What's the reality of safety in Buenos Aires?

[BenStone]

I'm moving to BA with my wife and 2 year old daughter. I am not worried about phone-snatchers and pick-pockets. More worried about violence, kidnapping, home invasion, and extortion. And specifically worried about being targeted because my wife is Asian and I am American. I imagine we will stick out.

I think many peoples perceptions of safety in places they have never been are wrong. I have a friend who gets his opinions from twitter/X telling me Argentina is not safe because the economy is bad, and that Columbia would be more safe. Crime stats seem to suggest the opposite.

What do you think? Any advice?

 

[Quilombo]

It's important to remember that there are 3 geographical BAs and multiple economic BAs:

Geographically/Politically, there is the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, aka Capital/CABA/what most tourists and foreigners think of when someone says Buenos Aires, think Manhattan/the 5 Boroughs in NYC. Then there's Gran Buenos Aires i.e. San Isidro, Ezeiza, etc., basically the metro Buenos Aires area, similar to say Yonkers/Westchester outside New York. Then there's the rest of the Province of Buenos Aires, which is like New York State, i.e Jamestown and Manhattan are very different despite both being in the State of New York.

Economically it's a similar story, CABA has both Puerto Madero which has a higher HDI than basically every US state, but it also has Villa 31 like 3 miles away, which is a literal slum, so it all depends on where you go. Same can be said for Gran Buenos Aires which has both La Matanza (nominative determinism in action maybe?) and Nordelta, while Provincial Buenos Aires away from the city has both millionaire farmers whose teenaged rugby sons drive their Hiluxes drunk, and land usurpers who build shanty towns out of cinderblocks and tin.

All this being said and my point is that it really depends where you go. If you're planning on living in the City of Buenos Aires, the most likely insecurity you'll encounter is uneven sidewalks and cars that don't obey traffic laws, followed by petty theft. If you move to a "country" (gated community) in Gran Buenos Aires, the biggest threat is Argentine Karens that run the HOA as if it were the Wehrmacht. If you move to rural Buenos Aires Province, your main issue is shitty roads/driving at night, and people killing your cow for steaks.

I've been living in/coming to Argentina for over a decade and provided you don't flash the cash/make yourself a target for crime, odds are you'll be safe. Remember, the City of Buenos Aires, including Villa 31, still has a lower homicide rate than basically every major US city I believe, around 3 per 100K compared to 6 and change in NYC, and I consider NYC very safe.

 

[antipodean]

I'm moving to BA with my wife and 2 year old daughter. I am not worried about phone-snatchers and pick-pockets. More worried about violence, kidnapping, home invasion, and extortion. And specifically worried about being targeted because my wife is Asian and I am American. I imagine we will stick out.

I think many peoples perceptions of safety in places they have never been are wrong. I have a friend who gets his opinions from twitter/X telling me Argentina is not safe because the economy is bad, and that Columbia would be more safe. Crime stats seem to suggest the opposite.

What do you think? Any advice?

Kidnapping, not really a thing since the early 2000s.

Violence on the street, most commonly in conjunction with robbery, can and does happen like anywhere but also not as bad as say Brazil or Colombia and risk can be reduced by sticking to nicer areas and applying common sense. “Targeted” violence on the street, while not exactly super common, usually arises from driving a fancy car or motorbike or wearing a luxury watch etc.

Home invasion, that unfortunately happens quite often (mostly when people are not home). IMO living in a house comes with more headaches and sleepless nights than an apartment with security. After ten plus years, a large and diverse local social and professional circle, almost everyone I know who lives in a house from “very nice” to “humble” suburbs of greater Buenos Aires has suffered at least one brush (either directly or a direct neighbor of theirs) with home invasions or attempted home invasions over the decades.

By contrast from those who live in apartments have only heard of two stories and it seems they almost always are more humble apartments on low floors without security. Occasionally there are news stories of people scamming their way into buildings to rob occupants by pretending to be someone they are not. Likewise for those who live in gated communities (although few gated communities have never experienced an armed break in at least once in all their years, such break ins are usually targeted and rare enough to usually make the news. If in doubt just Google the name of the community you’re interested in + “inseguridad” to find newsclippings of its specific history).

 

[JoeBoston]

Antipodean is correct. Home invasions are the only major crime that is somewhat common. It happens because people often have large amounts of cash stored at their homes.

Living in a secure apartment building can lesson the risk and getting a puerta blindada.

A break in once happened at my apartment while I left for 1 hour on a Sunday. Nearly positive building security was in on it.

 

[LuckyLuke]

Home invasion, that unfortunately happens quite often (mostly when people are not home). IMO living in a house comes with more headaches and sleepless nights than an apartment with security. After ten plus years, a large and diverse local social and professional circle, almost everyone I know who lives in a house from “very nice” to “humble” suburbs of greater Buenos Aires has suffered at least one brush (either directly or a direct neighbor of theirs) with home invasions or attempted home invasions over the decades.

By contrast from those who live in apartments have only heard of two stories and it seems they almost always are more humble apartments on low floors without security. Occasionally there are news stories of people scamming their way into buildings to rob occupants by pretending to be someone they are not. Likewise for those who live in gated communities (although few gated communities have never experienced an armed break in at least once in all their years, such break ins are usually targeted and rare enough to usually make the news. If in doubt just Google the name of the community you’re interested in + “inseguridad” to find newsclippings of its specific history).

Can confirm. In Neuquen, my house was broken into while away for the summer. Our house alarm scared them off, but it cost us a few hundred to repair the door. We've since installed exterior cameras to help deter them. Last week a neighbor was cleaned out, they had no alarm installed. Even prior to that when I stayed at a prestigious guarded apartment tower, some delinquents pretended to be guests and cleaned out a few units. My cuñado's place was broken into 3 times. His door directly faces the street. He eventually installed a couple metal screen doors and hasn't run into any problems since.

All of these occurred when nobody was home, I have not heard of any violent break-ins. There's certain unspoken rules about living down here. Metal bars, alarm systems, dogs, cameras, low profile, parking in safe areas, etc.

Crime is everywhere if you look hard enough. Thankfully it's mostly petty where I am.

 

[Ries]

considering there are over 300,000 asian argentines, at a bare minimum, and most live in Buenos Aires, there is no reason an asian person would "stick out". there are tens of thousands each of koreans, japanese, and chinese living here.
I see asian argentine every single day, I work within a few blocks of 5 or 6 asian restaurants, and pretty much every corner store is run by asians.
no worries there.
What "sticks out" is rolex watches, large expensive cameras, gigantic iphones, gold jewelry, mercedes cars and the like- ie, obvious signs of wealth.

day to day, BA is one of the safest cities I know. I have at various times in my life lived in Seattle, Halifax,Washington DC, Chicago, Mexico City, and LA.
I think BA is safer than any of them, for the average citizen or pedestrian.

I am 69. I walk everywhere, take the bus almost everyday, and have been to a lot of the poorer barrios, ranging from La Matanza to Flores to Villa Soldati and Avelleneda- all places its extremely unlikely you would ever go. Never a problem. I dont look rich, I have decent street smarts, and I have never been hassled, in 15 years of wandering greater BA.

Dont over think this.

 

[VincentKMcMahon]

There is no answer to this question. I get you are looking for reassurance and people to say "Come on in, the water is beautiful!!!" But no one knows except God. You could be followed home from the airport and shot dead for your watch first day in "ultra safe" Puerto Madero like happened to a tourist recently or live here 10 years and never experience crime.

Personally I have lived in Constitution which is said to be very dangerous and never had a problem, been robbed surrounded by tourists in San Telmo. Santa Fe and Callao which is one of the best parts of BA where if my granny were moving here I'd recommend she lives I've seen a shopkeeper on the sidewalk with his head split open and a river of blood flowing from a robbery.

The very basics of common sense imo is ... don't wear a watch. Not even even a $10 plastic watch. The chorros don't know the difference, but they know you are foreign and assume the watch is valuable. The process of stealing a watch involves physically yanking it off your arm, which always leads to a fight, which leads to you being shot. At least if you are waving a new IPhone around in the street like a dumbass they will just snatch it and run

 

[sergio]

I think neighbourhoods like Recoleta are generally safe. Try to dress like locals. Carry only what you reasonably need and mind your wallet when in crowded places. I do not think Colombia is safer.

 

[Rich One]

My advice rent an AirbnB in Palermo for a month, then decide. No need to worry in the past 15 years never heard of major cases of violence, kidnapping, home invasion, and extortion.

However, I heard that some resto waiters spot an Iphone and Rolex on guests and alert their contacts around the block

 

[FrankPintor]

There is no answer to this question. I get you are looking for reassurance and people to say "Come on in, the water is beautiful!!!" But no one knows except God. You could be followed home from the airport and shot dead for your watch first day in "ultra safe" Puerto Madero like happened to a tourist recently or live here 10 years and never experience crime.

Personally I have lived in Constitution which is said to be very dangerous and never had a problem, been robbed surrounded by tourists in San Telmo. Santa Fe and Callao which is one of the best parts of BA where if my granny were moving here I'd recommend she lives I've seen a shopkeeper on the sidewalk with his head split open and a river of blood flowing from a robbery.

The very basics of common sense imo is ... don't wear a watch. Not even even a $10 plastic watch. The chorros don't know the difference, but they know you are foreign and assume the watch is valuable. The process of stealing a watch involves physically yanking it off your arm, which always leads to a fight, which leads to you being shot. At least if you are waving a new IPhone around in the street like a dumbass they will just snatch it and run

That was a really good almost first post, I am impressed. You’ve obviously been around for a while.