Buenos Aires
A city with it all. How livable is Buenos Aires, Argentina?
The capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires is a large metropolitan city (3.1M) on the Southwestern coast of South America. I spent two months here from November 2023 to January 2024, and this was my living experience.
EXPLORING
Walkability & Transport (★★★★★)
Getting around Buenos Aires is extremely easy. Walking is an option and will allow you to explore the city and its various neighborhoods. The city is similar to European cities in that everything you will ever need, a gym, supermarket, fruit and veggie store, mall, convenience shop, etc., will only ever be a 1 to 15 minute walk away. That aspect is incredible.
Public transport is abundant, reliable, and practically free when you need to go further from your home. Buses and an underground subway are available. When on a time crunch, Ubers are also abundant and inexpensive. My favorite option as a solo traveler was the Uber Moto, which was faster, half the price of a normal Uber, and twice the fun!
Variety (★★★★★)
Buenos Aires is a large, modern city where you can do anything. Throughout your stay, you’ll want to explore the city’s neighborhoods, including Belgrano, Palermo, Chacarita, Caballito, La Boca, San Telmo, Recoleta, and the one I lived in, Almagro. The architecture in Buenos Aires is stunning. Architectural highlights include Palacio Barolo, Obelisco, Teatro Colón, El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno, Cementerio de la Recoleta, and the Casa Rosada.
Buenos Aires is the birthplace of Tango. Taking a class at the antiquated La Catedral Club and watching an intimate show right after was such a memorable experience. Another must is El Boliche de Roberto, an extremely intimate, open-air Tango bar. If Tango turns out not to be your thing, you can also opt to take some Salsa classes at LTV or La Salsera.
But that’s not all. The city has many museums, such as the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Also, I can’t not mention Fútbol. Catching one of the top teams play at Estadio Mâs Monumental or La Bombonera is a special experience. I was able to rally four strangers to go to Estadio Pedro Bidegain to see San Lorenzo play. It was incredible.
For the foodies, you won’t be able to get enough Argentinian steaks at Parillas like Parrilla Peña, Parrilla La Brigada, or La Cabrera. Some long-standing famous spots include Las Violetas and Pizzería Güerrín. For the best empanadas, check out El Gauchito and Peña La Morena.
For the day-to-day, the options for standard things like gyms, movie theaters, malls, etc. don’t fall short. Neither do the options for getting into nature or enjoying nightlife, which we get into below.
CONNECTING
Nature (★★★)
While you won’t find towering mountains, pristine beaches, or green forests in Buenos Aires, you will find an abundance of large, beautiful parks and tree-lined streets. Top parks include Parque Centenario, Paseo El Rosedal Garden, Lago de Regatas, Barrancas de Belgrano, or the massive Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur that includes one of the only water access points in the city, though the water is very polluted. If you want to spend some hours walking around greenery, have a day picnicking, or read at the park, you’ll have many options in Buenos Aires.
Community (★★★★★)
Buenos Aires is filled with expats, digital nomads, and friendly locals. On the Meetup app, you can find countless things to do in your free time where you can meet people. For example, weekly trivia nights at bars like Cervelar and Cerveceria Aroha. Board gaming meetups at board game shops like La Board Game House and Conexión Berlín Juegos. My favorite was going to the many language exchanges around the city. These seemed to have a nice 50-50 mix of locals and foreigners. I improved my Spanish while meeting locals and fellow foreigners alike. I’ll also mention El Emergente, a community center in Almago that hosts varied events. Ultimately, if you’re staying for just a few weeks or for six months, you will be able to find a feeling of community and spaces to connect with others if you make the effort.
Nightlife (★★★★★)
Buenos Aires nightlife can compete with any of the world’s top cities. One of the city’s nightlife hotspots is Palermo Soho, which includes Plaza Serrano which gets bustling at night. There are countless high-quality bars there, and around the city, like Uptown, Festival, Backroom Bar, J.W. Bradley, Isabel, Rey de Copas, and Parque Bar Botanico. There are secret bars to explore. Speakeasies that are more than meets the eye. There are rooftop bars with stunning views of the city like Alvear Roof Bar, Trade Sky Bar, and Salón 1923. There are jazz bars like Virasoro Bar and Thelonious Club. Really, the quality of Buenos Aires’ nightlife is excellent and so abundant that you won’t get tired of it.
The city also has a thriving electronic music scene that attracts a surprising amount of the world’s top talent. I loved it. The top venues include Pachá and Crobar, while the larger, outdoor venues include Mandarine and Madero Boardwalk. For non-electronic concerts, Ciudad Cultural Konex will be your spot, or hit world-renowned festivals like Primavera Sound and Lollapalooza!
LIVING
Affordability (★★★★★)
Buenos Aires is the most affordable metropolitan city I’ve been to. While cooking most days of the week, renting a one-bedroom apartment locally, getting a gym membership (Fiter), using Ubers, and going to a few concerts, my average daily cost was $51, or ~$1,530 per month.
Ubers, the gym, SIM cards, public transport, etc. were all extremely affordable. One of my favorite parts of Argentina is that the locally produced steaks and wine are extremely cheap relative to other countries. I was paying five dollars for a nice steak and a bottle of wine at the grocery store. Time to practice your steak cooking and wine tasting!
Safety (★★★★★)
Buenos Aires felt like one of the safest cities I’ve ever been to. Of course, there are more impoverished and dangerous areas you should not go to, like Barrio Padre Mugica aka Villa 31, which is starkly contrasted by the downtown skyscrapers that overshadow it. You also want to stay away from certain areas at night, like around Estación Once. Still, in the main areas of Buenos Aires, you just have to be aware of petty crime like in any city. Even still, over two months I only once witnessed one instance of a phone being snatched on a bus. I felt much more comfortable walking around Buenos Aires than the likes of Medellín and Rio de Janeiro. You shouldn’t have any safety hesitations if you’re thinking of visiting this city.
Climate & Cleanliness (★★★)
In December and January, summer temperatures range between a warm 65 and 80 Fahrenheit, with average temperatures throughout the year ranging from 50 to 80 degrees. Notably, the winter months this far south are June to September, when it will be slightly cooler and more cloudy but dry of rain. The city is of fair cleanliness, and air quality or garbage wasn’t a noticeable issue.
FINAL THOUGHTS
How long should you stay? Would I return?
At least a month. Buenos Aires might well be my favorite city I have ever lived in. It really has it all. It’s easy to get around, affordable, safe, green, and beautiful, with communities to join, great nightlife to enjoy, and a wide variety of activities to get up to. You won’t get tired of this city after living here for a month, and could easily settle in here for multiple months or more.
In between my two months here, I took a week-long vacation. When I returned, I felt like I was landing back home. That’s how easily I settled in here. I plan to return one day for another few months, or more!
Top Weekend Activities
Experience Tango. Buenos Aires is the birthplace of this style of dance. Take a class at the antiquated La Catedral Club and watch an intimate show right after. Another must is El Boliche de Roberto, an extremely intimate, open-air Tango bar.
Catch a Fútbol match. Catching one of the top teams play at Estadio Mâs Monumental, La Bombonera, or Estadio Pedro Bidegain is a special experience. Do it!
Experience the nightlife. This city has awesome nightlife. Have some drinks at one of the many cool bars mentioned above. Then continue for a night of music at a venue like Crobar, which has events every night.
Explore the city. The options are limitless here, but for a full day of exploration, a great route to walk the city, hit a few museums, and eat empanadas is this: Go to Tres de Febrero Park, Recoleta, Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and Cementerio de la Recoleta. Around this general area, you can relax with food and drink at Alvear Roof Bar or hit Peña La Morena for some of the best empanadas with a Fernet and coke drink.
Truly live here. The livability of this city is superb. See what it’s like to walk the streets around your home, settle into a routine, and eventually, settle in and feel like you live there. Meet some other people, do the highlights, and you won’t be disappointed in spending an extended period of time in Buenos Aires.
