A Practical Buenos Aires Handbook for Expats and Remote Workers (Updated 2026)

Map index

• Map 1: Neighbourhoods (with “who it suits”)
• Map 2: Day-to-day essentials

Map 1: Neighbourhoods map

Covering: Palermo, Recoleta, Belgrano, Villa Crespo, Colegiales, Núñez, San Telmo, Microcentro, Retiro, Barracas, Almagro, Caballito, Chacarita, Puerto Madero.

Open the base map in Google Maps

Neighbourhood pins (tap to explore):

Quick “who it suits” notes

• Palermo: first-timers who want convenience, cafés, restaurants, English-friendly services, and a big social scene.
• Recoleta: people who want classic architecture, walkability, quieter nights, and easy access to clinics and cultural venues.
• Belgrano: longer-stay expats, families, and anyone who values residential calm and strong everyday infrastructure.
• Villa Crespo: value-seekers who want great food and a local feel, while staying close to Palermo.
• Colegiales: remote workers who want calm streets, good cafés, and fast access to Palermo without living inside it.
• Núñez: runners, families, and anyone who likes space and a more residential rhythm.
• Chacarita: food people, creatives, and remote workers who want a less polished, more “real city” vibe.
• Caballito: central, practical, and residential; good for long-term life if you do not need expat nightlife.
• Almagro: city life with tango DNA and late-night Corrientes energy, usually better value than the north.
• San Telmo: history and aesthetics, better for short stays unless you already know the micro-areas you like.
• Microcentro: work-week convenience; quieter at night and on weekends, so choose building and block carefully.
• Retiro: transport access and offices; choose micro-location carefully and use street-smarts.
• Barracas: big spaces and a rising arts scene in parts; best for people who already know Buenos Aires.
• Puerto Madero: modern towers and high security; quiet and pricey, with fewer corner shops.

Map 2: Day-to-day essentials

Open the base map

Airports

Key transport hubs

Coworking

Cafés suitable for working

Parks

Hospitals and clinics

Practical stops

Is Buenos Aires right for you?

Buenos Aires rewards people who like cities. You will walk a lot, you will live close to other people, and you will share elevators, doormen, late dinners, and a street life that starts after dark. The city also tests your patience with admin, small frictions, and the reality that not every system optimises for convenience.

These personas usually thrive:

• Remote founder who wants energy and access: You want meetings, coffee chats, and a social calendar without trying too hard. Palermo, Colegiales, Villa Crespo, and parts of Recoleta will suit you.
• Freelancer who wants focus and routine: You need calm mornings, reliable internet, and a neighbourhood that feels “liveable” rather than touristic. Colegiales, Belgrano, Núñez, and quieter pockets of Recoleta work well.
• Couple doing a one-year reset: You want walkability, good restaurants, safety habits you can live with, and a flat that does not feel temporary. Recoleta, Palermo Hollywood, Villa Crespo, and Belgrano C usually fit.
• Family with school and healthcare priorities: You want parks, clinics, and a home that feels predictable. Belgrano and Núñez rise to the top, with Recoleta as a close second if you prefer the central city.
• Student who wants Spanish, culture, and budget control: You want transport access, cheaper rent bands, and late-night life. Almagro, Caballito, Villa Crespo, and parts of Microcentro can work.
• Early retiree who wants ease and comfort: You want day-to-day simplicity, clinics nearby, and fewer surprises. Recoleta and Belgrano often work best.
• Digital nomad who wants “first month friction-free”: You want short-term housing, easy coworking, and English-speaking services. Palermo leads, but plan your exit strategy if you want better sleep and better value.

If you read this and think, “I want a calm city that runs early,” you might prefer a different base. If you like late dinners, walking neighbourhoods, and the feeling that something interesting happens every day, Buenos Aires will treat you well.

Choosing a neighbourhood

Buenos Aires does not operate as one city. It operates as many small cities stitched together by Subte lines, buses, and habits. Choose based on how you live Monday to Friday, not on what looks good on a weekend.

Neighbourhood comparison table

Cost of living in 2026 terms

Buenos Aires costs vary more by lifestyle than by neighbourhood. Your biggest swings come from housing type, currency method, and how often you eat out.

Monthly planning bands (single person)

• Rent (furnished, short-term): higher band, wide spread by building, amenities, and seasonality. Palermo and Recoleta sit at the top end.
• Rent (unfurnished, longer-term): lower band, but you will face paperwork and local requirements.
• Utilities: electricity rises in summer with air con; older buildings leak heat and cold.
• Mobile and home internet: affordable by international standards; quality varies by building wiring and provider reach.
• Transport: manageable if you use SUBE and mix Subte plus buses. Register early.
• Food: a big spread depending on imported products and how often you choose premium supermarkets.

Transport costs you can plan precisely

• Subte: the City publishes the fare bands by number of trips and shows a higher fare for an unregistered SUBE.
• Colectivos and trains in AMBA: the national transport site publishes the distance bands and the registered SUBE rates.
• Payment methods: SUBE still matters, but contactless options expanded on more AMBA bus lines in January 2026.

Visas and staying legally (practical overview)

Common pathways expats use

• Digital nomad (residencia transitoria): Argentina offers a transitory residence route for digital nomads. Official guidance explains the procedure and directs people in CABA to contact Migraciones by email for the process. Migraciones also lists a prórroga process for extensions and includes requirements such as proof of income during the period and criminal record documentation from the country of origin.
• Other temporary residence categories: Many people use study, work, family, or other temporary categories depending on eligibility. Start from the “Residencias” portal and then move to your subcategory.
• Radex (online residence filing): Radex functions as the online entry point for many residence applications. Migraciones states that applicants must be inside Argentina to apply online and that the system checks legal entry.

Finding a flat (step-by-step, with red flags)

You can make Buenos Aires housing easier if you follow a disciplined process. Most problems start with a rushed first payment.

Step-by-step process

1. Book a landing base for 10 to 21 nights: Choose somewhere central and functional. You want to view flats in person. Photos lie. Neighbours do not.
2. Pick two target neighbourhoods, not five: You can cross the city, but peak hours will wear you down. Keep your search tight.
3. Define non-negotiables you can inspect: Water pressure, mobile signal inside the flat, lift reliability, air con type, window quality, and street noise.
4. View flats at the time you plan to live: If you work from home, visit mid-morning. If you care about sleep, visit after 22:00 on a Thursday or Friday and listen.
5. Ask the right questions before you pay anything:
   • What do expensas include, and what do they exclude?
   • Who handles repairs, and how fast?
   • Which internet provider serves the building, and what plan does the flat use?
   • Does the building allow deliveries easily?
   • What currency and method does the landlord accept, and what does that include?
6. Pay only after you verify identity and terms: Meet the person who rents the flat. Get a clear contract or written terms.

Setting up in week one (timeline checklist)

Day 0: landing

• Take out enough cash for the first 48 hours.
• Get to your accommodation with a reputable transfer or app-based ride.

Day 1: phone, money, transport

• SIM or eSIM: If your phone supports eSIM, you can often sort it quickly without hunting for a physical chip. If you prefer a physical SIM, buy from official carrier stores rather than random kiosks.
• SUBE: Buy a SUBE card through official channels or at SUBE points, then load it and save your nearest top-up locations.

Day 2 to 3: health and work setup

• Identify your nearest pharmacy and a clinic you trust.
• Choose one coworking option and one café option as a fallback.

Day 4 to 7: housing and paperwork rhythm

• View flats, keep notes, decide fast when you find the right one.
• If you plan to apply for residence, map your documents, translations, and appointments early.

Safety and street-smarts

Buenos Aires rewards soft vigilance. You do not need fear. You need habits.

• Keep your phone off the street edge. Use it inside doorways or against a wall.
• Wear your bag cross-body, keep zips closed, and keep valuables out of outer pockets.
• Use ride-hailing at night when you move between neighbourhoods you do not know.
• Avoid empty blocks late at night, even in upscale areas. Foot traffic matters more than reputation.
• Keep one backup card and a photocopy of your passport page at home.

Getting around

SUBE is your foundation

SUBE remains the core tool for public transport. Official SUBE guidance covers how to get it, load it, and find top-up points.

Subte

Use the Subte for predictable routes, then switch to buses for flexibility. Register your SUBE to access the standard fare structure.

Buses (colectivos)

Buses cover everything and run late. Use Google Maps, Moovit, or a local transit app, then build two favourite routes and stick to them. The national transport site publishes distance-based fares for AMBA services.

Airport transfers

AEP usually feels quick and close to the city. EZE can take 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. If you land late, pay for convenience. The stress cost will beat the savings.

Where to work (coworking + cafés)

Buenos Aires supports remote work well if you choose places that expect laptops.

3 to 6 coworking options

• La Maquinita Co (Palermo, Villa Crespo, Microcentro): Best for consistent infrastructure, decent community, good default choice.
• WeWork (various CABA sites): Best for calls, reliability, meeting rooms.
• AreaTres (Palermo): Best for founders, events, and proximity to cafés.

Cafés etiquette (this will save you)

• Order something every 60 to 90 minutes if you stay.
• Take calls outside or in a coworking booth.
• Pick weekday mornings for focus. Weekends bring brunch crowds and fewer plugs.

Practical life (SIMs, internet, plugs, pharmacies)

• SIM and eSIM: Start with Personal, Movistar, Claro. If you want the quickest setup, eSIM can reduce friction.
• Internet at home: Ask one question before you rent: “Which provider serves this building, and what speed does the flat currently run?”
• Power and adapters: Argentina uses 220V. Many flats use angled-pin plugs, and older buildings may mix socket types. Bring a universal adapter.
• Pharmacies: You will find them everywhere. For controlled medication, you will need an appropriate prescription.

Culture that affects daily life

• WhatsApp runs everything: landlords, doormen, deliveries, tradespeople, even some clinics.
• Time runs later: dinner starts late, social plans start later, and people often confirm close to the time.
• Greetings matter: a quick hello and a calm tone gets you better outcomes than urgency.
• Queues exist, but rules vary: watch what locals do, then mirror the pattern.
• Deliveries: doormen make life easier; without one, you will coordinate more actively.

Common mistakes (and fixes)

• Mistake: They pick Palermo because everyone else did.
  Fix: choose based on sleep, work style, and weekday routine.
• Mistake: They pay a deposit before they see keys.
  Fix: view first, verify identity, then pay.
• Mistake: They treat internet as guaranteed.
  Fix: confirm provider and speed, keep mobile data ready.
• Mistake: They do not register or organise SUBE early.
  Fix: buy SUBE, load it, register it, and save the nearest SUBE points.
• Mistake: They carry their phone openly at the curb.
  Fix: step inside a doorway to check maps.
• Mistake: They work from cafés all day and burn out.
  Fix: use coworking for deep work and cafés for lighter tasks.

Two sample itineraries

A realistic weekday routine (remote worker)

• 08:00: walk to a café near home, light breakfast, plan the day.
• 09:00 to 12:00: coworking for calls and focused work.
• 12:30: menú del día lunch in your neighbourhood.
• 14:00 to 16:30: home work block, admin, deep tasks.
• 17:30: gym or a run in a nearby park.
• 20:30: dinner with a friend or a quiet local spot.
• 22:30: short walk, prep for tomorrow, sleep.

A realistic weekend plan

• Saturday morning: coffee, walk in Bosques de Palermo or Reserva Costanera Sur.
• Saturday afternoon: long lunch, browse a market or a bookshop run.
• Saturday night: dinner late, one bar, then home.
• Sunday: late breakfast, neighbourhood walk, early evening reset for the week.

Resources

• Official basics: Migraciones (start here for legal pathways). Digital nomad transitory residence overview.
• Transport: SUBE official site (where to buy and load). Subte fares from the City. AMBA bus and train fares.
• Phone: carrier help pages for eSIM and line management.
• Day-to-day: Google Maps lists (Map 2 links). WhatsApp for coordination.

Checklist (copy and paste)

• Landing accommodation booked (10 to 21 nights)
• Mobile data plan ready (SIM or eSIM)
• SUBE plan: buy, load, locate nearest points
• One coworking chosen plus one café fallback
• Housing criteria defined (noise, air con, water pressure, internet)
• Flat viewing slots booked (daytime plus late evening)
• Payment method chosen (risk-first, not hype-first)
• Legal pathway identified on Migraciones site
• Document list created (passport scans, background checks if needed, income proofs)
• Safety habits agreed (phone, bag, late-night transport plan)

Short FAQs

Do I really need a SUBE card?
Yes, get one early. Contactless payment expanded on more AMBA bus lines in January 2026, but SUBE still offers the most consistent coverage and fare structure.

Does registering SUBE matter?
Yes. The City publishes higher Subte fares for an unregistered SUBE.

Is a digital nomad residence a real pathway in Argentina?
Yes. Migraciones publishes a transitory residence route for digital nomads and explains the process and extension requirements.

Should I sign a long-term lease immediately?
Not in week one. Live in the city first, learn micro-areas, then commit.

Can I work from cafés all day?
You can, but you will work better if you combine cafés with coworking, especially for calls and deep work.