Hi all -
To live or not to live in Argentina - the question you guys only heard about 1000 times. My angle is that, having perused this forum and other information and reading between the lines, I went from an 85% conviction to move to Argentina, to a 2% one.
I'm writing with some remaining hope to be proven wrong.
From the initial, promising picture of a beautiful country, with half the living costs of the US, good food and dining, good infrastructure and healthcare, comparable safety to the US (there are many urban areas to stay away from here, too), the only thing that hasn't changed about Argentina is "beautiful country". I'm old and traveled enough to have imagined that the country would be rough around the edges, that big cities have unsafe areas, that services are slow and that financials may pose challenges. But the reality that seeps through is one of significant personal-safety issues, of living costs that have risen on a relative basis, and of a food scene that leaves some to be desired, with average (or even poorly supplied) grocery stores and a limited or pricey dining experience. Furthermore, cash management appears to be demanding on a daily basis. All together, with safety in particular, and given the relocation effort, language curve and social reset, have nearly cancelled the proposition for me. I still believe there are beautiful, livable small towns and I look forward to visiting some in my upcoming first trip over (my intent had been to settle in a coastal city or town, such as Bahia or Necochea). But even there, it seems that, while safety would be better, the other challenges would remain, along with some social isolation.
I don't mean to offend any expats with this. You might very well have it better there than us here in the US (where healthcare costs are obscene, inner cities are rough, and you can potentially get sued at any time). I just thought to ask directly for your kind first-hand opinion, as a last try. Thank you.