So why did you move to Buenos Aires?

[GS_Dirtboy]

I came here on vacation in mid-2006 and kinda never left. I met my (now) wife the first weekend I was here, travelled here from the US for a week every month for nine months and then just decided to move permanently. Have been here except for a rotation back to the States for a great work opportunity, but still kept my family here.

My wife is from Brasil so our kids are fluent in English, Spanish, and Portugues. We are here for the long haul. If we do decide to move someplace else it will be Brasil due to the booming economy.

There a positives and negatives that others have talked about but for me, we can have a much higher standard of living here than we ever could have in the US. In addition, my Argentine friends take friendship seriously. They will literally do - and have done - whatever they can if I need their help. That was (almost) never the case with my US friends.

 

[Gringoboy]

It'd a long story.
How long have we got?

 

[gsi16386]

There a positives and negatives that others have talked about but for me, we can have a much higher standard of living here than we ever could have in the US.

GS_: Please explain how this is so...a HIGHER standard of living? Please explain, cause I'd love to hear this...

 

[steveinbsas]

GS_: Please explain how this is so...a HIGHER standard of living? Please explain, cause I'd love to hear this...

Pehaps cheap (but good) wine would be one explaination.

 

[dennisr]

To be brutally honest, get as far away from American women as I could get and afford.

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

GS_: Please explain how this is so...a HIGHER standard of living? Please explain, cause I'd love to hear this...

I've scratched my head on that one, too. Here's why:

1. The relationship of salary $ARS to rent is much stronger here in BsAs than where I've lived in the US (Philadelphia and San Diego). For example, rent for a nice apartment in a decent area is almost $1ARS to $1US. We rented a comparably same apartment in San Diego ($3000US/mo) that we rent here ($3000ARS/mo).

2. Salary's are much stronger here in Pesos than they are in Dollars in the US. For example; a very good retail sales person can earn $7000+ ARS/mo. here. With few exceptions (eg. Nordstrom, ect) no one earns $7000/mo. in retail in the US.

3. Things that are going the other direction - food, school tuitions, clothes, electricity, gas, etc. Inflation is definitely taking a bite out of our cushion.

 

[expatinowncountry]

After living in 7 countries in the last 12 years and with two young children, for us was either Paris or Buenos Aires because that is where most of our family were... we did the math and it was simple: buying a house was USD 1.8K per square meter in Buenos Aires against USD 10K per square meter in Paris.
What we like here is that friendship is taking seriously and when people ask you "how are you?" they really mean it. We also like the feeling of possibility that comes with a young country.
We do not like the insecurity, the lack of work ethic, the dirtiness, and the inflation.
We are not sure for how long we will be here... we hope for the long run but you never know.

 

[nicoenarg]

Moved here because wife's from here and we had gotten sick of the middle eastern culture as we were living in Dubai for the last 6 years.

Came here to realize that the culture here wasn't much different than what we had expected a break from. On top of that, it is the dirtiest city (BsAs) we have ever lived in. Crime is sky high, inflation through the roof and work ethics down the drain.

However, where you get people who backstab you on a regular basis you also get people who truly care for you here, something that was not to be found at all in Dubai.

We are here for about 3 years after which we are planning on leaving for Europe--Scotland or if we're rich then Switzerland! We'll see.

 

[Fireman123]

To be brutally honest, get as far away from British women as I could get and afford.

 

[expatinowncountry]

Moved here because wife's from here and we had gotten sick of the middle eastern culture as we were living in Dubai for the last 6 years.

Came here to realize that the culture here wasn't much different than what we had expected a break from. On top of that, it is the dirtiest city (BsAs) we have ever lived in. Crime is sky high, inflation through the roof and work ethics down the drain.

However, where you get people who backstab you on a regular basis you also get people who truly care for you here, something that was not to be found at all in Dubai.

We are here for about 3 years after which we are planning on leaving for Europe--Scotland or if we're rich then Switzerland! We'll see.

We also moved to Buenos Aires from Dubai, quite a change, right (except for the work ethic that is about the same)?