Cost of Living for a Newby
Please excuse me in advance, as I am fairly new to the computer. I have visited BA on four previous occasions and I have fallen in love with the city and the people. I am recently retired and recently single and I would like to relocate to BA for a month or two as a test run for a more lengthly stay. As far as cost of living, can someone give me an estimate on the monthly cost of a micro-center (or in-town) apartment, eating out four or five times a week, four or five chicas a week, a few cocktails, health insurance, groceries, gym membership, regular bills, etc. (without a car) I know these are vague details, but I'm trying to get a basic idea on overall cost. Just a range, please. Though I'm not looking to live high-on-the-hog, I want to enjoy myself without pinching pennies.
This is a great site and an informative service. Thanks Jackson!
Thanks, Latuna
Inflation still going strong
Here's the latest on inflation in Argentina. Still going strong:
BUENOS AIRES (Dow Jones)--Argentina reported a steep rise in the November consumer price index, although the government figures continue to fuel scepticism among economists who say prices are actually rising at least twice the official rate.
Argentina's consumer price index in the capital Buenos Aires, used as a measure of nationwide inflation, jumped 0.7% on the month in November, bringing the rate over the past 12 months to 11%, the national statistics agency, Indec, reported Wednesday. Prices for clothing, appliances, medical care and food and drinks posted the largest gains.
Economists had expected the government to report 0.8% month-on-month inflation in November, which would have put the annual inflation rate at 11.1%, unchanged from October.
But estimates for the actual pace of price gains point to runaway inflation.
The credibility of Indec's inflation data has been called into question since former President Nestor Kirchner made personnel changes at the agency in 2007, which led to a sharp divergence between government data and private-sector estimates. The government of President Cristina Fernandez, Kirchner's wife, regularly denies charges that it manipulates Indec data.
Most private-sector economists say inflation is running well above 20% thanks to elevated government spending, hefty wage increases negotiated by unions amid an economic boom, and the central bank's decision to expand the money supply.
Local think tank Buenos Aires City--run by Indec's former CPI director, Graciela Bevacqua, who was purged by Kirchner--said in a report that consumer prices rose 1.3% in November, bringing the annual inflation rate to 25.6% due to rising prices for food and beverages.
Joaquin Ledesma & Asociados economic consultancy pegged the November price gain at 1.5% from October and 23% from a year earlier.
In a move interpreted as a concession to placate critics, the Fernandez administration last month invited the International Monetary Fund to help Indec build a nationwide consumer price index. An IMF technical mission has already met with Argentine officials to discuss the project.
However, the implementation of a national CPI is widely expected to be a drawn-out affair as the government is unlikely to make changes to the current Buenos Aires CPI to avoid legal problems. The government's inflation-linked bonds are indirectly linked to Indec's CPI and the chronic underreporting of inflation has short-changed investors, analysts say.
At the same time, the IMF will demand strong assurances about the integrity of the new CPI before putting its stamp of approval on the project.
"We do not expect to see major changes in inflation reporting in Argentina before the October 2011 elections," Goldman Sachs said in a note.
Taxi Fee Pick Up Charge Up 11%
Somebody needs to verify my numbers but I think the taxi pick up charge night time rate went from 13.70 pesos to 15.20 pesos yesterday. My ride to Hook went from 18 pesos average over the last two weeks to 22 pesos.