Paris or Buenos Aires?

[D!Di]

My Husband and I are planning to move before the end of this year and we are contemplating 2 similar yet very different choices: Paris or Buenos Aires.
After many years of trying it out here, we know that Capitalism is not for us. I am a highly skilled designer/artist in constant search of inspiration and my husband is a Martial Arts teacher and a history buff! We both love to be submerged in culture and history. We have connections in both places which makes it even harder for us to decide!! Our opinions of these cities are merely based on our travels as tourists. I am looking for some raw and real comparisons by anyone who really knows both places.

Thanks

 

[qwerty]

I think it all depends on how much you can spend/economic prospects. BA is probally great for a couple of months/year but rough if you stay longer and Paris is probally a much more first world country with all the advantages but also with the price-tag

 

[D!Di]

Thank you. I know that our money will go a lot further in BA than in Paris. But how are the other factors such as health care, education, and employment rate? I have done a lot of research on all these, but I really want to hear more from those currently living in BA.

 

[RichardP]

Why not try both? I would give 6 months to each city to get a real feel for life there rather than rely on the subjective opinion of strangers.
It all depends on what you think in the end. Personally, I wouldn't leave a great country like Canada for either one of these places for very long.

 

[billsfan]

Oh boy... this one could go a long way.
Now really, I agree with RichardP. You already stated that capitalism is not for you, so what I would make of that, is 2 people that arent thinking in settling down for good either...
How about try one of the 2 first without much fear?

 

[SaraSara]

I don't understand the reference to capitalism.

 

[D!Di]

getting opinions from current expats in BA is just another avenue of research that I wanted to include. It is not what I am basing my decision on. I do agree that living in both places for a few months is a good idea to make a more solid decision.
However, I am eager to learn more about people's personal experiences in either or both cities.

 

[fedecc]

How about North Korea?


Seriously now, if you can afford Paris, then Paris.

 

[perry]

This is an interesting topic as its gets to peoples definition on capitalism . I read earlier someone who said that Argentina was like a third world country because people had time for friends and family . Now to me this is more like a first world principle and is the missing essence of what expats and tourists like about Buenos Aires.

The USA; Europe , Australia and Asia have become very competive environments in the main where being a slave to your credit is the norm . How many people living in the USA have time for friendships or even to enjoy their own family . This is what attracts us to Argentina as it reminds us of life 30 to 40 years ago when these values were more common.

 

[qwerty]

Thank you. I know that our money will go a lot further in BA than in Paris. But how are the other factors such as health care, education, and employment rate? I have done a lot of research on all these, but I really want to hear more from those currently living in BA.

Health-care: Good if you can afford it, decent if you can't
Education: Kids? Good if you can afford, sucks if you can't
Employment - rate: What do you mean with that? Unemployment is probally around 15%(not like 8% the state says) - 30% is employed off the books and about 30 to 40% underemployed. Good joboportunities for foreigners are very scarce and most foreigners that are not self employed end up teaching English or working in a ex-pat bar