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Most countries offer what is known as a Route Letter (might be called something else by US Embassies.) This is nothing more than the right for a citizen of that country that is suffering economic hardships in a foreign land can go to the nearest embassy of his country and ask for a Route Letter. The government will simply pay for his plane ticket (or bus ticket or train ticket, whatever is more convenient or possible) back to his country AND with the Route Letter would be allowed to enter his own country without a passport. Simply show the letter to immigration and they will let him in.
I would find it extremely hard to believe that a country as rich and powerful as the USA doesn't offer this, when so many countries that are dirt poor and chaotic offer this to their citizens abroad.
Being stuck in Argentina is not a worry at all. All my money is coming from my job in the United States and my boss loves me so I'm not worried about losing it -- I won't be affected by the Argentine economy at all. If it gets worse it's even better for me because that will mean my purchasing power increases. I'm also not interested in "consumption" like most Americans. I'll be renting a nice, furnished apartment in BsAs and just buying what I need, not what I want.
I'm sure both parties I referred to could come back, but they have been gone so long there is nothing to come back to.
We don't refer very often to 'building an estate' as we go along working, but that's what we do. Cars, houses, furniture, real estate........ by the time you're 73 like us it adds up. And if you have been lucky and purchased wisely your life will be a lot easier.
Many times I have seen people hustle off to a foreign country and get the feeling they are more driven by snobbery than economics.
i.e., Just sounds a lot cooler to say "I live in Panama" than to say "I live in Texas".
Honestly, for me it's economics. If it was snobbery, I'd be moving to Barcelona or Berlin. But I'm more concerned about building wealth, saving for retirement, and being able to afford health care which is a struggle in the US.
Inflation is high but currency depreciation is outpacing it for the time being. Expatisan shows Buenos Aires having a 50% lower cost of living than where I am in Texas. I'm curious though, are street crimes in areas like Palermo high? I didn't feel unsafe at all when I was in that neighborhood.
There's no doubt you can save a substantial amount on your cost of living in BA vs. Texas. Are you willing/able to deal with all of the implications of living in a third world country? That's the real question.
Yes, street crimes are high over the entire city. Palermo, Belgrano, Recoleta, etc. The nicer suburbs are not immune.
Understand, I'm not trying to convince you one way or the other, I just want you to be prepared.
There's no doubt you can save a substantial amount on your cost of living in BA vs. Texas. Are you willing/able to deal with all of the implications of living in a third world country? That's the real question.
Yes, street crimes are high over the entire city. Palermo, Belgrano, Recoleta, etc. The nicer suburbs are not immune.
Understand, I'm not trying to convince you one way or the other, I just want you to be prepared.
Besides crime, what are the implications? I know certain luxuries are going to be more expensive but I don’t see what else that could happen by living there. Everything i need will be cheaper
Besides crime, what are the implications? I know certain luxuries are going to be more expensive but I don’t see what else that could happen by living there. Everything i need will be cheaper
Curious to hear this myself. I know Buenos Aires is technically so called "third world" but there is a big gap between it and Kinshasa. Does BA have regular power cuts, water lock offs, things of that nature?
Curious to hear this myself. I know Buenos Aires is technically so called "third world" but there is a big gap between it and Kinshasa. Does BA have regular power cuts, water lock offs, things of that nature?
I started to pick up that perhaps some people here think Buenos Aires is a South American Port-au-Prince or Kalkutta.
That's why I started to post the videos showing what the city is really like. Can't never underestimate what City-Data people may think of certain places, especially when it comes to Latin America. The region is so undervalued and practically unknown in the USA, that its not even funny. lol
I've never been to Argentina but Argentines have a reputation in South America as being snobbish and stuck up (creÃdos) and the few Argentines I've met have definitely fit that characteristic, unfortunately.
Similar to how historically Americans who are not from NYC feel New Yorkers are rude and stuck up, Colombians who are not from Bogota feel that rolos are stuck up and obnoxious, and Mexicans who are from everywhere except DF feel that chilangos are egotistical and unpleasant.
I've heard that Argentines can be quite racist as well but I don't have anything to back this up and if it's inaccurate then my apologies.
Migrants are definitely not moving to Argentina because the Argentine economy is one of the worst in Latin america right now. Safety wise it's more safe than a lot of other countries in south america.
But I'm not understanding what you're getting at. Are you dark-skinned? If so then you might have issues in Buenos Aires. If not, then I dont' know what the concern is. You have your own remote money, you don't need to worry about finding a job.
Besides crime, what are the implications? I know certain luxuries are going to be more expensive but I don’t see what else that could happen by living there. Everything i need will be cheaper
You're under the impression that having money means the economy won't impact you. It will. They already have constant protests, demonstrations and labor strikes which block major streets, shut down industries and public transport. Civil unrest is only going to intensify. You'll see product shortages. Poverty is going to increase the number of people pestering you for a handout. That's especially fun trying to have lunch at a cafe, where you will have your meal interrupted literally 10 times in an hour by beggars and street merchants. And the staff will do nothing to stop them.
You have to wait in line for EVERYTHING. Supermarkets, retail stores, banks, bill-paying kiosks(forget online bill-pay), etc. ATMs are often 20 people deep and run out of cash before you reach them. The next nearest one is going to be 12 blocks away, with another line.
The rule of law is ostensibly no more than a suggestion, especially traffic laws. Driving in BA is a nightmare, but no worse than the sardine can subway. Motorbikes on the sidewalk, ignorance of red lights and a pedestrian's right of way, etc. All common occurrences. The cops are useless and hopelessly corrupt.
The people are more rude and thoughtless. They will blatantly cut in front of you in line, block sidewalks, not mind their children, etc. Just general rude behavior you don't find nearly as often in the US. That's all commonplace.
You're going to have to learn how to suffer fools gladly. Laziness and incompetence among service people are the norm. You can not even count on a clerk to bag your groceries properly, or weigh something accurately. You have to watch everything they do.
There's loose dogs everywhere, some of them dangerous, and the sidewalks are covered with their droppings. In four years, I never saw anyone pick up after their dog; not once.
The streets are filthy because people(of every age and social class) litter constantly and without shame. Many streets also smell bad because(besides the dogs), public restrooms are virtually non-existent, so public urination is just ignored and tolerated.
Someone mentioned utilities. Extended electricity blackouts occur when the weather gets too hot. Water is out more frequently but usually no more than a couple hours. Did you notice the water tanks on all the rooftops? Yep, that's what those are for.
The US is a high-trust society. Generally speaking, people deal with one another honestly and we have a business culture where "the customer is always right". Not so in Argentina. Good luck getting a refund if you have a problem. Some of the major stores will do that now, but it's not something you can count on.
There are positive things to tell you as well; it isn't all bad. I know I sound negative, but I'm just trying to help you make an informed decision. You are not going to be able to insulate yourself from all of the problems, even if you have the means to live in a nice area and hire domestic help to do everything for you. It's not like the postcards. Living there offers a radically different perspective on the country.
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