Did many expats move out of Buenos Aires due to the higher cost of living?

[Bradd]

Yeah, it’s wild! But honestly, this isn’t even that new, it’s been going on for over a year now. Prices have been creeping up like crazy, and locals are definitely feeling it. People are going out way less, and Sunday asados? Those used to be a tradition... now they’re kind of a luxury.

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[Maxx]

Totally agree. I’ve seen a bunch of TikToks lately from foreigners living in Buenos Aires freaking out about prices , like $20 for a simple lunch or $8 for a coffee in Palermo. 😳 It’s crazy because Argentina used to be known for being super cheap for tourists… not anymore. Locals have it even worse. Everything from meat to rent is just out of control lately.

 

[Ron]

I was in Bariloche recently, and let me tell you, if you think prices in Buenos Aires are high, don’t even think about going to Patagonia. Everything there is insanely more expensive than in BA. Beautiful place, but wow... the prices are next level. 😅

 

[Darksider415]

I mean, my lunch today was under $5 but I was on a tight timeline so I just walked around the corner to get three empanadas and a Red Bull. 😅

It’s still possible to be cheap here, you just have to think like a local.

 

[daveholman]

I mean, my lunch today was under $5 but I was on a tight timeline so I just walked around the corner to get three empanadas and a Red Bull. 😅

It’s still possible to be cheap here, you just have to think like a local.

Grocery prices are still reasonable. I definitely eat at home most of the time. But I like to cook, so...

 

[Canada Goose]

I mean, my lunch today was under $5 but I was on a tight timeline so I just walked around the corner to get three empanadas and a Red Bull. 😅

It’s still possible to be cheap here, you just have to think like a local.

That’s what I noticed. You can spend a lot or a decent amount if you get out of the bubble areas. But at a bunch of ritzy places in Recoleta and Palermo prices were higher than here in Canada even. I guess as long as the place can get it and stay in business they should charge but they can.

 

[Darksider415]

That’s what I noticed. You can spend a lot or a decent amount if you get out of the bubble areas. But at a bunch of ritzy places in Recoleta and Palermo prices were higher than here in Canada even. I guess as long as the place can get it and stay in business they should charge but they can.

Yep, exactly this. We went out to dinner with some friends from my wife's theatre class tonight and it ended up being 200k pesos total, after tip, for 11 people. This included a couple of bottles of wine and a couple of 1L beers, plus my usual agua con gas.

You can do things reasonably here, you just have to think like a local and eat like a local.

 

[Wally]

Yep, exactly this. We went out to dinner with some friends from my wife's theatre class tonight and it ended up being 200k pesos total, after tip, for 11 people. This included a couple of bottles of wine and a couple of 1L beers, plus my usual agua con gas.

You can do things reasonably here, you just have to think like a local and eat like a local.

I am coming back to BA next week. @Darksider415 can you DM me the name of that restaurant? I’m coming down with some family members.

 

[timon]

I mean, my lunch today was under $5 but I was on a tight timeline so I just walked around the corner to get three empanadas and a Red Bull. 😅

It’s still possible to be cheap here, you just have to think like a local.

You’re so right, on this forum, it’s always about Don Julio, La Cabrera, and all the “must-try” spots. 😅 But honestly, most porteños don’t go to those places , they’re insanely expensive and pretty much cater to tourists.

At this point, I feel like I’ve become a local myself. I love going to the old-school bodegones, the food is amazing, the vibe is super homey, and the prices are actually reasonable. Between overpriced gourmet “experiences” and eating like a king in a laid-back, authentic place… I’ll take the latter any day. Thinking and living more like a local is definitely the way to go here!

 

[StatusNomadicus]

People are going out way less, and Sunday asados? Those used to be a tradition... now they’re kind of a luxury.

i just don't see it here in Mendoza. spending like crazy



and the statistics prove the Peronists are just crying:




and just for fun:

 

[Jenn]

Are people still cutting back on asados? I heard they were from friends there.

 

[lemonade]

Are people still cutting back on asados? I heard they were from friends there.

I know many friends that cut back on beef consumption. But maybe that isn't a bad thing. Who says eating steak 4 x a week is normal? I can't do this back home.

 

[StatusNomadicus]

It isn't just expats that are leaving. Many Argentines are fleeing now too. More and more are going to Spain.

number 5,000 of reasons why i would never own anything in socialist Spain:

Anti-Tourist Marches:

I know many friends that cut back on beef consumption

an anecdote that i don't see; i see people buying appliances and grabbing expensive cuts of beef at the store every single day 🙂

but overwhelmingly, the numbers don't lie...people are spending more, earning more, and have more faith in the economy now than in the past 5 years:

1. lowest inflation


2. prices 09Jun


3. growth


4. communist Keynesian "economists" all wrong or lying


5. i don't know what the CABA prices for gasoline are, but here in Mendoza i am still seeing under 1200 pesos for a liter of the base nafta (somewhere like 1170 last i saw). of course the US Empire's newest zionism regime change forever-war is going to make all gas prices go up on Monday, but it has been really stable and actually dropping from like 1250/liter a few months ago 🙂

also, when has anyone here ever seen a liter of beer for 1,190 Pesos?

Carrefour 14th and 15th of June 2025 for Apolo brand beer: https://www.carrefour.com.ar/cerveza-rubia-apolo-1-lt-750500/p

that's 1190 divided by 1108 ARS/USD at the estimated real-world credit card MEP rate, or $1.08 USD per liter, so anyone see anything cheaper now, or any idea when the last time a liter of beer (i drink one daily, it's a nice Pilsner with 4.1% alcohol, and you can save the plastic bottles for emergency water storage) was at this crazy-low price?