In Buenos Aires you can generally get by using your debit card, credit card, or pesos as I have found that they are only generally around the same particularly if you have a card without international transaction fees like the Charles Schwab Debit Card (referral link).
However it can be convenient to have pesos because not every place excepts card transactions like Santiago, Chile. If you ever need to purchase something from the Kiosco, pay for laundry, buy affordable clothes on Avenida Avellaneda in Flores, or buy food from a local on the street you will more than likely will need to have pesos.
While there are ATMs where you might get a good rate according to my friend, I found it the easiest and best method to be Western Union Pago Fácil. You can download the Western Union app on the App Store or Google Play Store to send money and it will tell you exactly how much you will receive per $1 USD.
Ideally you want to pick up money from Western Union during the week as the majority of Western Unions are closed on the weekends.
If you need to pick up money on the weekend there are some Western Unions open on Saturdays. On of the most popular ones is the Western Union on the corner of Cordoba and Montevideo.
Western Union | Av. Córdoba 1591, C1055 Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Keep in mind there is also a smaller Western Union right next door on Montevideo that is also open on Saturday. For some reason nobody every goes to this Western Union which is open from 12-4pm on Saturday. I would avoid the line at the big Western Union and go to this one and save yourself some time.
Western Union | Montevideo 833, C1019 Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires
One block over you also have a Western Union on Paraná although this isn’t open on the weekends; however it always has a short line from my experience so if you find that a Western Union near you during the week has a huge line, be sure to come here.
Western Union | Paraná 848, C1017 Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires
During the week (the best time to get money) you’ll find several Western Union Pago Fácil locations open throughout the city just keep in mind that some have long lines during prime times like around lunch and some run out of money in the afternoon. Generally I’d recommend going in the morning or an hour before they close. The previous two Western Unions above tend to always have no line from what I have seen and arguably are the best in the city.
Happy travels!
No fluff. Just real projects, real value, and the path from code to cash — one useful build at a time.