Spain seems likes it changing day to day. I expect to be there in a year - maybe they will have even abandoned the Euro...

I will be going to Chiang Mai for the third time. To me Thailand would be the perfect expat destination except for the tropical weather. Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai are nice (bearable for me) in December and January. I'm hate tropical weather. One of the reasons I liked Argentina (mild climate). But Equador, Peru and Columbia because of elevation also have mild weather.

 

[arlean]

El Queso, I too have to give you kudos. I not only like your wealth of knowledge that you share so freely, but your personal values show and I admire them! You care about people! In a fairly self-centered world, that's pretty refreshing. I like your comment that there is culture everywhere. SO TRUE! Every people has a culture that is interesting. I completely agree.

For those discussing Paraguay, several subscribers to the Four Flags Journal, who stay in touch, have settled in Paraguay. One man, that we know personally, well established in Uruguay for seven years, bought an apartment in Ascunsion after living on the beach in Montevideo for several years. He tells me that the only people who don't like Paraguay are the ones who have never been there! Plus he loves the low cost of living. He is not retired but has a successful Internet business. From the emails of other subscribers I get the impression that Paraguay is a little of the Wild West of South America, however, with inferior roads and a few other things. And yet every single person we hear from who lives in Paraguay likes it.

Also I hear that it gets pretty hot there in summer but, as El Queso said, costs about half as much to live there as it does here. I also have questions about the recent coup there, where they successfully removed a duly elected president. So it is a mix, but as for cost of living, it seems to be a good choice on that basis.

I intend to visit Paraguay as soon as I finish this citizenship project in Argentina--just to see it for myself. Not with the intention of moving, however. Thanks again, El Queso, for all that good information.

 

[PhilinBSAS]

One of the benefits of corrupt governments is by keeping the population in poverty - it does make for budget destinations for travelers - sad but true...

Am I the only one to find this to be a most remarkable statement?

Or is it the case that everybody who has read it actually tacitly believes this to be true?

Well I don't believe it! and I question the moral degeneration of someone who propagates such turpitude

Quite apart from that it's nonsense