3 months in Buenos Aires

I've just spent about 3 months in Buenos Aires as a digital nomad. It's has become one of my favourite places that I've visited. It's a great place to spend the European winter if you're like me and shy away from the cold and darkness.

Argentina is the first South American country that I visit. I've previously only been to countries in Europe and Africa (South Africa). I had some expectations before coming here so let's get those out of the way.

Safety

One of my worries was what the safety was going to be like. Safe to say that I was positively surprised regarding this. I've never really felt unsafe in Buenos Aires. I was privileged to be able to live in a more upscale and safe neighbourhood. The neighbourhood I stayed in is called Recoleta. While I wasn't out walking much at night, I can safely say that I have never had any issues walking outside during the day. Worthy to mention that I'm a tall man at 187cm with a wider build. I think that a lot comes to down to common sense and having a sense of your surroundings. Even though it might be relatively safe, that doesn't mean that you should let your guard down or get too comfortable. I've read multiple stories from other digital nomads that they've been robbed so the risk is still there.

Some easy pointers to follow:

• Don't dress fancy, this includes wearing any jewellery that would draw attention
• Stay attentive to the people around you and try to avoid walking narrow and empty streets
• Check your pockets often and be aware of them when walking amongst a lot of people.
• Don't walk far distances at night, if you need to go somewhere that takes more than 5-10 minutes of walking, it's preferable to take a taxi.
• Avoid standing around looking at your phone
• Don't leave your phone on the table at restaurants and cafes, even more so if seated outside.
• Read up on the different neighbourhoods and which ones to avoid.

A common occurence is being approached by people trying to sell you something such as socks or tissues. Usually it's enough to tell them no once and they'll go away. However, they may sometimes persist and you just have to be firm with them and walk away. Be aware that this can sometimes be used as a distraction for someone else to pickpocket or steal something from you, even at restaurants and cafes.

Cost of living

If you're coming from Europe or North America, your money will go a long way in Buenos Aires. As of writing this, the inflation is through the roof, at around 140% in the last year alone. However, there was recently a new president elected, Javier Milei. He has plans for huge economic reforms, now whether that'll happen or not is something we'll have to see. Depending on where you want to stay in Buenos Aires, you'll most likely end up spending most of your time in the same neighbourhood as where your accommodation is located. This is because the city is huge and so is each neighbourhood. With that said, the most popular neighbourhood for digital nomads and tourists in general is Palermo. Now Palermo is spread so wide that it is actually split up into multiple sub neighbourhoods such as Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, which are the two most popular ones. In Palermo Soho, you'll find lots of shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, and things to do. However this is probably the most expensive one because of the tourist density in this area.

Community

The digital nomad scene in Buenos Aires is quite vibrant with many meetups and events available. If you're a social butterfly you'll have no issues meeting other nomads to hang out with. When it comes to meeting and befriending locals, that can be a challenge if you don't speak much Spanish. English is spoken by some but it's not common in my experience. That was a blessing in disguise for me because it pushed me to improve my almost non existent Spanish. Regardless if you speak the language well or not, the people are very friendly and welcoming. It truly is a warm culture.

Link to the biggest digital nomad meetup group in Buenos Aires

Places to visit

San Telmo Market (Mercado de San Telmo)

On Saturdays and Sundays, there is a massive (and I mean MASSIVE) flea market taking place in the San Telmo neighbourhood. It spans more than 10 blocks and you'll find everything you can imagine there. There are also some spontaneous Tango performances that you can watch if you're lucky. I'd definitely dedicate at least a full day to exploring San Telmo and the flea market.

Rosedal Garden (Paseo El Rosedal Garden)

While Buenos Aires is a big and bustling urban city, you'd be surprised as to how much greenery and nature there is to be found in its many parks and streets lined with trees. The Rosedal garden is definitely worth a visit if you feel like you want to reconnect with some nature after a while in the busy city. It's located quite centrally close to the Palermo neighborhood and has a very nice atmosphere with a lot of roses and flowers.

Cafes

I'm a little bit of a coffee nerd and one of my pleasures is visiting and trying out cafes. And there is no shortage of great cafes in Buenos Aires. The city's speciality coffee scene is booming and growing fast. I'll list some of my favourite ones below.

• Tona Café
• Cuervo Café
• BLANCA studio
• Tonico Café

Favourite neighbourhoods

My favourite neighbourhoods were by far Palermo and Recoleta. Palermo is quite huge and my favourite parts of Palermo are Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. You'll find most of the "trendy" stuff going on in Recoleta and Palermo Soho. The best cafés, shops, restaurants etc. are mostly located there. That also means that these are the most expensive to stay in but it can be well worth the extra cost as it comes with added convenience and safety.