If you’re considering moving to Argentina but aren’t sure where to settle, then you’re in the right place.
I’ve been living in Argentina for over 15 years and I still love it! It’s a wonderful place to call home.
Argentina is a welcoming country for expats, immigrants, and wanderers.
It is also huge. This is the 8th largest country and incredibly diverse. Whether you want a secluded mountain cabin or an apartment in the city, Argentina has it.
And this post in breaks down of the top places to live in Argentina.
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The Best Places to Live in Argentina
The first and obvious choice is Buenos Aires. Most foreigners settle here and never move. But after 15 years there I tired of the city life and moved to a rural town in the Buenos Aires province.
But if the city life isn’t for you, Patagonia, Mendoza, and even Salta have active expat communities.
And while Buenos Aires gets all the attention, it’s hardly the only city worth considering.
1. Buenos Aires
First and foremost, let’s start with the obvious. The most common and popular place to live in Argentina is its main city: Buenos Aires.
It’s the best place to live in Argentina for both locals and foreigners alike: nearly a third of the entire country live in or around Buenos Aires.
If you want to be where the action is, this is where you want to be.
There is even a local saying: Dios está en todas partes, pero atiende en Buenos Aires. It loosely translates to “God is everywhere, but his office is in Buenos Aires.” This critique points to the fact that most of the country’s resources and specialists are here.
Buenos Aires has the most job opportunities (which is what brings most Argentines here). It’s also where the “culture” is (theater, the ballet, restaurants, nightlife). It is where you will find the most fellow expats to connect with.
There is a huge network of expats and digital nomads in Buenos Aires. While it can be hard to make friends with locals in a new country, you’ll have no shortage of friends in BA. Check out expat focused Facebook groups to connect with likeminded transplants.
Now, where to live within Buenos Aires?
Palermo is the trendiest neighborhood with boutiques, bars, and cafes. Most expats live here and it’s a great place to try out when you arrive. For more, check out my guide on where to stay in Buenos Aires. I go over every neighborhood in great detail.
Read More of My Buenos Aires Resources
- Living in Buenos Aires, Argentina: A Complete Expat’s Guide
- Is Buenos Aires Safe?
- The Best Things to do in Buenos Aires
- A Complete Neighborhood Guide: Where to Live in Buenos Aires
2. Bariloche & Northern Patagonia
One of the most beautiful places to visit in Argentina is Patagonia. So it should be no surprise that it’s also one of the best places to live.
Northern Patagonia in particular is a great place to relocate to. Bariloche is the largest city in this region and the most popular among expats.
There is a very active community of expats here for you to plug into. And beyond that, a lot of people from Buenos Aires have moved to Bariloche after the pandemic. This is not an insular city, but a destination full of transplants eager to make friends.
The main challenge with a move to Bariloche? Housing. Combine the fact that everyone wants to live in Bariloche with a post Airbnb world of tourism rentals… there is a major housing shortage in Bariloche and surrounding towns. Expect this to be your biggest hurdle. It is not impossible but it is hard. Be flexible and dogged to find a good long term rental.
If you’re moving as a family, Bariloche is a great area to raise children. You’ll be blessed with four proper seasons. Imagine enjoying the best Bariloche hikes in the summer and then living next to Argentina’s best ski resort in winter!
There are also a lot of small towns in the region for easy weekend trips. You are not isolated here, far from it.
Bariloche has become quite a large city over the years. If you want something smaller but similar, check out San Martin de los Andes or Villa La Angostura.
3. Mendoza
There’s more to Mendoza than wine but really, does one need another reason to live there?
Kidding. (Mostly).
Mendoza is great place to live in Argentina. The city is large and has a lot to offer as far as schools, medical care, and an international airport.
But it is the access to nature that tempts me most about the idea of living in Mendoza. You get the best of both worlds.
Mendoza’s best wineries ensure you’ll have plenty of entertainment and cultural options despite living outside of Argentina’s culture hub, Buenos Aires.
You can base yourself in the city center or nearby. My favorite area is Chacras de Coria, just 15 minutes from the city center. It’s a beautiful small town and close to everything – vineyards, the city, and easy access to the mountains. If you want a house with a lot of space, this is where I would look.
Another great option is San Rafael, a smaller city three hours south of Mendoza. It is a much smaller city but it does have its own airport with regular flights to Buenos Aires. San Rafael has a lot of outdoors activities in the Atuel Canyon area and its own beautiful wine region.
4. Cordoba
Cordoba is Argentina’s second largest city. It is a university town with the lively nightlife that comes with that. In Cordoba you’ll have great restaurants, cultural offerings, and museums.
It is the ideal option for the expat who wants to live in a city but still feel like they went off the beaten path (the beaten path being Buenos Aires). And the access to nature here is off the charts.
The province of Cordoba is Argentines’ favorite holiday destination. There are countless small villages in the mountains where you can spend your weekends.
This region of Argentina was heavily settled by German immigrants so you’ll find some of the country’s best beer and enjoy traditional German fare along with your asados.
Villa General Belgrano is home to one of the world’s biggest Oktoberfest’s outside of Germany and in tiny touristic village La Cumbrecita you’d be forgiven for thinking you woke up in Germany.
Living in Cordoba allows you to have the city life with incredible nature access. And importantly, the airport is very well connected with direct flights to most domestic destinations and easy connections abroad.
Related: The Most Beautiful Places in Uruguay
5. Rosario
I recently spent the weekend in Rosario in Santa Fe and had that immediate “I could live here” reaction. You know the one.
And honestly, I was surprised by how much I loved Rosario. I would highly recommend Rosario for city lovers, particularly families.
This small city – the fourth largest in Argentina – feels like a big city but in reality, you can drive across the bulk of the entire city in 15-20 minutes.
And unlike Buenos Aires, Rosario has fully embraced its riverfront. There are parks and literal beaches up and down the river here. And speaking of parks, Rosarinos seemed to live in their parks.
If you’re worried about connections and travel, Rosario does have an airport with direct flights to Buenos Aires, Iguazu and even some international destinations. You can travel to Buenos Aires by bus, as well, in just over 4 hours.
The main downside would be that there is not a huge community of expats in Rosario. If you’re looking to plug into a likeminded community, you might struggle. But if you want to integrate into the local society, Rosario will be a great fit for that.
6. El Calafate, El Chalten & Ushuaia
Southern Patagonia is a great place to relocate if you LOVE the outdoors. I mean love it, because these are not easy destinations to live in but the rugged mountains here are unparalleled.
Jobs here will be limited to tourism unless you arrive with your own remote work. With harsh winters, you can expect to be here seasonally, traveling to warmer climates from around May-August, at least.
You can apply for jobs at local hostels or a ranch to spend a season in Patagonia’s most beautiful and wild region in the Parque Nacional de los Glaciares.
El Calafate is famous for its glaciers and El Chalten is best known for being the hiking capital of Argentina. If you want to live somewhere secluded and still wild, this is it.
Ushuaia is the biggest city of the three and if you were looking for a more permanent/long term move I would pick Ushuaia over El Calafate. It may seem counterintuitive since it is the absolute furthest south. So yes, it will have the most extreme weather and you may even see snow year round but there are also things to do year round, since Ushuaia has a ski resort and other winter sports.
But I repeat, don’t even consider this if you don’t love the outdoors, the cold, and feel like you can really go with the flow. These are demanding locations.
Tip: Don’t forget that seasons are flipped here in the southern hemisphere. Warmer months are from September through March.
Read Next: The Pros & Cons to Living in Argentina
7. Salta
Salta in Argentina’s rugged northwest is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. In fact, it’s nickname is exactly that: Salta La Linda.
Choosing to live here will take you far off the beaten expat path.
Along with the natural beauty, it’s a very affordable place to live if you arrive with savings in dollars or euros. If you need a job here look for something in tourism, a major industry in Salta.
With stunning canyons, Argentina’s second largest wine region, and charming historic towns there is no shortage of things to do in Salta.
Where to base yourself in Salta?
The main city of Salta will have the most opportunities with a large number of tour operators based here. It’s a small city with gorgeous colonial architecture.
For smaller towns take a look at Cafayate, home to some of the countries most stunning high altitude wineries, or Cachi, one of the best maintained historic towns in the country.
Read More: Resources For Life in Argentina
- A Moving to Argentina Packing List
- All About Living in Buenos Aires, Argentina: An Expat’s Guide
- The Ultimate Guide to Digital Nomads in Buenos Aires
- International Schools in Argentina
- Having a Baby in Argentina
- All About Travel Insurance in Argentina
Argentina Travel Resources
- BOOK A CONSULTATION | I offer one-on-one travel consultations to help you plan your trip to Argentina. Pick my brain to get a local’s insight. Click here for more information.
- MY MAP | Buy my interactive map with 300+ pins to have access to the city as I see it. It is an invaluable resource. See more here about how it works.
- AIRPORT TRANSFERS | Having a driver waiting for you is ideal for a stress free arrival, Welcome Pickups is the best option for a driver from Ezeiza or Aeroparque.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE | Always travel insured. Anything can happen anywhere and it is scarier and costlier in an unfamiliar country. SafetyWing’s Essential Plan covers unexpected travel and medical emergencies and even offers add-ons like electronics theft or adventure sports. It is the best if you’re coming on vacation. If you’re coming as a digital nomad or an extended stay, you need their Complete Nomad Plan which also covers routine check ups, maternity, mental healthcare and more. Read more: Health Insurance in Argentina
- PHONE PLAN | These days, traveling with data is essential. Especially in Argentina where everything is managed on Instagram and WhatsApp. I recommend this E-SIM card. It’s hassle-free and affordable, for more read how to get an Argentina sim card.
- ACCOMMODATION IN ARGENTINA | booking.com is the most common hotel site used in Argentina and it’s where you’ll find the most options.
- RENTAL CARS | I love to travel Argentina via road trip, I’ve always used rentalcars.com, now they are operating under the umbrella of Booking.com’s car rental system.
- BUS TICKETS | Check Busbud for long distance bus routes and tickets.
- VPN | If you’ll be using a public WiFi connection and want to secure your data, I highly recommend using a VPN, I personally use and have had a good experience with ExpressVPN. I also use it to access Hulu and American Netflix from Argentina.
- FLIGHTS | Always check Google Flights and Skyscanner for flights to and within Argentina. Aerolineas Argentina is the local airline with the most routes. FlyBondi and Jetsmart are two budget airlines with dirt-cheap prices (but expect to pay for every add-on like luggage).
I love the article, great info and point of view. Ive been living in Quito, Ecuador for the last 8 months but originally wanted to move to Buenos Aires but couldn’t do to the country being closed for Covid. Ive read other articles and blogs about the growing inflation in Argentina. Some people say its an isssue some dont think it is. I’m curios your opinion on the inflation in Argentina and how it has affected your cost of living?
Hi Michael! Inflation is definitely an ever present problem here, this year in particular it is extremely high. As an expat, I’ve always made sure to work online/remote jobs where I can earn in dollars and so local inflation has never really impacted my cost of living. Whether you find a job in pesos locally or remotely in dollars will decide how comfortably you live here so I’d keep that in mind.
Do you have any thoughts about living in La Rioja? We’ve been impressed with the local large organic wine cooperative (La Riojana). We’re seeking a medium-small city. We’re a retired couple with an independent income currently residing in California. Thanks in advance!
I don’t know much about La Rioja as a city, to be honest! But they’re doing a lot of work as a province to promote tourism and their wine is fantastic. It could be a unique place to get off the beaten path here, worth giving a try at least without a major commitment to start.
How can you get the money you earn by working online directly in dollars?
I bring money with me every time I come home from the US, I send some via Western Union, and then sometimes I send some via financieras/cuevas here that have accounts abroad and give me the pesos or dollars here (with a fee of course)
My wife and I are retired. We make a little over $50,000 USD per year. I am interested in Mendoza but Buenas Aires would illuminate the need for a car. Should we just sell everything and move there or should we get a retirement visa? We speak some Spanish but not a lot. What city would we be happiest in? I hate heat combined with humidity. What online sites could I look at for help? We would need a one bedroom apartment and have to buy everything again. The USA has turned into bad news on many fronts. Please help!
I had planned to go to Argentina and stay for anywhere between 3-12 months depending on how things went but I have read about some people being mugged in Palermo, which is where I had thought I would likely go because I had read it was safe. Truth be told though, I am not a city person. I would love to find a nice apartment in a safe area but maybe not necessarily Buenos Aires. I don’t speak a lot of Spanish; I am learning on Duolingo. I was thinking about trying to stay in one of the small coastal towns. But, to get permission to stay in Argentina longer than 90 days, I would need to be in Buenos Aires. I am a single woman, traveling alone. Safety is the most important factor for me. Is there a town that you would recommend? Or should I just consider a different country?
On the coast you may like Mar del Plata for a larger city or if you want sleepy (and off season it will be) you can try Pinamar or Carilo.
I would always advise a trial stay before selling all of your belongings and committing to a place. Argentina has its own set of challenges that can be hard to adjust to, I’d rent your home for a year and try a year here before making any drastic changes (if it were me).
Regarding ‘best places to live in Patagonia’, with emphasis on the word ‘live’ rather than visit, I would personally discount Bariloche and El Calafate / El Chaltén. Bariloche, because it is very touristy and suffers from noisy school leavers who visit the town as a rite of passage and make life unbearable for the residents. El Calafate and El Chaltén because a life there all year round can get very quiet, especially when the weather is inclement, and because life’s amenities (ATMs, Banks, Internet, etc.) can often be problematic.
These are of course personal opinions but based on personal experience, none of it especially recent. I was faced with this choice when I chose to live in Patagonia some twelve years ago (after thirty years living and working in BA), and I chose San Martín de los Andes, a quiet comfortable place with a lot going on. I could have chosen Trevelín, which I visit quite often, but there is less happening there.
Congratulations, Erin, on all you do. I find your blogs and FB posts useful and interesting, and post occasionally if I have anything useful to add.