Living in Buenos Aires / Argentina as a Visitor — A Complete Guide

In 2023, after years of thinking about it (over twenty, for me), we were lucky to spend a number of months living in Argentina.

As we do everywhere, we lived somewhat normal lives as temporary visitors, writing from home or cafes, and doing normal things like shopping for food, making friends, cooking, trying to keep fit, and of course doing some sightseeing.

In a nutshell, we loved our time in Argentina — in Buenos Aires, but not just in the city — so much that we decided fairly quickly that we’d come back regularly. It remains one of the places we’d happily return to.

When we arrived in Buenos Aires, we already spoke Spanish, so didn’t focus on learning more Spanish, but that is definitely one reason that many people come to Argentina (or Latin America in general).

As we normally do whenever we set up in a new country, we like to share our setup guide for an extended stay. So here it is — how to live in Argentina / Buenos Aires as a digital nomad, including everything about culture, internet, where to work, food, safety, and so on.

You might also like my slightly chaotic list of things that surprised me about living in Argentina.

Foreword on currency and prices: Don’t say Argentina is “Cheap”

For those who earn foreign currency, Argentina can still feel relatively “cheap” in some ways. But it isn’t reliably one-half or one-third the cost of Western Europe or North America any more. In 2026, some everyday services remain inexpensive for foreigners, while accommodation, imported goods and fashionable restaurants can be surprisingly expensive.

But don’t say “Argentina is cheap”. It’s a bit insensitive.

Argentina’s economy isn’t in the same place as it was during our stay. Inflation has slowed considerably from its peak, but it hasn’t disappeared. According to Argentina’s official statistics agency, consumer prices rose 2.1% in July 2026 and 33.8% over the preceding twelve months.

So, many people, particularly those with unstable employment or on the bottom end of the working ladder, are still under pressure. Prices, wages and the exchange rate don’t move together, and access to housing and imported goods remains difficult for many people.

Local salaries vary enormously, and quoting them in US dollars quickly becomes misleading as the exchange rate moves. The durable point is that foreign buying power can be far greater than local buying power, even when Argentina no longer feels uniformly inexpensive to visitors.

So absolutely do not go about brandishing your foreign currency saying Argentina is so “cheap” on social media. It’s quite insensitive.

It’s not the first time I’ve visited a place where I had tremendous buying power compared to locals (Egypt was one notable one), so I’ve learned to respect that what’s easy for me isn’t easy for others, to practise tact, and to be generous where I can.

Because peso prices and exchange rates still move, I mention some prices below in US dollars. Treat them as an indication, not a promise: check the current peso price and the exchange rate you’ll actually receive before paying.

Living in Argentina as Temporary Visitors — In a Nutshell

We really enjoyed our time in Argentina. So much so that we’ll definitely be back. I want to make Buenos Aires one of my new homes! Quality of life is great, hospitality for foreigners is high, and it’s as safe as any major European city.

The first thing I’d say to any visitor to Buenos Aires is: Don’t compare Argentina or Buenos Aires with European or Latin American countries / cities. Just enjoy it for what it is, which is awesome enough as it is.

I’ve seen this comparison from both foreigners (which seems rude) and locals, either self-deprecatingly saying “We’re no longer really like Europe” or insisting that they’re not like other Latin American countries. Sometimes the comparison is positive, sometimes negative. A few locals say apologetically “Argentina is becoming more and more like any Latin American country”.

I sense that the source of this comparison is that Argentina has had a tough economic period of late, and in many ways, things have become worse than they once were.

But despite that, there’s still so much to love about Argentina and Buenos Aires without comparing it to anywhere else.

In reality, of course, there are elements of Argentina / Buenos Aires that remind me of Europe sometimes, and of elsewhere in Latin America at other times. For example, some architecture is very European, but there’s much that more isn’t (and is generally “modern”). Many people have Italian or German names, but many more don’t. There are lots of low-rise buildings, like European cities, but Europe doesn’t have a monopoly on that. Yes, there’s jamón, but there are also lots of local cured meats and cheeses that I had never heard of, and the take on asado (barbecue) is very unique. And the pizza would bother most Italians.

In short, Argentina is exactly like Argentina, and that’s fine with me!

Entry and Length of Stay

Entry rules depend on your passport. Australians, Americans and many other nationalities can visit Argentina without arranging a tourist visa in advance for stays of up to 90 days. As an Australian, I’d travel with a valid passport, an onward or return ticket, accommodation details and evidence that I could cover the trip. Those are the documents Smartraveller currently says officials may request.

If you want to remain longer, don’t assume that a quick border crossing will solve it. Argentina’s immigration office says an extension request for a transitory stay should be made during the final ten days before it expires. Check the Argentine consulate for your nationality before booking, because entry conditions can change.

Foreign visitors should also travel with health insurance. Argentina’s current migration law requires arriving foreigners to declare that they have health insurance. Outside emergencies, routine care at national public facilities may require proof of insurance or payment.

General Culture in Argentina

The city of Buenos Aires has received influence from both European immigration and Latin American culture, but it’s quite unique and stands on its own in many ways. Most of our experience is of Buenos Aires, and most of that in the urban centre (we stayed in Villa Crespo, slightly outside the most touristy areas).

Firstly, Buenos Aires is a very open-minded place. There are rainbows everywhere, and people are open about their identity and preferences. You can get vegetarian or vegan food, and bathing for ladies is apparently clothing optional (at least for the top) in places. Having a therapist is a generally normal thing. You get the idea. Some other parts of Argentina are similarly open minded, but more regional areas can be more conservative.

One thing we learned quite early on is that in Argentina, everyone does the kiss hello with everyone. Not just men to women and women to women, but men kiss each other hello as well. It’s a little closer than the European kiss hello — to feel someone’s lips on your cheek isn’t uncommon, especially if it’s someone you know well. The first couple of times you meet someone you might not, but if you’re introduced by someone (e.g. when I met a friend’s male partner), you might.

The kiss-hello nice, but it can get a little cumbersome, at times. Like every time I go to the gym (which has a very social atmosphere), I kiss everyone hello — but sometimes, if I don’t feel like it, or if I’m in the middle of a workout, I don’t. It’s not obligatory. For example, I don’t kiss people goodbye after the gym — I’m too sweaty by that point!

And if you don’t like the idea of constant physical intimacy, you might not like a kiss hello at all. I don’t get the impression there’s anything wrong with not doing it and just shaking a hand. Just be aware that some people might lean in if they don’t know you, and then be slightly taken aback when you don’t.

The relaxed atmosphere of non-judgment extends to socialisation and dining. In my time as a foreigner, I didn’t experience any situations where I felt like I was being judged or gawked at. I could wear whatever I liked to restaurants (I mean, I always had a shirt and shoes on… let’s not exaggerate), I could opt to eat pizza with either my hands or with a knife and fork, and so on. I want to highlight this because some European countries can be quite judgy and touchy about food culture.

In terms of religion — Argentina is one of the least religious places in Latin America, a region which is predominantly Catholic. All of that adds up to very “liberal”. If that’s your jam, then you’ll like it.

I think the only part of Argentinian culture that is a little rigid is the culture of drinking “mate” (see below in the food and drink section). There are just a few social rules like “Don’t touch the bombilla“, or “Don’t hog the mate”. But to even get to the point where you’re drinking mate, you’ll have made a few friends, and they’ll explain what to do.

Argentinians themselves are, like everyone, warm and friendly, but express it in their own way. My experience is that they’re not brimming with enthusiastic grins like Americans and some other Latin Americans. To those who are used to big smiles, Argentinians might superficially seem cold for that reason.

I’ve noticed that in Argentina, smiles come over time — a few meetings. From local shop people, it can take a few visits, over weeks. This is one of the benefits of slow travel!

Diversity is quite interesting in BA. As someone of Persian origin and middle aged, I find I blend in perfectly (olive-skinned people tend to assimilate with age). People ask me where I am from when they hear I have not-local Spanish, and usually guess Brazil or Mexico.

Many people in Buenos Aires just look European / white-skinned. And many people have darker features.

There are relatively few Asian people in BA, though. I don’t really know why. Asians are absolutely not stared at — there’s quite a large Chinese population, many second generation. Yes, there’s prejudice there, and there maybe isolated incidents, but as an Asian in Argentina you will not be made to feel generally uncomfortable. Also, I should note that I saw very few black people in Argentina, even in big cities.

Where to Stay in Buenos Aires

In short, most people would want to stay somewhere in Palermo — Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, or Palermo Botanico — or nearby, like in Villa Crespo (where we ended up). We also stayed in Botanico for a bit, and I thought that was a good area.

If you’re in these areas — or a short walk from them — you can walk to many of the things you’ll use every day and take Uber or Cabify for the rest. Fares change far too quickly to attach a durable peso price to a short ride.

I would really check the area though. We booked one Airbnb that we had to leave in a hurry. The host said that it was quiet, and that a bar across the road had closed. Well, it hadn’t… and they played loud music every night from 10pm to 5am. We left after one night.

We stayed just inland of Palermo, in Villa Crespo. This is a bit lower key, with a lot of cool cafes and restaurants, lots of local amenities, but far fewer loud clubs. Generally, this pace suits us more. From our apartment, we don’t hear any unpleasant noises. With the windows closed, there’s no street noise (including no loud scooters, nor any doof-doof of cars with speakers), and no party noise.

Villa Crespo suits us perfectly. Good restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, greengrocers, and fiambrerías within five minutes walk, no obvious tourists, and chill life. There are even good bars around, if that is your thing.

Some people choose to stay in Recoleta. It’s a nice area, but it’s huge. The closer you are to the water, the more soul-less and touristy it gets. For some reason, a lot of people say you “must” visit the waterfront area, but I found it extremely boring.

Internet and Sim Card

In-house internet is satisfactorily fast in Buenos Aires. Without having done an extensive study, in the two apartments we stayed in, we got both very fast upload and download (50-100 Mbps).

This is fast enough for very high-quality video streaming, gaming, etc. It’s not as fast as the fastest fibre optic internet places in the world, like some parts of the North America, Europe or South East Asia, but it’s definitely fast enough for the vast majority of people, and it’s faster than Australia (c’mon, Australia, pick up your game.)

We also found it very hassle-free to get SIM cards. We went to a Claro store with our passports and cash and had activated prepaid SIM cards within ten minutes. Claro’s data packs, recharge bonuses and prices change regularly, so check the current prepaid offers rather than relying on the package we bought in 2023. An eSIM is another easy option if your phone supports one.

Because there are sometimes power outages, especially in summer, it’s a good idea to get a big plan.

Money in Argentina

The currency in Argentina is the Argentinian Peso, denominated ARS.

Cards are now widely accepted in Buenos Aires, but cash still matters at small businesses and sometimes earns a discount. QR payments through local wallets are extremely common, although opening a full local wallet account can be difficult without a DNI.

When we first arrived, getting the right exchange rate made an enormous difference. By 2026, the gap between rates had often narrowed substantially, but it can open again. The practical choices are:

• A foreign-issued Visa or Mastercard. This is the easiest option and is generally converted at a tourist or financial-market-related rate, although the exact rate, timing and fees depend on your issuer. Test a small purchase first.
• Cash exchange or Western Union. This can still be competitive and gives you pesos for cash-only places, but compare the rate and the fee on the day rather than assuming it beats a card.
• An ATM. This is simple, but local withdrawal charges, low limits and your own bank’s fees can make it poor value. Read the fee shown on screen before accepting it.

The screenshot below shows how wide the gap was when we arrived in 2023. It’s historical now, so don’t use those numbers for a present-day conversion.

For a live comparison, check the current bank, card, cash and transfer quotes. Don’t compare a rate without including its fees.

Method	What to check before paying	Live reference
Foreign credit or debit card	Your issuer’s posted ARS conversion and foreign transaction fee	Your card app or statement
Cash exchange	The day’s official and parallel rates, plus any commission	Cronista exchange rates
Western Union	The final number of pesos after the transfer fee	Western Union quote
ATM	Withdrawal limit, local charge and your home bank’s fee	The ATM confirmation screen

If you’re staying a few weeks, I’d still bring some clean US dollar notes as a backup, but I wouldn’t assume cash automatically wins. Compare the same-day card, cash and transfer rates. Use a legitimate exchange business rather than accepting an offer from someone on the street.

If you’re staying longer, a mixture of card payments and occasional Western Union transfers is practical. Western Union shows the transfer fee and the number of pesos the recipient will receive before you confirm, so compare that final amount with the card rate on the same day.

Cash can still save you money when a business offers a cash discount. It’s also less cumbersome than it was when the largest common notes were tiny, although you’ll still want smaller notes for neighbourhood shops and tips.

It all depends a bit on your budget, of course, I know people who spend a lot more… but most people spend a lot less.

Then again, using a card is much easier than planning every cash withdrawal or transfer. I wouldn’t spend half a day chasing a marginally better rate. I would check it before a large accommodation payment, though.

So what’s the price you want to pay for convenience? That’s still the question, even if the percentage changes.

The exchange rate of the Argentine peso still fluctuates, and inflation remains high even though it has slowed. Bearing this in mind, don’t flaunt your money, and don’t be shy about putting money into the local economy.

One odd thing that still happens is that local prices and the USD rate move at different speeds. Argentina can therefore feel markedly more or less expensive to a visitor from one trip to the next.

Language in Argentina

Argentinians speak Spanish. They also speak English when needed, though we didn’t try often. You can at least find Airbnb hosts who speak English and who can help you!

English speaking ability isn’t necessarily correlated with education. Some people just like to watch foreign TV shows, or have an interest in global culture.

If you do speak Spanish as a second language, you might struggle a bit with Argentinian Spanish. The accent and intonation are different, the emphasis varies (both due to the voseo and the intonation), and the vocabulary is often different.

For example, take the sentence “Take these avocados and put them in the fridge, then you can eat them later, when you want”.

In Spain, you’d translate this as: “Coge** estos aguacates y ponlos en el refrigerador, así los puedes comer más tarde.”

But in Buenos Aires (specifically, where they say “heladera” rather than “conservadora” for fridge), you’d say: “Agarrá estas paltas y ponélas en la heladera, así las podés comer más tarde.”

** Deserves a special warning: Do not ever use the word “coger” in Argentina. You’d literally be suggesting that someone “F*** these avocadoes”, literally.

See here for a more complete guide to Argentinian Spanish differences.

The main thing to note is that the Argentinian flavour of Spanish is the voseo kind. You don’t have to use it, but you will have to understand it.

In brief, the voseo means

• The most common word for “you” is vos, not tú nor usted. The word vos spans the majority of classes. I find vos more versatile than tú, and only use usted for someone clearly older than me (like, my father’s age). These days, to many people, I’m an usted.
• The conjugation of vos mostly affects the second-person present tense and the second-person imperative tense, mostly through some simple rules, with just a few exceptions.
• Everyone understands the tú and usted form if that’s what you’re used to.

You don’t have to memorise a whole new conjugation table. Actually, the vast majority of vos Spanish comes down to very common phrases, like

English	Standard Spanish (informal/formal)	Voseo
What do you want?	¿Qué quieres / ¿Qué quiere?	¿Qué querés?
What are you saying?	¿Qué dices / ¿Qué dice?	¿Qué decís?
How’s it going?	¿Como estás? ¿Como está?	¿Qué hacés?
Chill out / Relax.	Quédate tranquilo.	Quedate tranquilo. (emphasis on da)
Pay at the front.	Paga primero / Pague primero.	Pagá primero.
Keep the change.	Quédatelo / Quédeselo.	Quedátelo.
How’s it going? (with andar)	¿Cómo andas? (More of a Latam expression)	¿Cómo andás?
Come here.	Ven acá / Venga aquí.	Vení acá.
Tell me!	¡Dime! / ¡Dígame!	Decime!
What are you doing? Why are you touching the straw? Have you never had mate?	n/a	¿Qué hacés? ¿Por qué tocás la bombilla? ¿Nunca tomaste un mate?

In practise, I find it hard to not use the voseo. I adapt my language to try to fit in. But again, you don’t have to.

The accent in Argentinian Spanish is a little different, too.

• It’s a little “sing-songy”. Argentinian Spanish sounds almost Italian in its inflection.
• The hard elle is pronounced a bit like a soft j, like in French.

Over time, my Spanish became 100% Argentinian. I think it’d be hard to go back. Continental Spanish now sounds so foreign!

Transport and Getting Around

If you’re staying in Palermo, you can probably walk everywhere, though you might walk up to 30 minutes sometimes.

If you want to get around, Cabify and Uber both still operate. Check the price in pesos and the conversion in your card app; paying cash no longer automatically guarantees a better exchange rate.

For anyone earning USD, GBP or euros, taxis and rideshares may still feel affordable, but the US$5 airport ride we paid in 2023 is long gone. In September 2026, Uber’s route page was showing roughly ARS 34,000 between central Buenos Aires and Ezeiza before surge pricing. Always check the current app or taxi-desk quote before getting in.

There’s also public transport. You can buy a transport card called a SUBE from authorised sales points, although a card that isn’t registered costs more per trip. Buenos Aires subte stations now also accept contactless credit and debit cards, NFC devices and QR at marked gates.

Public transport remains inexpensive by international standards, but it no longer costs around ten US cents. As of September 2026, city bus fares with a registered SUBE run from roughly ARS 888 to ARS 1,139 depending on distance, while the first twenty monthly subte trips cost ARS 1,753 each. Unregistered SUBE fares are higher, and all of these amounts change regularly.

The metro doesn’t go everywhere, and the bus timetables are a little haphazard (you should add 15 minutes to most schedules), but it’d work well if you have a frequent route, or if you’re just shopping and not pressed for time. We use the bus fairly often.

Argentinian Food — Beyond Asado, Empanadas and Choripán

Yes, if you eat meat, you do absolutely need to go to a local parilla and get typical asado meats: tira de asado (ribs), and then whatever else they offer. I’d suggest vacío (another cut of meat), morcilla (blood sausage), provoleta (a cheese), and chorizo (another sausage), but it’s really up to you. Have a Malbec wine to go with it.

With that out of the way — Aside from meat, you really can get a wide variety of food in Argentina, particularly cafe-style food, and healthy, balanced food. The brunch culture is excellent. I’ve found Argentinian hipster brunch on par with the best in the world — yes, even for my snobby Australian friends, even with there. (The one caveat is the coffee, which is as good as you can expect — but the limiting factor is the economy, as coffee beans are expensive imported items. So please reserve judgment.)

In big cities in Argentina, it’s easy to find things like breakfast bowls with quinoa in them, chicken wraps with vegetables in them, toast with avocado, poached eggs, and interesting toppings. Oh, and it’s very easy to buy fruits and vegetables because there are fruit and vegetable stores (la verdu) on every block, and often sellers on the street selling avocados, bananas, and whatnot.

If staying in Palermo, the fancy part of town that’s out of price range for many locals earning local currency, you’ll find an abundance of places offering healthy food, vegetarian options, gluten-free produce, and so on.

Argentina does have regional delicacies, but by and large, Argentina is a modern country with food you might expect to find in many European countries: pizza, pasta, burgers, etc., and they’re high-quality and healthy.

A few very common local foods in Argentina are

• Choripán — a sausage in a bun… hot dog-like, but can be quite delicious if you get a good one, with lots of nice toppings
• Empanadas — stuffed savoury pastries that come in a few varieties of ground meat, ham and cheese, etc.
• Sandwiches de miga — little cut sandwiches with no crust, with simple fillings like jamón y queso
• Milanesas — crumbed meat, served in a sandwich or with fries and things
• Alfajores — cookies with dulce de leche between them
• Dulce de leche in absolutely everything, all the time

These are all fine, and you can try them once (or don’t… sandwiches de miga are nostalgic to Argentinians but nothing special culinarily), but they’re not how you’re going to eat 99% of the time if you live here. Even someone who doesn’t care about health at all is going to get sick of eating empanadas and choripán by the third day!

Still, you should eat them. A choripán is much closer to a German sausage in a French baguette roll than it is to a hot dog or sausage in a bun.

Other treats I think are really worth trying are dulce de leche (yes, same thing as dolce di latte… But much more ubiquitous), various dairy meats and cheeses (fiambres) from any local almacén or fiambrería, and Malbec wine, which is good (though I’m no expert).

You can get sick of dulce de leche, mind you. I have a sweet tooth, and I do really like it. But, it’s more ubiquitous than chocolate. It got a bit old.

I really like Argentina’s take on pizza. It’s not really like pizza anywhere else. It’s huge and heavy on cheese.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you’re in luck. At least in the busy parts of town, we found abundant options on menus and even casually strolled past many cafes advertising vegetarian / vegan food. It’s definitely a friendly city for those diets. We also found this to be the case in holiday towns around, like Bariloche.

One thing I personally think is quite special about Argentinian food is the mate.

You might know this as “hierba mate” or “yerba mate”, but it’s just referred to as mate in Argentina.

Essentially, mate is the traditional caffeinated drink of Argentina (and a few other countries in Latin America), though each country has a different way of enjoying it.

To make a mate, you buy leaves, fill a mate receptacle (it’s also just called a “mate”) roughly to the 2/3 level, and then dose in water at about 80 degrees C from a thermos, drinking it through a straw with a filter on it (la bombilla). You can share the mate with someone. It’s quite social.

See here for my full guide to yerba mate as it’s made in Argentina.

Online Services

While the internet in Argentina is good, you can’t necessarily use every local service as a short-term visitor. Mercado Libre and its payment service, Mercado Pago, are separate products, and their identity checks change. A Mercado Pago wallet normally requires local identity details, and Mercado Libre checkout can still be awkward without a DNI, a local phone number or a locally accepted payment method.

The workaround we used still makes sense: find a product you like on Mercado Libre, then look up the seller’s website, Instagram or WhatsApp and ask whether you can buy directly with a foreign card or cash. This is how we bought our mates.

PedidosYa and Rappi both still operate in Argentina, and short-term visitors can often order food or groceries without a DNI. Foreign-card acceptance can vary by account and issuer, so keep a second card or cash option handy.

Health, Doctors, and Medicine in Argentina

As a man of a certain age who tends to do contact sports, I generally suffer form at least one ailment or two and need to visit doctors, dentists, and pharmacies. So this is from direct experience!

Argentina has excellent doctors and both public and private care, but visitors shouldn’t assume that public treatment will be free. Under the current migration law, emergency care can’t be refused, while routine care at national public facilities may require insurance or advance payment.

I visited a local doctor and then a specialist for a skin condition, and was shocked at how high the service level was. The doctor saw me at no notice on a public holiday, gave me a script for medicine, and then followed up by WhatsApp twice over the next week, even prescribing me more stuff remotely (I had to fill out an online form).

When I saw a specialist, she did a remote consult over WhatsApp and sent me a prescription.

Both those consultations cost about US$10 at the time. That was our real experience, but it isn’t a current price quote. Ask for the present peso price and whether the clinic accepts your insurance or requires payment up front.

I got those prescriptions filled at various pharmacies with no hassle. They were briefly confused that I didn’t have a health card, but it didn’t affect anything at the time.

For a present-day trip, bring enough of any regular medicine along with a copy of its prescription. Requirements differ by drug, and a pharmacy may not accept a foreign prescription or may stock a different brand. Use a licensed pharmacy and ask a doctor locally when a new prescription is required.

One caveat — I did all my health appointments in Spanish. I think they could have done it in English, and they understood my English words for drugs, but nobody tried doing it in English. You may have to pay a bit more for a fluent English-speaking doctor. But in my experience around the world, any educated doctor can get by in English if needed. These days, Google Translate is pretty magical, anyway!

Wrap Up

As I mentioned up the top, we loved our time in Buenos Aires enough that we decided to come back.

Because the economy is unstable, it’s unfortunately not a place where we’d feel comfortable setting up long-term by buying a property.

But we definitely want to spend 4-6 months a year there, enjoying the shoulder seasons (and a bit of the warmer or colder ends of each).

If you’re considering staying in Buenos Aires or Argentina generally for a bit of a remote work period, don’t hesitate. And let us know how it goes!