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Other possible towns in Argentina for digital nomad to live that doesn't have issues?

Jenn

Well-known member
I initially planned to go to Buenos Aires and find an apartment in the Palermo neighborhood. However, I've changed my mind for a few reasons including all of you saying there is too much dog poop everywhere. Now, I'm thinking of staying in a hotel (that smells nice) for a few weeks while I figure out how to extend my 90-day limit. I'm not sure of the easiest or fastest way to do this but I saw a few topics on this so I will search this forum.

After that, I need to find a place with a good internet connection, safe for a solo female, preferably quiet, and most importantly, free from unpleasant smells. Someone suggested Mar del Plata, but I heard it might smell like dead fish and you all know how sensitive my nose is. I wouldn't mind occasional smells, but if it's daily, I'd give up the beach and look elsewhere.

Despite these considerations, I like Argentina's climate, and the low cost of living due to the Blue Dollar exchange rate, and I've been trying to learn Spanish. I've also read that it's easy to stay over 90 days on a passport by crossing the border and coming back before the limit is up. This seemed simple when I was planning to stay in Buenos Aires, but now that I'm considering a different town, it might be more challenging since I can't just take a ferry to Uruguay for a couple of nights.

Argentina is still appealing to me, but I'm open to recommendations for different towns. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Preferably that don't have dog poop all over and don't smell.
 
I initially planned to go to Buenos Aires and find an apartment in the Palermo neighborhood. However, I've changed my mind for a few reasons including all of you saying there is too much dog poop everywhere. Now, I'm thinking of staying in a hotel (that smells nice) for a few weeks while I figure out how to extend my 90-day limit. I'm not sure of the easiest or fastest way to do this but I saw a few topics on this so I will search this forum.

After that, I need to find a place with a good internet connection, safe for a solo female, preferably quiet, and most importantly, free from unpleasant smells. Someone suggested Mar del Plata, but I heard it might smell like dead fish and you all know how sensitive my nose is. I wouldn't mind occasional smells, but if it's daily, I'd give up the beach and look elsewhere.

Despite these considerations, I like Argentina's climate, and the low cost of living due to the Blue Dollar exchange rate, and I've been trying to learn Spanish. I've also read that it's easy to stay over 90 days on a passport by crossing the border and coming back before the limit is up. This seemed simple when I was planning to stay in Buenos Aires, but now that I'm considering a different town, it might be more challenging since I can't just take a ferry to Uruguay for a couple of nights.

Argentina is still appealing to me, but I'm open to recommendations for different towns. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Preferably that don't have dog poop all over and don't smell.
I don't think you're going to avoid dog poo in much of Argentina. If they don't pick up after their dogs in a cosmopolitan area of Bueons Aires surrounded by a lot of people than you're going to have the same issue in many towns. I have been all over Argentina and while not too bad you see the same issue everywhere.

Why not go somewhere else cleaner and more sensitive for your nose?
 
I don't think you're going to avoid dog poo in much of Argentina. If they don't pick up after their dogs in a cosmopolitan area of Bueons Aires surrounded by a lot of people than you're going to have the same issue in many towns. I have been all over Argentina and while not too bad you see the same issue everywhere.

Why not go somewhere else cleaner and more sensitive for your nose?
Really? I can't believe it. I had my heart set on Palermo or Recoleta. In the USA, no one doesn't pick up after their dog. It sounds so uncivilized not to pick up after dogs. I was thinking about other smaller towns like Bariloche or Mendoza maybe? But if you're saying they have that issue there too then I am back to square one.

I need to go somewhere that it is cheap. That is the entire purpose of moving somewhere else so I can save money. My lease ends so I don't have too much time to decide. This idea came about because my friend just visited BA during Christmas and she said she LOVED it all except for the dog poop everywhere. Now I don't know if she was kidding with me. But all of your posts sound real.
 
In the USA, no one doesn't pick up after their dog.
@Jenn you gotta get out more. maybe in your neck of the woods, or a small town, but i literally was just in Tampa FL for a month and i watched retired fuckers go on walks without bags, and they knew their dog was pooping, and left it on the sidewalk. you are going to be WAY too sheltered for Buenos Aires; get some travel experience in places like Dublin, Berlin, Prague, then try a big european-like city like BsAs.

 
@Jenn you gotta get out more. maybe in your neck of the woods, or a small town, but i literally was just in Tampa FL for a month and i watched retired fuckers go on walks without bags, and they knew their dog was pooping, and left it on the sidewalk. you are going to be WAY too sheltered for Buenos Aires; get some travel experience in places like Dublin, Berlin, Prague, then try a big european-like city like BsAs.

USA metro areas in much of USA are bad. My friend sent me a photo of downtown San Francisco and I thought it was a joke. I didn't believe it but she had herself in the video to prove it. BA is not bad in this respect. Also, Argentina is not inexpensive now. Look at more and more posts even from the owner of this forum saying prices are going up fast. Look at the healthcare posts. Look at ice cream post from yesterday. $4 USD for a popsicle. Does that sound affordable?

Argentina is not the place if you are looking for cheap. Check out Peru. Much cheaper there.
 
Wear a mask. Problem solved. Lots of people did so esp in 2021-22 :)
I wish I could but I have Halitosis and you all know my issue with smell. So I have a big issue with this. Otherwise I would wear a mask!
@Jenn you gotta get out more. maybe in your neck of the woods, or a small town, but i literally was just in Tampa FL for a month and i watched retired fuckers go on walks without bags, and they knew their dog was pooping, and left it on the sidewalk. you are going to be WAY too sheltered for Buenos Aires; get some travel experience in places like Dublin, Berlin, Prague, then try a big european-like city like BsAs.

Yes I know that other USA cities are gross. But I stay out of them also. I would never go to Tampa, or SF or Portland or other cities with lots of homeless or the possibility of poop on the street from humans or animals.
USA metro areas in much of USA are bad. My friend sent me a photo of downtown San Francisco and I thought it was a joke. I didn't believe it but she had herself in the video to prove it. BA is not bad in this respect. Also, Argentina is not inexpensive now. Look at more and more posts even from the owner of this forum saying prices are going up fast. Look at the healthcare posts. Look at ice cream post from yesterday. $4 USD for a popsicle. Does that sound affordable?

Argentina is not the place if you are looking for cheap. Check out Peru. Much cheaper there.
Thank you for your warning of how expensive it is getting. I like to read real honest posts. I am surprised as my friend said it was cheap but that doesn't jive with other posts I'm reading about rising inflation. Those prices I saw are not cheap!
 
I wish I could but I have Halitosis and you all know my issue with smell. So I have a big issue with this. Otherwise I would wear a mask!

Yes I know that other USA cities are gross. But I stay out of them also. I would never go to Tampa, or SF or Portland or other cities with lots of homeless or the possibility of poop on the street from humans or animals.

Thank you for your warning of how expensive it is getting. I like to read real honest posts. I am surprised as my friend said it was cheap but that doesn't jive with other posts I'm reading about rising inflation. Those prices I saw are not cheap!
No it is certainly not cheap any more. Those days are gone.
 
Argentina is not inexpensive now. Look at more and more posts even from the owner of this forum saying prices are going up fast. Look at the healthcare posts. Look at ice cream post from yesterday. $4 USD for a popsicle. Does that sound affordable?

Argentina is not the place if you are looking for cheap. Check out Peru. Much cheaper there.
anyone reading this forum in 2024, just Mute @Larry - he is quite possibly the biggest liar and biggest moron here on this forum, maybe tied with Avocado. BsAs is not expensive, and prices in USD are not going up. he just spams every thread with "ARGENTINA SO EXPENSIVE" but provides zero data and never responds to people calling him out as an idiot/liar.

your warning of how expensive it is getting. I like to read real honest posts.
see above; he's obsessed with lying about prices. hit me up for info on prices. but here's a grocery list from a week-ish ago:


...and since you're worried about dirtiness, i filmed the block around @earlyretirement's investment area of "Meet Palermo" here for 3mins:

and then another jog for a minute headed from Las Heras park to Alto Palermo mall:

these were on 15Jan2024 before it rained. you can see there are very minor dog poops on the side of the sidewalk, but overall really clean for a 13-million-population metro area. there are a ton of 4K walking tours of Buenos Aires on youtube, so watch them! but your issues seem to be related to any city rather than with BsAs; even some areas of Switzerland might have dog poop on the ground. if you are looking for a place to be a digital nomad, with low cost of living, you'll need to stay somewhere in the rural USA. maybe eastern Wyoming or western Nebraska? those have cheap prices, small towns are clean, and you can have goo internet. you need to figure-out if any city would suffice for you, before deciding on being a digital nomad. for now, yes come to BsAs! it should be peak heat end of Feb, then cool down and be winter in Jul/Aug.

i really really wouldn't listen to Larry. i'm not sure he's even in BsAs or has any clue what he's talking about.

I agree things are getting pricey here.
how so? how are they different than for all of 2023? please provide evidence of Dollar costs being higher for BsAs all of 2023 until today 17Jan2024.

Subway veggie cheapest sandwich delivered in Phoenix AZ is $8.73 with no tip, for a 6" - what size sandwich, what ingredients? of course if you buy McDonalds's or Subway or USA brands in other countries you pay a premium. i always wonder why foreigners love spending so much money on average USA food; it's like a status symbol of sorts to be seen inside.

for $6.50 you could have gotten a ton of food elsewhere! the chicken place on Bulnes near me was 14,000 Pesos ($12.74 USD without tip since it was carryout), an i got a huge box of chicken, a box of fries, a box of cheese sticks, sauce, enough food for 3 people to get very full. so about $4.25 per person to get full, and that was a chain that probably is a little expensive, since it's in Palermo Chico.

sub-$5 USD meals are basically extinct in the USA. more like $15 to get a full meal, and $25 USD to sit down and eat with a drink at an average restaurant. i think you guys need a little perspective!
 
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anyone reading this forum in 2024, just Mute @Larry - he is quite possibly the biggest liar and biggest moron here on this forum, maybe tied with Avocado. BsAs is not expensive, and prices in USD are not going up. he just spams every thread with "ARGENTINA SO EXPENSIVE" but provides zero data and never responds to people calling him out as an idiot/liar.


see above; he's obsessed with lying about prices. hit me up for info on prices. but here's a grocery list from a week-ish ago:


...and since you're worried about dirtiness, i filmed the block around @earlyretirement's investment area of "Meet Palermo" here for 3mins:

and then another jog for a minute headed from Las Heras park to Alto Palermo mall:

these were on 15Jan2024 before it rained. you can see there are very minor dog poops on the side of the sidewalk, but overall really clean for a 13-million-population metro area. there are a ton of 4K walking tours of Buenos Aires on youtube, so watch them! but your issues seem to be related to any city rather than with BsAs; even some areas of Switzerland might have dog poop on the ground. if you are looking for a place to be a digital nomad, with low cost of living, you'll need to stay somewhere in the rural USA. maybe eastern Wyoming or western Nebraska? those have cheap prices, small towns are clean, and you can have goo internet. you need to figure-out if any city would suffice for you, before deciding on being a digital nomad. for now, yes come to BsAs! it should be peak heat end of Feb, then cool down and be winter in Jul/Aug.

i really really wouldn't listen to Larry. i'm not sure he's even in BsAs or has any clue what he's talking about.


how so? how are they different than for all of 2023? please provide evidence of Dollar costs being higher for BsAs all of 2023 until today 17Jan2024.

Subway veggie cheapest sandwich delivered in Phoenix AZ is $8.73 with no tip, for a 6" - what size sandwich, what ingredients? of course if you buy McDonalds's or Subway or USA brands in other countries you pay a premium. i always wonder why foreigners love spending so much money on average USA food; it's like a status symbol of sorts to be seen inside.

for $6.50 you could have gotten a ton of food elsewhere! the chicken place on Bulnes near me was 14,000 Pesos ($12.74 USD without tip since it was carryout), an i got a huge box of chicken, a box of fries, a box of cheese sticks, sauce, enough food for 3 people to get very full. so about $4.25 per person to get full, and that was a chain that probably is a little expensive, since it's in Palermo Chico.

sub-$5 USD meals are basically extinct in the USA. more like $15 to get a full meal, and $25 USD to sit down and eat with a drink at an average restaurant. i think you guys need a little perspective!
I enjoy your posts but you have to be the only one that is in denial that inflation is been bad the past few months. True blue rate is going back up but even in US dollar prices, just about every single restaurant has gone up drastically. Simple food like empanadas are even going up but that mostly doesn't go up but have you eaten out at a nice place lately?

All are much more expensive vs. just a few months ago. Gas prices, my utility bills, my monthly expenses, grocery bills. I'm not saying they are as expensive as the US of A but to say you aren't seeing inflation is just as extreme as some of Larry's posts. ALL my local friends are complaining about cost increases. I have friends with employees that have cars and they say they are taking public transport now. They say if things keep going up like this within 4 months they will have to sell their cars.

Inflation is real. Not sure how you can honestly say no inflation going on. Even at USD prices most things are not cheap now.
 
I enjoy your posts but you have to be the only one that is in denial that inflation is been bad the past few months. True blue rate is going back up but even in US dollar prices, just about every single restaurant has gone up drastically. Simple food like empanadas are even going up but that mostly doesn't go up but have you eaten out at a nice place lately?

All are much more expensive vs. just a few months ago. Gas prices, my utility bills, my monthly expenses, grocery bills. I'm not saying they are as expensive as the US of A but to say you aren't seeing inflation is just as extreme as some of Larry's posts. ALL my local friends are complaining about cost increases. I have friends with employees that have cars and they say they are taking public transport now. They say if things keep going up like this within 4 months they will have to sell their cars.

Inflation is real. Not sure how you can honestly say no inflation going on. Even at USD prices most things are not cheap now.
Yes the cost of things going up every day. We got our expensas and it go up 22%. Healthcare, gas, all the things go up every day. Amazing some people say no inflation. Just crazy.
 
you have to be the only one that is in denial that inflation is been bad the past few months
nope, others have rejected it as well. there's a vocal minority of people who want to see the sky falling. i've been here for 8 weeks now and i've tracked things in a very detailed fashion; the 1% declared daily inflation rate has matched well with the MEP credit card USD rate; it's at the highest it's ever been...did you see my rates from the past week?? it was 1099 ARS/Dollar yesterday. it was in the low 300s a year ago! of course inflation is bad; it's been bad for years, especially all of 2023. so i'm rejecting the "things are getting pricy here" nonsense - NO THEY AREN'T, if you are bringing in Dollars or Euros...this has been the case for as long back as i can read on this forum and the old one. a 550 Peso empanada is still fifty USD cents. what was the cost in Dollars of an empanada a year ago, 2 years ago, and 5 years ago? let's ask some of the oldtimers here, eh? i have a problem with the scare-mongering of making would-be travelers think it is going to be expensive in BsAs...it isn't. as prices go up, and de-regulation continues, the market will find a fair price for every good and service. if costs of living go up, a few Expats will leave, and prices will balance. this is how Economics work, and it's a continuous system of balance. here's a 0.90 USD empanada in northern CABA from 5 years ago; how exactly are things getting expensive, @Aussieland ?


just about every single restaurant has gone up drastically. Simple food like empanadas are even going up but that mostly doesn't go up
just debunked this. if you want to know why i'm "mad" it's because i've already addressed all of this, with evidence and prices, and for some reason a few people want to keep repeating lies. i literally just got 3 people's worth of chicken/fries/bastones at a local chain for 14,000 Pesos or $12.73 USD, so $4.24 per person for a huge meal.

but have you eaten out at a nice place lately?
no, i don't eat at fancy places unless it's a personally-recommended place with something unique. my exceptions would be when i went to a couple Michelin-Star places in Europe and Peru a few years back. but so far the "nice" places in BsAs have been letdowns, paying USA prices for food i can cook better in my apartment (see my La Cabrera review for the worst offender).

you're free to pay higher prices at "nice places" all you want - this has nothing to do with what normal life and food and housing and transport costs normal people. otherwise i could go to a pet store, pay $100 USD for a bag of dog food, and claim that PRICES ARE GOING UP. what would you answer that with? probably something like, 'why did you pay 100 bucks for something that costs 4?'

All are much more expensive vs. just a few months ago. Gas prices, my utility bills, my monthly expenses, grocery bills. I'm not saying they are as expensive as the US of A but to say you aren't seeing inflation is just as extreme as some of Larry's posts. ALL my local friends are complaining about cost increases. I have friends with employees that have cars and they say they are taking public transport now. They say if things keep going up like this within 4 months they will have to sell their cars.
no one has shown actual numbers on this. post some, if you have data. gas prices are up worldwide. costs of living are up worldwide. utilities won't be subsidized now, but your taxes will go down. the problem with saying "Buenos Aires is getting pricey" is that you're using costs that are higher in every city in the world, so it's a stupid claim. when oil barrels cost 3x as much, gas will go up. but don't go around saying "gas in BsAs is expensive" because it's also expensive in Texas.

Inflation is real. Not sure how you can honestly say no inflation going on. Even at USD prices most things are not cheap now.
i post numbers every day. if you have something that contradicts these, or think they're fake, prove it. but whining about it isn't doing anything. people here want to see real-life examples, not just a vague 'everything is more expensive'

i linked to Jenn my grocery bill last week. that would have cost at least 4x in the USA. my 1500 Peso one-liter beers are like 49 cents per 12-ounce can. the cheapest (non-BudLight) beer i've ever found was at Costco a couple years back, 75 to 90 cents per 12oz can. so, BsAs nice Quilmes IPA/Clasica beer is good and almost half the price of the States. again, show me the numbers dude!
Yes the cost of things going up every day. We got our expensas and it go up 22%. Healthcare, gas, all the things go up every day. Amazing some people say no inflation. Just crazy.
and if you find yourself agreeing with CheVos or Avocado, you should question if something is wrong...those 2 are quite literally the dumbest people i've interacted with on any forum in many years (aside from Reddit which is a communist cesspool)
 
just to add to the data, i went outside to a cafe here in Palermo Chico, right across from Las Heras park, more expensive area, and here's an attached photo of their daily menu.

you can see the translated costs here, which according to a select few on this forum are quite debilitating costs:

$0.97 (1100 Pesos) coffee
$1.67 (1900 Pesos) coffee and 2 mini honey croissants
$1.93 (2200 Pesos) coffee w/ milk, and 3 medialunas
$1.05 (1200 Pesos) cappucino
$1.40 (1600 Pesos) submarino hot chocolate
$2.63 (3000 Pesos) coffee w/ milk, toast/cheese/jelly breakfast
$2.89 (3300 Pesos) coffee w/ milk, ham&cheese breakfast sandwich

these are Visa credit card prices in USD, today 18Jan2024 (1144 rate based on earlyretirement). near some of the nicest real estate you can buy https://www.google.com/maps/place/P...+Aires,+Argentina/@-34.577448,-58.4073641,16z

...so yes, Aussieland, it's annoying to have to keep repeating myself. we want more Expats here; stop scaring them away with false premises! i don't mind mistakes, i make them every day, but repeating things that have already been addressed, without any factual data, is annoying.

here's a question if you're a genuine debater: what was the cost of a cup of coffee a year ago in Palermo, in USD? what about a breakfast combo like the 3300 Peso/$2.89 one in my photo?

i'll give a hint, Feb2023 here were the menu prices: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BSrmrsJY3EvetL4D8

the lowest the MEP was in Feb2023 was 353 ARS/Dollar: https://www.ambito.com/contenidos/dolar-mep.html

so, here's a breakdown on how the prices would have been ~11 months ago, assuming the lowest MEP:

$0.68 (240 Pesos) coffee
$1.53 (540 Pesos) coffee and 2 mini honey croissants
$1.85 (650 Pesos) coffee w/ milk, and 3 medialunas
$0.77 (270 Pesos) cappucino
$0.91 (320 Pesos) submarino hot chocolate
$2.27 (800 Pesos) coffee w/ milk, toast/cheese/jelly breakfast
$2.27 (800 Pesos) coffee w/ milk, ham&cheese breakfast sandwich

(that being said, the author of that writing has some crazy-ass 9s or 2s, so i can't guarantee i'm reading those numbers right. it looks like they tried to mix Arabic script with 'normal' numbers!)

overall, looks like:

+0.29
+0.14
+0.08
+0.28
+0.49
+0.36
+0.62


...or an 8 to 62 cent increase on various items, assuming the least-beneficial exchange rate, since i can't guarantee the review is from 01Feb or 28Feb, and i don't know the real-world MEP rate (it could have been much lower, so people would only have used the Blue Dollar, which would probably mean the prices were actually lower than today in USD, for all we know)

for 1% inflation, it sure seems like a 68-cent coffee now only costs 97 cents in an expensive area...and i would reckon the price of a cup of coffee has increased since the COVID lockdowns everywhere in the world, considering all the money printed during 2020-2023! here's a coffee shop price of a cup of coffee in the Phoenix area where i lived a few years back: https://xtremebean.co/menu-2/

$2.75 USD for a small drip coffee. so, 2.75 / 0.97 = 2.8x the price of BsAs in the USA, not including tax on the USA coffee. overall BsAs, except for some flights, seems to be about 25% - 35% the cost of daily things in a nicer area.
 

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There are still many insanely cheap things here, I just ate a massive and delicious (soft yummy bread) and thick juicy chicken from KFC for a staggering 4300 pesos. The exact same meal in the US at current exchange rates is about 14000 pesos. Living here is still an incredible bargain if you want it to be
 
@Jenn what's your analysis of the dog poop situation in the videos? watch any other walking tours? (those are less shaky than mine, for sure)
6 seconds. I asked a friend there now to walk out her apartment and tell me how long it takes to see dog poop. Only 6 seconds. She said she walked out her apartment in Palermo and she only could make it 6 seconds. Not looking good for me to go there. I secretly told myself if she could go 30 seconds I would consider it.

6 seconds.JPG
There are still many insanely cheap things here, I just ate a massive and delicious (soft yummy bread) and thick juicy chicken from KFC for a staggering 4300 pesos. The exact same meal in the US at current exchange rates is about 14000 pesos. Living here is still an incredible bargain if you want it to be
Thank you! I do love me some KFC. It's still finger licking good. 4300 pesos = $3.50 US yes at the MEP rate? That IS cheap. Ok it's back to a maybe. I don't know whether to say thank you or be mad at you @MickMolloy!
 
6 seconds. I asked a friend there now to walk out her apartment and tell me how long it takes to see dog poop. Only 6 seconds. She said she walked out her apartment in Palermo and she only could make it 6 seconds. Not looking good for me to go there. I secretly told myself if she could go 30 seconds I would consider it.

View attachment 1731

Thank you! I do love me some KFC. It's still finger licking good. 4300 pesos = $3.50 US yes at the MEP rate? That IS cheap. Ok it's back to a maybe. I don't know whether to say thank you or be mad at you @MickMolloy!

Go to the one in the mall off Cordoba and Florida it's so clean and there's guards at each entrance keeping the trash out. The KFC off 9 de Julio and any others avoid
 
6 seconds. I asked a friend there now to walk out her apartment and tell me how long it takes to see dog poop. Only 6 seconds. She said she walked out her apartment in Palermo and she only could make it 6 seconds. Not looking good for me to go there. I secretly told myself if she could go 30 seconds I would consider it.

View attachment 1731

Thank you! I do love me some KFC. It's still finger licking good. 4300 pesos = $3.50 US yes at the MEP rate? That IS cheap. Ok it's back to a maybe. I don't know whether to say thank you or be mad at you @MickMolloy!
Jenn what are we going to do with you?? Tell you what, I'll get you some of these right here... added bonus you'll be rocking and walking in style :)

 
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