More Americans and Canadians discovering the quality of Life in Buenos Aires and Argentina

"Just livin' the dream": When the economy has everyone around you down, BA might make sense.

While some of our home countries are drowning in debt, others lack optimism regarding job prospects and the economic outlook. It’s times like this when many begin to re-prioritize and ponder quality of life, a common narrative thread here on InvestBA.

Whether it’s the annual International Living ranking or a wine expert lauding the “wonderfulness” of BA, or a foreign investor branding Argentina “the best place in the world,” these sources bring added credibility considering they have all scoured the planet looking for the best of whatever it is they are searching for: places to retire, food & wine, or prime real estate.

For the uninitiated, these articles fuel the imagination but don’t necessarily show you how to connect the dots and make the leap. Shelter Offshore to the rescue. The expat resource which touts Wealthier Living Abroad, fills in the dream-to-reality canvas for readers with some back-of-the-envelope calculations and a carpe pasaporte-inducing headline, “Live Your Dream Life Abroad for Less than £1,000 a Month.” ($1,300 USD).

Argentina is one of four Latin American countries mentioned in the article and Buenos Aires neighborhoods like Palermo SoHo are singled out for their abundance of dining, educational and cultural offerings. Once you’ve made the leap, Shelter Offshore recommends a minimum six-month commitment at whatever “wealthier” destination readers may choose. (Full article)

For more information about investment opportunities in Buenos Aires, download IncomeBA and the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

Doctors performing surgery in Buenos Aires Argentina

A team of surgeons in Argentina where doctors are typically well-trained, confident & knowledgeable.

When most foreign journalists return home from a trip to Argentina, they often pen glowing reviews of their gastronomic conquests down south…Newsweek’s Howard Fineman is not one of those journalists.

On a recent visit to see his daughter—who currently lives in Argentina—Fineman had a nasty bout with food poisoning. The illness and his subsequent 3-day stay in a private hospital in Bariloche opened Fineman’s eyes to the cost and quality of care advantages for expats and foreign visitors in Argentina.

My hospitalization included continuous intravenous fluids (to counter dehydration); IV antibiotics; an EKG, two blood tests and a chest X-ray; special meals; a private room; and even satellite-TV access to what seemed to be every obscure soccer match on the planet,” Fineman writes, “The doctors, nurses, aides, and others were all uniformly excellent. Total cost: about $1,500.

Considering that similar treatment in the U.S. would have cost roughly $12,000, the NBC political analyst was impressed by both the quality of care (“The doctors were clearly well trained and knowledgeable, and inspired confidence with their touch of Argentine cockiness.”) and the resourcefulness he witnessed first-hand. (“Perhaps they can’t always afford the latest in technology, but they strike me as doctors who don’t dwell on technology for its own sake.”)

While most Argentine medical tourism coverage to date has focused exclusively on elective procedures in BA, InvestBA believes Fineman’s anecdote sheds important light on the non-elective, year-round quality care awaiting  expats, transplants and foreign travelers in Argentina. (Full article)

Read more about Argentina lifestyle and quality of living in the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

Argentina: High Marks for Quality of Life

International Living Quality of Life Index Argentina Uruguay

2009 International Living Quality of Life Index

International Living magazine just released the 2009 Quality of Life Index, their annual ranking of “the world’s best places to live.” On the 1-100 scale, Argentina received its highest marks in the categories of Risk & Safety (100), Climate (92), Freedom (83) and Health (71).

Of the 194 countries surveyed, Argentina came in a very respectable #21 sandwiched right between the United Kingdom and Finland; however, Argentina’s Cost of Living score (69) was much lower than either the U.K. (29) or Finland (49).

In terms of regional appeal, the 2009 Quality of Life Index ranks neighboring Uruguay and Argentina as the #1 and #2 best places to live in all of Latin America.

For more information about retirement and investment opportunities in Buenos Aires, contact us or download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

 

Bariloche

Mendoza

Uruguay

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