My wife (Argentinian) claims you can live "well" on $1500 a month in Argentina. True?

[Fiscal]

I've reviewed a number of scary threads on here about how terrible it is to live in Argentina, and in BA in particular. And that it is also actually pretty expensive. My wife is Argentinian, we currently live in the US in a major city, and she *really* wants to move back to Argentina now that she is pregnant because she wants the child to be Argentinian and grow up around her family. I've been to Argentina about 5 times over the past two years and, while it has its faults and certainly lacks the convenience of the US (and recognizing I have actually not lived there), I've never had a meaningfully negative experience there. On the other hand, I don't have a particularly strong desire to move there, and while I could work remotely, my income as an independent contractor in my field would be substantially less -- maybe $5000-$6000 per month at best, and I would lose US health insurance and a 401k.

Anyway, my wife claims you can live just fine for $1500 a month. Everything I've read here though suggests the number is more like $4000. Curious as to anyone's more recent thoughts.

 

[another]

the $1500 is not even enough to cover a monthly rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in a decent barrio, unless you luck out by some miracle. The rest depends on the lifestyle you want to have - car / no car, buses / taxis, eating out / cooking at home, private school / public school, etc etc etc.
3 people can comfortably live on another 1000 bucks a month, but if you don't want to count every penny add an extra 500. That doesn't include medical coverage, as the cost depends a lot on the level and company you choose. The dollar doubled in the past 4 months and the inflation hadn't caught up yet, and almighty himself doesn't even know how the dollar is going to behave tomorrow, let along a year from now, so the cost of living here will vary wildly...The considerations should be other than money in the first place - the lack of basic conveniences you take for granted in US, safety, access to a decent education, nightmarish red tape, terrible customer service and everything else our little community is incessantly complaining about here. Those of us who have been living here for a long time are used to tolerate the inconveniences, but moving here when you are young and expecting a baby would be a big disadvantage...My 3 cents.

 

[Fiscal]

Thank you, much appreciated. I'm sure this has been covered multiple times, but what is the cost for a prestigious private school?

One of the main reasons I do not want to move to Argentina is what you mentioned regarding lack of basic conveniences and harder every day living. Even crossing the street in BA can be difficult. Perhaps I can get adjust but I don't know what the benefits are to moving there (other than closer to family and wife's strong preference). Life will be harder and I'll be cutting my income in half or more.

 

[sergio]

You won't be able to afford an elite school like St Andrews on your U$S 1,500 budget so why ask? In fact, your life will be pretty grim unless you can live with the in-laws and save on rent. And why on earth would you want to deny your son US citizenship?

 

[Fiscal]

I have $5-6k a month to spend. The $1500 comes from my wife's claim that this is all you need to have an ordinarily life in BA.

 

[Churchill]

Even if you had stated that you had $10000 to live on per month, half the expats on here would still insist that come the end of the month you would still have to rummage through the bins to put food on the table for your family. To say that $1500 isnt even enough to cover the rent in a decent barrio is laughable. Hey Baexpats wake the f@#k up! Argentina is no longer super expensive for those earning in a foreign currency.

 

[earlyretirement]

It's all relative and subjective. "Living good" to one person means something totally different to another person. The problem with Expats is many are accustomed to a certain lifestyle in their home countries and it's difficult adjusting when in BA. Many of my employees in BA have a much simpler life. Many live at home until they are married. They don't have many bills.

But life there adds up. I can't see anyone really having a decent life with kids and only making $1,500 US a month.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

And why on earth would you want to deny your son US citizenship?

A child born anywhere in the world of an Argentine parent is already an Argentine citizen.
A child born anywhere in the world of a US parent is already a US citizen
(Some form filling may be involved)

To the OP, why not take a sabbatical? So, you might take a financial hit from working remotely for a few months but it's only a few months and you can both see how you fit in. Don't sell your house in the US, don't burn any bridges. Just give it a try now and make decisions later.

 

[Stantucker]

My wife and I (no kids, just two cats) live in Recoleta. We don't rent because we own our apartment and we have no car. We have spent on average per month $3300 this year, and that does not include any money for travel. We have health insurance that we really like, but not with the top providers. We eat out some (once or twice a week). It all adds up, but life here is cheaper than in the States. Safety is one of my biggest concerns, but not big enough that I will leave. We really like it here (most days, anyway).

 

[another]

I have $5-6k a month to spend. The $1500 comes from my wife's claim that this is all you need to have an ordinarily life in BA.

Yes, the ordinary local family can live on $1500, but it's not the lifestyle you want to have. Main difference being the accommodation - if you want to rent a place in a modern building with security, gym & pool in Palermo / Belgrano area you have two options - rent a furnished apartment for short term ( a few months to a year ) and most probably pay a fixed price in dollars or sign a standard two year contract on unfurnished apartment ( unfurnished means no appliances either, so you have to buy a fridge,stove,washer, etc and all the furniture ), then you pay rent in pesos plus all the bills and the monthly expenses ( condo fee ) and it'll be adjusted to inflation every 3 or 6 months. That might be a bit cheaper but a lot less convenient and ties you up for a two years term. And it will be a hell of a lot smaller than what you are used to in US.