Living in Capital - is it really more expensive?

There are 4 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 1,609 times. The latest Post () was by GlasgowJohn.

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    Anywhere else in the world I would have said 'of course'. But since moving downtown I was surprised to see that Capital is not that much more expensive than the Gran Buenos Aires, limiting the comparison between livable areas of the GBA for the average expat.


    Taxes are lower -- there is on ARBA on properties, there is no ARBA on your income --, gasoline is cheaper. Bus fares cost usually less because there is no crossing of the city limit. Taxis and remises are also cheaper for the same reason.


    Utilities are subsidized even in the wealthier neighborhoods.


    ABL looks cheaper... we live in a place which is twice as much as the apartment we lived in for the past two years, and the ABL is nowhere double as the old one.

    Will utilities continue to be subsidized, or is there a schedule that will eventually mean that people pay for what they use?


    We once lived in a small Louisiana town that grew up without water meters, so we all paid a flat monthly fee for water use. This meant that people who filled their swimming pools with city water paid the same as single people living in studio apartments. As a result, no one was concerned about conserving water.


    I suspect that the same situation exists in Buenos Aires, with subsidized utilities. Better when gov't subsidies end.


    Didn't mean to sidetrack this thread!

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    You make a good point. Subsidies are not bad per se, but can be mis-educational. In all the three units we have lived in, we always managed to spend less in gas/electricity/water than any of the previous tenant, despite the fact that the two of us spend all day at home to work and live, whereas the previous tenants were away all day. :scratchead:


    And we have been taking advance less subsidies than them, as well.


    To answer your question, subsidies are being tapered down, but with a lot of resistance from the population.

    Not having lived outside CABA, I can't compare, but might just raise a few questions. Are city prices higher for gas, parking, groceries? Do people pay more in the city for services -- housekeepers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters?