When you first arrive to Buenos Aires you may not realize that the shops on Sante Fe, 9 de Julio, Florida, and Puerto Madero are over priced. This guide is here to help you shop your best in Buenos Aires.
The best area to shop for clothes at an affordable price and equal or even higher quality than the stores downtown will be in the barrio Flores around la avenida Avellaneda. There you will be find all types of clothing at an affordable price.
Unfortunately the electronics in Buenos Aires are extremely pricey and can be double the cost compared to the United States especially for iPhones. For electronics it is best to buy when returning to the United States or taking a quick flight over to Santiago for better deals. Items in Santiago will be equivalent to the United States or with a slight up-charge. For instance a new MacBook Air (M4) chip will cost around $1400 in Santiago vs $1000 in the United States. In Argentina that would almost certainly be double the cost.
Unlike the United States where you can buy all your groceries in one store, in Buenos Aires you typically will go buy your meat at the Carnicería, buy your produce at a Verdulería, etc. That being said Buenos Aires has five popular grocery stores that I have been to (Carrefour, Disco, Jumbo, Día, Coto). My favorite by far are the Discos which the majority are located north of Sante Fe which tends to generally be the more upscale neighborhoods. Disco may be slightly pricier on certain items, but I find the overall shopping experience the best. Shopping around will definitely give you the best budget and best quality but you can buy all your groceries at these large stores.
On the weekend early in the morning you will also find certain markets on Sante Fe, Las Heras, etc. where they sell produce and groceries on the street at a reduce price. Those tend to be the best rates but buy 2pm they usually wrap up for the day so something to be aware of.
Some of the best restaurants are on the side streets of tourist areas so don’t go to the first restaurant you see which in my opinion tends to have standard food. Definitely check out Google Maps for restaurants, but be sure to check out restaurants in barrio Villa Crespo such as Café Crespín or Hasta La Masa which has great food at affordable prices. Puerto Madero will be some of the more pricier restaurants.
Airbnb will be the best for shopping for affordable temporary stays (1 month or less). Definitely negotiate with the Airbnb host for a discount especially if you plan to stay longer. For short term rentals you can check out Mercado Libre, Zonaprop, or Argenprop which offers rents for 3 months at half the cost of Airbnb per month. Generally short term rentals range from 400-600 per month. Locals tend to pay around $200-400 in rent depending on the location from word of mouth. Studios and 1 bedroom apartments are the most common rental.
This should help you make the best spending choices on your trip!
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