However, I don’t think the difference of prices are related only to cheap labor, it’s more about taxes over taxes, I think, specially because the same brands you’re buying in London, in NY or in Buenos Aires are inevitably made in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong and so on. Even if it’s not slave work, it’s very cheap work, just enough money to keep them alive to continue working (something like it was in Britain during the beginning of the Industrial Revolution…).

Reading the book “Gomorra”, by Roberto Saviano, was an eye-opener to me, since I had no idea that counterfeit products were sold as original in brand stores to increase profit.

Well, my wife bought an expensive tank at a brand store in a BsAs mall, and, after the first wash, it was ready to be used to mop the floor. However, we’re still wearing shirts we’ve paid 7 dollars, 4 years ago, in NY and that look just like new.

And even if the taxi fares seem to be cheap to us (in Brazil, a cab ride is not cheap at all also), I think it’s not that cheap to porteños. Actually, I was even more impressed by the cab fares in Cusco and Lima, where you can ride for an hour and pay only 5 bucks (which is probably a lot to peruvians!)…

It looks like most of the people earning their wages in peso are really struggling to make ends meet.

Very interesting the way you exposed how is the family dynamic in UK. A similar phenomenon is happening in NY too, where a lot of people in their 30s and 40s are having to share an apartment. 3k a month for rent is not for everyone!

Buenos Aires was definitely a better deal to foreigners, but we also noticed that there was a decrease in quality. The food and clothing were better, taxis were cheaper (we never had to get the Subte those days), and I don’t remember as much scams as there are today. And some porteños complained the same to us.
Every time a friend come to BsAs, we have to warn them about scams, fake peso bills, temporary rentals problems, and so on.

And I think they have to spend their weekends in-home with their families because it’s so expensive to a family to lunch out, so this is the only alternative left.
Actually, this is quite the same reality in Brazil, where people in their thirties have to live in their parents home, since they can’t afford to pay rent.

I don’t know how is in Britain, but the families relations in US where a shock to us. Almost everybody is on their own. But these are two extremes.

I’ve found your blog through your couchsurfing profile, and enjoyed reading your posts.

My wife and I are Brazilians, lived in NYC for the last 4 years and recently moved to Buenos Aires. The first time we came here was during Argentina crisis in 2001 and we have to agree that everything looked very different those days. Everything was cheaper and better. We used even buy Argentinean meat and bring back to Brazil in our luggage.

However, after living here for some months, we’re kind over it and can’t wait to move away (which we shall do as soon as we sell the remaining 22 boxes of books we’ve printed here).

It was very hard to get used to the Latin American way of doing things and the porteño snobish and indifferent behavior can be nerve-wracking. Sometimes, when we’re in a restaurant, for example, we fell like the waiter is doing us a favor, instead of doing the job he’s being paid to do. Won’t even mention the bureaucracy in public services…

Anyways, it’s a fact that every city (not only the big ones) can be annoying – even New York was for us after a while. We’ve found out that’s when you have to pack your bag and move out!

The thing we loved about BA, and all of Argentina for that matter, was the people and the neighborhoods, just as you said. We had an apartment for the month in San Telmo, which was the perfect neighborhood for us, and we took Spanish classes while there as well. We just loved the local people, and we loved going to our corner stores each day to buy our fruits and veggies and food for the day, or going to what became local hangouts for us during our stay.

The vibe and laid back nature of a city that huge is what we really loved about it. The chaos of cities like NY and London just wasn’t there, imo, and that was nice. ANd the Argentine culture, eating dinner at midnight, taking a few hours to eat and drink and hang out, was so refreshing. Everyone is always in a hurry in the states, and it was so nice to just sit and relax and not worry, and we felt that was the norm there.

A colleague sent me this post she found on Twitter, it is strikingly similar to my own Bs As experiences:

‘I first visited the city in 2003. This is hardly pioneering, yet at the time I didn’t know anyone in my personal circle of friends who had been… I loved it and, like many, I went on to sing its praises to anyone who would listen… I have lost count of how many people I know from the UK who have spent time there.’

Really enjoyed reading it, en fin. Thanks!