La Buena Vida: Introduction to Buenos Aires

(This little presentation only cost me 2.50 USD at a Cafe in Belgrano!)

I love it here. I can’t decide if it’s the beautiful people, the lazy afternoons of summer, or simply Buenos Aires city life. I have millions of reasons why you should come out here and explore a culturally booming city, so I thought I’d send weekly updates of the important ones.

 

Reason number one for why I am never going back to the United States: the cost-effectiveness of the peso. Buenos Aires is a city of beauty. With their tan skin, perfect bodies, and carefully assembled outfits, people here know how to look good. The popularity of perfection has trickled down to us common folk in the art of the beauty salon. While a hot wax service in the States can go for anywhere between 40-60 dollars, I received one in preparation for the beach for a total of 10 USD (including tip!). No, I did not just make a typo. The services here are extremely cheap because they are so widely used. Today I experienced one of the best pedicures of my life, albeit slightly painful. The manicurist literally sanded down my calluses, leaving me with good as new heels. Including a more than generous tip for the treatment, it cost me a total of 25 USD to get a manicure, pedicure, and artillery callus removal. Needless to say, come time in May when I need my biannual hair cut, I most definitely will not be waiting to head back to California.

 

Buenos Aires is also a city of fine cuisine, including the Argentinean specialty of a savory steak. While my family back home winces at the idea of paying a hefty amount for a fancy dinner in California (think somewhere around 60-80 dollars a person), I can get the exact same dish with some Argentine flavor for around 30 dollars- and this is coming from the crème de la crème of Argentine restaurants. At other more casual restaurants, I could be spending as little as ten dollars for a decent slab of steak. Yesterday I ate a 20 USD meal in Palermo Soho, one of the trendier neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, consisting of a huge Caesar salad and a lemon daiquiri, which brings me to my next point…

 

Buenos Aires knows how to party. At the supermarket you can buy a liter of beer for less than two dollars. A fine bottle of wine is less than ten. The culture highly encourages social drinking where hours are spent at dinners or bars conversing with friends into the wee hours of the morning. While the drinks served at bars are around the same as the US, hosting a small party of friends at your home or apartment where you provide the drinks would be cheaper than going to a movie alone. Qué bueno!

 

However great the exchange rate can be, at times I have to remind myself that pesos don’t grow on trees. Foods such as fruits and imported goods (think candy, cereals, etc) are much more expensive, and they don’t make peanut butter here so expect to fork over some dinero if that’s your cup of tea. The worst of it all is that you have to pay for water at restaurants. Also, most clothing stores can be double the price of what I would pay in the US. On the upside, public transportation is less than 25c a bus ride and close to 50c per subway train. I feel like I’m saving money living in this city and loving every minute of it!