US Citizen Interested in moving to Buenos Aries

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

Buenos Aires weather is more like Dallas than Houston, and not as hot in summer or cold in winter. Just as humid as anywhere in the US Midwest.

Housing: to buy is cheaper than a major city in Texas, but not a good value. Rent, however, is extremely cheap compared to the USA. Just be advised that with the low price of rent, your landlord will do NOTHING and you are responsible for EVERYTHING. For the price, it's a good tradeoff.

Transportation is great in BA, you will not need a car. Between bus, train, Subte and rideshare (Cabify, Lyft, Uber) you can be driven anywhere, any time, for less than the cost of insuring a car.

Culture is radically different. You really MUST visit for at least 6 weeks, several times, and see if it's for you. Argentines place the greatest importance on family, friends, socializing, and dining/drinking (asados). And of course Football (soccer). Jobs, politics, the state of things, religion, etc. These are all topics for animated conversation, but rarely topics that spur any action. It's almost the polar opposite of US culture. If you don't love that, you will not ever be comfortable in Argentina.

Example: In the USA many things are illegal and highly regulated, and the enforcement of everything is swift, effective, and occasionally brutal. In Argentina even more things are illegal and even more highly regulated, but for most things day to day, nobody cares. No harm, no foul. Stop signs (PARE) are only a suggestion, proceed at will and stop if you must. At night, same for red lights. If you are driving, you will need to adapt. If riding, you will need to learn not to freak out. Walking down a sidewalk while drinking a beer is not commonly done, but if someone does, nobody else worries about it. And so forth. I find it incredibly liberating, but that's me.

There is a reason for this:

"Culture is radically different. You really MUST visit for at least 6 weeks, several times, and see if it's for you. Argentines place the greatest importance on family, friends, socializing, and dining/drinking (asados). And of course Football (soccer). Jobs, politics, the state of things, religion, etc. These are all topics for animated conversation, but rarely topics that spur any action. It's almost the polar opposite of US culture. If you don't love that, you will not ever be comfortable in Argentina."

From my own long term, personal, up front and close observation:

Most everyone there has relatively little and of what they do have, it is very well worn. When you have nothing and no hope to obtain it, you focus on the non material things in life. The culture in EE UU is 180 opposite because anyone who is willing to roll up their sleeves can accomplish what their Aregntine counterpart can only dream of, or view in a movie. A person from EE UU is materialistic by culture / nature ... an Argentine is not. That is the fundamental difference in my opinion.

FYI >>> I march to a hybrid beating kind of a drum ... In that ... I am heavily capitalized, yet minimalistic in nature. I sleep well knowing I have no financial worries and I want very little in terms of stuff. But, of the stuff I do have (And it is very little.) it is of a very high quality. I am all about quality over quantity ... and I would be miserable being penniless / poor.

 

[Alby]

As unpopular as it may be to raise this point, when do you expect the pandemic to "be under control"? Other than wishful thinking about a vaccine, there is no reason to see it anywhere on the horizon. Even a herd immunity scenario is years away.

 

[Sequoia1321]

As unpopular as it may be to raise this point, when do you expect the pandemic to "be under control"? Other than wishful thinking about a vaccine, there is no reason to see it anywhere on the horizon. Even a herd immunity scenario is years away.

Not sure. What's the pandemic situation in Buenos Aries? Here it shot up again and people are now urged or demanded to wear masks, so I imagine it'll be reduced some from that. Other countries have beaten it more or less? like China, South Korea? Sorry I'm not up to speed on the status. I think vaccine might be happening as well, lots of resources are going into it worldwide. But you ask a good question, when? If by end of year they open up and allow me to come, without much restriction, quarantine, I may do it, or maybe wait until it gets more normal, places are open, no mask restriction, but that might take longer.

 

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

As unpopular as it may be to raise this point, when do you expect the pandemic to "be under control"? Other than wishful thinking about a vaccine, there is no reason to see it anywhere on the horizon. Even a herd immunity scenario is years away.

I would ENJOY to weigh in on this question!

It is going to take a period of time of about 18 months (VERY OPTIMISTIC) to 36 months (MOST LIKELY) for everyday life to "RESEMBLE" what it was pre pandemic. Every single person's life on the planet has been changed by this event. I don't care if they are a stay at home type who never travels ... everyone's life on the face of the earth has been and will continue to be affected / changed. Heck! Get near another human or try to go into a grocery store and you aren't doing it without a mask on your face!

 

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

There is a reason for this:

"Culture is radically different. You really MUST visit for at least 6 weeks, several times, and see if it's for you. Argentines place the greatest importance on family, friends, socializing, and dining/drinking (asados). And of course Football (soccer). Jobs, politics, the state of things, religion, etc. These are all topics for animated conversation, but rarely topics that spur any action. It's almost the polar opposite of US culture. If you don't love that, you will not ever be comfortable in Argentina."

From my own long term, personal, up front and close observation:

Most everyone there has relatively little and of what they do have, it is very well worn. When you have nothing and no hope to obtain it, you focus on the non material things in life. The culture in EE UU is 180 opposite because anyone who is willing to roll up their sleeves can accomplish what their Aregntine counterpart can only dream of, or view in a movie. A person from EE UU is materialistic by culture / nature ... an Argentine is not. That is the fundamental difference in my opinion.

FYI >>> I march to a hybrid beating kind of a drum ... In that ... I am heavily capitalized, yet minimalistic in nature. I sleep well knowing I have no financial worries and I want very little in terms of stuff. But, of the stuff I do have (And it is very little.) it is of a very high quality. I am all about quality over quantity ... and I would be miserable being penniless / poor.

And I want to add something to this reply of mine:

Argentina has "Día del amigo" - EE UU has The NYSE!

That ought to tell it all.

The typical person from EE UU has their retirement account on their mind. Is my 401K properly allocated ... is it performing ... etc ??? A good chunk of the population has not time for social events on the calendar like Argentines do ... They are too busy trying to get ahead and walk all over the next person. It's a flipping jungle of entrepreneurial conquest / career dominance / and whatever other superlative you care to throw at this thought.

Why is that?

Because there is ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY in EE UU - There is ZERO opportunity in Argentina. And I know that for a fact. I have seen Argentines come to EE UU and most of them have adapted quite well, embracing capitalism in it's most cultivated environment. And I have seen Americans become quite lazy in BA ... They just give up and languish on the vine ... ripening, then rotting.

ES UN HECHO!

 

[Alby]

The biggest mistake everyone makes is to talk about countries that "have beaten" the virus. No country has beaten the virus. A few countries (New Zealand, Vietnam) have done a good job to date of stopping its entry. They will need to keep that up for two or three years before anyone can say they "beat" the virus. The same applies to countries who have brought initial outbreaks under a semblance of control. Personally, I don't believe the virus will be "under control" for at least three years. I doubt countries like New Zealand and Vietnam will keep it eliminated or erradicated for long. That is not the subject of this thread, of course, but the thread is based on the assumption that the virus will be controlled at some point soon. In Argentina, it is just getting started, and nothing can stop it from here on in.

 

[Alpinista]

I think you asking a lot of good questions, but also some questions which in my view are barely relevant in regard whether you can succeed here. E.g. the weather will not be a factor whether it is going to work out or not (obviously you are not a winter person, so weather wise you are totally ok here). Also the Covid situation in the long run here will not be an issue (at least thats my personal view).

What is more of an issue: you make the impression that you are not well traveled, that you don't know the region, that you are not familiar at all with the culture. So it is going to be a challenge in this way, and it depends a lot on your personality (being open minded and a social person helps .... ), Another issue certainly is the language. The fact that you don't speak Spanish (and if you are from Texas and don't speak Spanish, then I assume that it will be your first foreign language). So it is not going to be easy to get to a certain level (it can be done, but it takes you probably a year to get to a basic level, and then years more to get to an advanced level). And then lastly your economic situation: if you are single, have a modest life style, you will need to generate some kind of income. My view is: it was very hard to get into the local job market, and it will even be much harder in the years to come (and to buy an apartment, live on your savings until you are 55, that's probably not what you are after). So if you can't make some kind of remote work (at least for USD 1'000) it is going to be very hard (I would even say: forget the local job market).

So by all means try out the city (it is a great city), but as others suggested here: come for an extended time here, and check it out. I would probably structure it as kind of a sabbatical for one year, without burning bridges.

 

[Sequoia1321]

Are there any potential natural hazards in Buenos Aries or other parts of Argentina? Like volcano, hurricane, earth quake, tornado, etc? I thought I read that flooding might be an issue there.

 

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

You make a great point about language.

Sequoia, living where you do, there has to be a large Spanish speaking segment of the population available to you. If I were you, I would start to learn the language now. (Yes, Argentines speak quite different from Mexicans ... but the framework is the same.) If you find yourself learning and enjoying the process, that is another piece of the puzzle for you to knock into place. If you hate it ... then you will know Argentina may not be for you.

Trust me on this next point: You will be very limited / trapped trying to live in Argentina without secondary language skills. The only exception I can think of would be if you were to marry a local. Then you could sit back and let your mouthpiece do it's work.

 

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

Are there any potential natural hazards in Buenos Aries or other parts of Argentina? Like volcano, hurricane, earth quake, tornado, etc? I thought I read that flooding might be an issue there.

DRAINAGE is terrible in spots. Get a boat!