My Retirement Is Approx. ........

[Blaine]

I owned a Plumbing and HVAC business in the US, my wife was the heart of the business in the office; unfortunately, she recently passed away .I'm going to rent our home and travel for a while. My wife was Canadian and I am just now looking into her Social Security as well.
I will make approx. 2,000/ mo. on my own Social Security.
Will this be enough to survive in a middle class environment of Argentina?

 

[Alicia karr]

Yes

 

[Blaine]

Iacoqueta, thank you for your response.
I just amended my posting.

 

[estebandepraga]

Sorry to hear about your loss! Yes, I'd say that will be enough but of course it all depends on one's lifestyle. What is common and not expensive in N America is often $$ here but there are other things like great wine and public transport which are cheap!H
ope you make the right decision!

 

[Girino]

Blaine, it is definitely enough! We are two and we spend about $1,200 (rent and utilities, food, public transportation, leisure included), however, as others said, living in Argentina means a little of downshifting from the comfort and abundance of technology of our western life, but more walking, cultural activities and possibly social life.

 

[Ries]

you have to come visit first- probably for at least a month. travel both to Buenos Aires, and to the countryside.
some people are city people, some are not.
for instance, I would visit Merlo, and Tandil, El Bolson, and similar small towns in the country, if you are not a big city guy.
they are all cheaper than Buenos Aires, and beautiful.

 

[sleslie23]

Beware when people here tell you that rents are cheap in Buenos Aires. They can be, but there is a huge caveat. In order to rent a place at local prices, you'll need someone to provide a guarantee in the form of property. If you don't have that, then rents can be MUCH more expensive depending on where/how you live.

Ries' advice is solid. Come check it out and see what you think.

 

[Ceviche]

A good 90 m2 unfurnished apartment in a solid building in Palermo with a good view + storage + parking space and expenses could easily be 1600~1800 usd per month on a 2 year lease with garantia..or you could convert it equivalent blue rate.

however, there are also fully furnished apartments for 400 usd all inclusive..

depends on yr taste and needs.

 

[Blaine]

Thank you Estebandepraga, I've been in a real funk over the loss. I'm staying busy shutting down the business. I still have my license(s) . Just not sure if I really want to stay around here any more. It's been over four months and with someone constantly working at our house having estate sales etc.. It seems they're just making some progress. Can't stand to go there and see her things in disarray and being sold. Need to get the house cleaned out and ready to rent so I can move on.Winterized the pool today.

Thank you all for your advice. Looks like everyone brought a valuable piece to the table.

 

[Fangar]

Blaine, I am sorry for your loss.
Definitely take a visit of a month or so. It will be a great adventure. I did that this last October, trying to live as much as possible like a resident rather than as a tourist. I wanted to see if retirement on about $2,000 a month was doable. It is doable with adjustments, some major, to your current way of life.
Here are some things I found out. Others' experiences will differ somewhat, of course.
1. Public transportation is very cheap and will take you wherever you need to go in the city pretty quickly and efficiently.
2. High end restaurants are cheaper than high end restaurants in the US.
3. Mid-level eating places are only somewhat cheaper than in the US.
4. Food that you buy and prepare yourself is much much cheaper than in the US, but you would have to have the right utensils and staples to do the cooking. However,one could live luxuriously and almost exclusively on helado and Argentine champagne and keep within your budget. No health recommendations for that diet, however.
5. I spent US$1,000 for rent through AirBNB. It was nice and compared to staying in a hotel was very reasonable. But that would eat up 50% of the monthly budget. I could have done somewhat cheaper that $1,000 but not much. You do get a furnished apartment with a cleaning lady once a week, which is nice.
6. The alternative is to rent long term, and apartment rentals look very reasonable compared to US, but as sleslie23 points out above, you will need a gurantia.
7. The other alternative is to buy a place, but there is no mortgage market in Argentina, so it will have to be a cash transaction in US$.

If I may stick my nose a little further into your business, may I suggest that you wait a while to make any long term plans. You are still in the midst of sorting things out following the loss or your wife. Might you take time to get sorted through some of the emotional and financial ramifications of that tragedy before committing to anything longterm?
That being said, a month in Buenos Aires would be a wonderful opportunity to clear your head and heal your heart as you got some distance and perspective on you life going forward. I am sorry for your loss, and wish you a much better 2016 wherever the new year takes you. Good luck.