Life in Argentina can be cheap as chips if you embrace the local lifestyle, but if you pine for imported goods, you’ll quickly burn through your cash. Fashionable brands, imported foods, and even foreign electrical goods will set you back far more than if you learn to live with what is produced locally. However, view the challenge of getting a good deal from your spending as an adventure rather than a chore, and enjoy local highlights such as cheap wine, inexpensive dining, and cheap public transport. Saying that, even if you embrace the local lifestyle, Argentina isn’t a place where you’ll be able to save huge amount of money unless you take on extra work. If you have a standard 30-hour working week, you’ll find that you break even at the end of the month and don’t have much cash left over. If you’re looking for a more luxurious lifestyle or want to put some money aside for the future, you’ll need to consider taking on private students in your free time.
If you have to furnish your own accommodation, try not to rely on the brands you know from home if you want to save money. Apartments are often rented furnished on six-month contracts, or unfurnished for two-year contracts. You might need a local guarantor for some rentals, and there are others that will allow you to pay your six-month contract fee upfront. Few jobs come with accommodation, so this is certainly something to consider and research before you travel. Staying in a hostel when you arrive is a great way to ask for local recommendations and get the word on the ground.
Argentina is becoming increasingly popular with expats who love the cosmopolitan vibe of the big cities and the benefits on offer. Argentina has a good healthcare system and while quality is good when you seek public health services, private healthcare is also highly affordable and popular with expats. One of the cheaper places to live in South America, expect to put up with some inconveniences like power cuts and public transport not running to schedule. You’re also likely to experience some of the economic problems and bureaucracy that some expats consider make-or-break factors when choosing where to live, but if you’re up for an adventure, Argentina is a great place to do it
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