Thinking of moving to BA

[littlebird]

My husband and I both work full time from home. We have a 14 month-old daughter. My husband was born in Colombia but we don't want to go back there but would like to give our daughter an international experience. We're exploring the idea of moving to Buenos Aires for a year but are trying to get some information.

We currently make around $80-90,000 USD a year. So, after taxes, etc, we live on around $4K a month. What kind of lifestyle would this afford us in buenos aires?

We'd love a 3 bedroom home, good health care and be able to afford to eat well and travel regularly. My husband is fluent in spanish but I'd need to take classes. We would also want good child care options - whether it was a daycare or a nanny. We'd like to live in a safe area but one that is artsy as well.

Any information is appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[deeve007]

4k/month you'd live like kings.

Well, moderately well off kings anyway.

Also, lucky US folk, if you're outside the US for a certain number of days per year you don't pay tax in the US, only wish Australia tax office was so damn accommodating!

 

[littlebird]

Everywhere I keep looking for apartment listings shows really high rates in USD. Can you point me to a good resource?

Thanks!

 

[deeve007]

craigslist
airbnb

or rent a short term place in BA and do the real estate agent rounds on the ground.

if I had a family I'd probably think about San Isidro, just a very short train ride on the edge of BA, otherwise Recoleta or Palermo.

 

[chris]

Since your daughter is so young school fees won't be an issue. If you had 2 or more kids of school age a large % of your $4,000 would go for education, especially if you wanted anything remotely international. Your biggest concern will be rent. If you want a house you will probably gravitate to Zona Norte. Your rent is going to consume a large part of the $4,000. I know expats who pay a good deal more than $4,000 a month for houses in areas like La Lucila, Martinez etc. Maybe some readers can help me out here - what does a 3/4 bedroom house in a good area cost? If small (un ambiente or 1 BR)apartments are routinely around $1,000 (we're talking dollars here) a house has got to cost 2 - 3 x more. Someone more expert can chime in here. The rent probably won't include utilities etc. Then you'll need a car which will cost more than in the US. If you live in Zona Norte you can avoid garage fees which are high in the city. I have no idea what child care costs (jardin de infantes?). Health care for three? I'm guessing it won't be less than $500, probably more for something really good, Travel? Air fares are very high here as is the cost of most travel related items. What about a maid? That's probably around $400-$500 at least for someone to live in. Frankly, I don't see how you can maintain a good standard unless you are willing to live in a 2 bedroom apartment in the city and live more like local people.

 

[MizzMarr]

littlebird, if you do a search on this website for apartment rentals you should find tons of threads with all the possible websites and listings available in town. One that I like a lot is www.enbuenosaires.com

good luck!

 

[HenryNisental]

If guy can, buy a house here to avoid high rents.
$4,000 is an excelentes salary here (in the top 5% I think).
To avoid US taxes you have to be here a minimun of 333 days per calendar year.
Good luck Henry

 

[deeve007]

If you can't live well here on almost US1k / week then you seriously need to review your lifestyle, sorry. I'm going on roughly $250 for myself and living very well.

 

[chris]

This is a family of three, three BR house needed, child care, health care for three, almost surely a car, maid, frequent travel etc. Air tickets alone will cost a fortune. An Argentine friend is taking his family (3 kids and wife) to the US for three weeks. Tickets to LA will be over $10,000 US + hotels, food etc. Littlebird said they want to travel a lot, so that too has to be factored in.

 

[jb5]

It's the frequent travel I can't see.

By Argentine standards, $4K/ mo is great pay. Even three years ago that would have gotten you a great house, all the help you wanted, lots of meals out and decent travel.

Now, if you want to live an upper middle class (far from rich and not even well off) US Quality lifestyle, $4K is not enough to live and travel.

$2K/ will get you a nice enough but far from fancy or even really upscale 3 bedroom in a nice neighborhood. Really nice houses are easily $5K plus per month. Then you'll need private school-- top ones are near US prices, food which is about US prices, services, entertainment.....I'm not seeing money left to travel much.

Cars are expensive as is nice furniture. They're also very expensive to ship and pay duty on.

Come for the experience and the great city, not to have a better life than you can in the US, those days are gone for now. If you have a stash of US dollars to buy rather then rent, you're way better off. It might also be much more attractive if/when the peso devalues as many economists believe it will.

Also consult an intnl tax accountant. Depending on your work you might get a substantial US tax credit in which case you'd live much better.

Also keep in mind many of the LAM countries you're probably thinking about traveling to are
even more expensive than AR. Brazil, Chile, Uruguay for example. LAM has become as expensive as the US in general, more in resorts and high end areas.

Columbia is the new Argentina, it's attracting the type of expats AR did before it became so expensive. You may want to consider it.