Your First Week in Buenos Aires
A detailed day-by-day guide from landing at Ezeiza to feeling like a local. Real prices, specific recommendations, and the unwritten rules of BA life.
Landing & Getting Set Up
From Ezeiza to your first empanada
Airport to city: know your options
1-2 hoursFrom Ezeiza (EZE): Uber/Cabify costs $20-30 and is the easiest option. Official remis taxis run $25-35 (book at the arrivals counter). The Tienda Leon shuttle is cheapest at $10-12 but drops you at a terminal in Retiro, not your door. If flying into Aeroparque (AEP), it's a quick $5-10 Uber to most neighborhoods.
Download Uber and Cabify BEFORE you land and add your foreign credit card. You'll need one working when you arrive. Uber works everywhere; Cabify sometimes has better rates.
Get a SIM card immediately
15 minutesBuy a Claro or Personal prepaid SIM at the airport kiosk (arrivals hall). Costs $5-10 USD. You need your passport. Claro has the best city coverage; Personal often has better data plans. Get at least 10GB -- you'll burn through data with maps and translation apps.
If the airport kiosks are closed (late arrivals), any kiosko in the city sells SIMs. Look for the Claro or Personal signs. Ask for a 'chip prepago con datos.'
Download the essential 5 apps
10 minutesWhatsApp (everyone uses it -- businesses, landlords, delivery), MercadoPago (Argentina's Venmo, works everywhere), Google Maps (download the BA offline map), Uber or Cabify, and Como Llego (official BA transit app, better than Google for buses). These five apps will get you through the first month.
Set WhatsApp as your default messaging app. Seriously. Even your landlord, doctor, and plumber will message you on WhatsApp. It's the de facto communication platform in Argentina.
Get Argentine pesos (the smart way)
30 minutesSkip the airport exchange counters (terrible rates). Withdraw a small amount from an ATM for immediate needs (taxi, food). For real money, use Western Union (best rates for USD/ARS), a cueva (informal exchange -- ask your Airbnb host), or bring physical USD and exchange at a cambio in the city center.
The 'blue dollar' rate is significantly better than official bank rates. As of March 2026, the gap is smaller than it was in 2023-2024, but you still get 5-15% more at cambios and Western Union than at banks or ATMs.
Your first meal: empanadas
30 minutesDon't overthink it. Walk to the nearest empanada shop and order 'una docena variada' (a dozen mixed). Standards: carne (beef), jamon y queso (ham and cheese), humita (corn). Price: about $3-5 for a dozen. Pair with a Quilmes beer or a Malbec. Welcome to Buenos Aires.
Locals eat empanadas with their hands. No fork required. If the empanada is well-made, it won't leak. The creased edge (repulgue) pattern often indicates the filling -- but honestly, just ask.
Money, Transport & Your Barrio
Setting up the infrastructure of daily life
Set up MercadoPago
20 minutesOpen the MercadoPago app and create an account with your passport (no DNI needed for a basic account). Link your foreign debit card or load cash at a Rapipago/Pago Facil kiosk. MercadoPago is how you'll pay for most things -- restaurants, delivery, shops, and even street vendors.
Many small businesses give a 10-15% discount for paying in cash ('efectivo') because they avoid card fees. Always ask 'Hay descuento por efectivo?' (Is there a cash discount?).
Get your SUBE card
15 minutesBuy a SUBE card at any subway (subte) station or designated kiosk. Costs about $2-3. Load it with credit (you can use MercadoPago!). This one card works on ALL public transport: subte, buses (colectivos), and trains. A single ride costs $0.15-0.30 -- absurdly cheap.
The BA subte runs roughly 5 AM to 11 PM (shorter on Sundays). After that, night buses (colectivos nocturnos) run key routes. The bus system is actually more extensive than the subway -- learn to love it.
Walk your neighborhood for 2 hours
2 hoursThis is non-negotiable. Spend two hours walking your immediate area. Find: the nearest pharmacy (farmacia), laundry (lavadero), supermarket (supermercado), bakery (panaderia), cafe with WiFi, and ATM. Note which streets are well-lit at night. Buenos Aires rewards those who walk it.
Every neighborhood has a 'main drag' where commercial life concentrates. In Palermo it's Honduras/Thames; in Recoleta it's Av. Santa Fe; in San Telmo it's Defensa. Find yours and orient from there.
Have a proper cafe experience
1 hourSit down at a local cafe (not Starbucks). Order a 'cafe con leche' and 'medialunas' (croissants). In Buenos Aires, the cafe is your second living room. Linger. Read. People-watch. Nobody will rush you. Tipping: leave 10% or round up.
For coworking, look for cafes with 'WiFi' signs in the window. In Palermo: Cuervo Cafe, Lattente, Full City Coffee House. In Recoleta: La Biela (historic), Roux Cafe. In San Telmo: Coffee Town, Federal.
Food Shopping & Cooking Basics
Eating well for less than you'd believe
Stock your kitchen at the right places
1-2 hoursSupermarket chains: Coto (best prices, local favorite), Dia (budget basics), Disco (mid-range), Jumbo (upscale, best for imported goods). But the real secret is local markets: verdulerías (greengrocers) for produce at half supermarket prices, and carnicerías (butchers) for Argentine beef.
Produce at a verdulería costs 40-60% less than at a supermarket and is fresher. A full week of fruits and vegetables for one person runs $5-8 at a verdulería. Learn to say 'un kilo de...' (a kilo of).
Find your local feria (street market)
1 hourEvery neighborhood has a weekly feria with local produce, meat, cheese, and prepared foods. Palermo: Feria de Thames (Saturday). San Telmo: Feria de San Telmo (Sunday -- famous). Belgrano: Feria de Belgrano (weekend). These markets are where portenos actually shop.
Bring your own bag (bolsa). Many vendors are cash-only. Arrive early (before 11 AM) for the best selection. The ferias are also great for meeting your neighbors.
Cook your first asado at home
2-3 hoursGo to a carnicería and ask for 'tira de asado' (short ribs, about $3-4/kg), 'vacio' (flank, $5-6/kg), or 'chorizo' (sausage, $2-3/kg). If your apartment has a parrilla (grill), use it. If not, a cast iron pan works. Season with salt only -- Argentine beef doesn't need anything else.
Argentine portions are enormous. 400g of meat per person is the local standard, but 300g is plenty if you're not used to it. Always buy 'provoleta' cheese to grill as a starter -- it's the Argentine appetizer.
Getting Connected
Building your social network in BA
Join expat WhatsApp and Telegram groups
30 minutesSearch for 'Buenos Aires Expats' on Telegram and Facebook. Key groups: BA Expats (general), BA Digital Nomads (remote workers), BA Foodies (restaurant recs), and BA Housing (apartment leads). These groups are goldmines for real-time advice and social events.
Telegram groups tend to be more active and better moderated than Facebook groups. The 'BA Newcomers' groups are particularly welcoming. Lurk for a day to understand the vibe before posting.
Visit a coworking space
2-3 hoursIf you work remotely, try a coworking space. Top picks: AreaTres (Palermo, professional, good events), Selina (Palermo, backpacker vibe, rooftop), Urban Station (multiple locations, by the hour), WeWork (Retiro/Puerto Madero, corporate). Day passes run $5-15.
Many coworking spaces host weekly events -- happy hours, skill shares, language exchanges. These are the easiest way to meet people when you first arrive. AreaTres and Selina are particularly good for this.
Attend a language exchange or meetup
2 hoursLanguage exchanges (intercambios) happen almost every night in BA. Mundolingo (multiple locations, free), Mate Club (Palermo, structured), and BA Language Exchange (various venues) are the biggest. Even if your Spanish is zero, go -- everyone speaks English and wants to practice.
Meetup.com has dozens of active Buenos Aires groups: hiking, photography, book clubs, tech meetups, and more. The BA Tech community is particularly vibrant and welcoming to newcomers.
Explore Beyond Your Barrio
Getting to know the real Buenos Aires
Visit a different neighborhood
Half dayIf you're in Palermo, spend a morning in San Telmo. If in Recoleta, explore Villa Crespo. Take the subte or a bus -- experiencing the transit system is part of learning the city. Each barrio has a completely different personality, and you might find that your 'planned' neighborhood isn't actually your best fit.
Take the Subte D from Palermo to downtown (Catedral station) and walk through Plaza de Mayo, past Casa Rosada, and down the pedestrian Florida street. Then walk south to San Telmo. This route gives you a concentrated taste of BA's architectural and cultural range.
Have a proper parrilla dinner
2-3 hoursGo to a real neighborhood parrilla (not a tourist trap). Order: provoleta (grilled cheese), morcilla (blood sausage -- trust us), entraña or vacio (flank cuts), and a Malbec from Mendoza. Budget: $15-25 per person with wine. Dinner starts at 9 PM at the earliest. 10 PM is normal.
Don Julio is worth the hype if you can get a reservation (book weeks ahead). For no-reservation parrillas, try La Cabrera (Palermo), La Brigada (San Telmo), or El Pobre Luis (Belgrano). Ask for 'punto medio' (medium-rare) or 'jugoso' (rare).
Walk through a park and drink mate
1-2 hoursBuy a thermos (termo), mate gourd, and yerba mate at any supermarket (total: $10-15). Fill the thermos with hot (not boiling) water and head to Bosques de Palermo, Parque Centenario, or Reserva Ecologica. Sit on the grass and practice the mate ritual. This is how portenos decompress.
Mate etiquette: the cebador (preparer) drinks first, then passes clockwise. Don't move the bombilla (straw). Say 'gracias' when you're done (it means 'no more for me'). Don't say 'gracias' between rounds unless you want to stop.
Practical Admin & Health
The boring stuff that saves you later
Research health insurance (prepaga)
1 hourIf you're staying more than a month, get a prepaga (private health plan). Top options: OSDE (premium, $150-300/month), Swiss Medical ($120-250/month), Galeno ($100-200/month). They cover doctor visits, specialists, prescriptions, and emergency care. Many have English-speaking staff.
Public hospitals are free for everyone (including foreigners) but wait times are long. For urgent care, go to a guardia (ER) at a private hospital like Hospital Aleman, Hospital Britanico, or Hospital Italiano. They'll treat you and bill later.
Locate the nearest pharmacy
15 minutesFarmacias in BA are everywhere and many are open 24 hours (look for 'turno' or '24hs'). Chains: Farmacity (modern, well-stocked), Dr. Ahorro (discount), and local independent farmacias. Many medications that require prescriptions elsewhere are available over the counter here.
Farmacias often have 2x1 promotions (buy one, get one free) on common items. The pharmacist (farmaceutico) is a trusted resource -- they can recommend treatments for minor issues without a doctor visit. This is normal and common in Argentina.
Understand the safety basics
30 minutesBuenos Aires is generally safe but has common-sense rules: don't flash expensive phones/cameras on the street, be aware in crowded areas (Subte, Florida street), avoid walking alone late in less-lit areas, use Uber/Cabify at night. Keep a copy of your passport and save emergency numbers in your phone.
Emergency numbers: 911 (police), 107 (ambulance), 100 (fire). Tourist police: 0800-999-5000 (English-speaking). Save your embassy's number too. The biggest real risk for expats is petty theft (phone snatching) -- keep your phone in your pocket on busy streets.
Finding Your Rhythm
You're not a tourist anymore
Establish your daily routine
All dayBy now you know where your cafe is, which supermarket you prefer, and how to get around. Buenos Aires life has a rhythm: breakfast at home or a cafe (9-10 AM), work (10 AM - 1 PM), lunch break with a walk (1-3 PM), more work or errands (3-7 PM), gym or park (7-8 PM), dinner (9-10 PM). Embrace the late schedule.
Portenos eat dinner at 9-10 PM and go to bed at midnight or later. If you try to eat at 6 PM, most restaurants will be empty or closed. Adjust your body clock -- it takes about a week but it's worth it for the social life.
Start your apartment search (if on Airbnb)
2-3 hoursNow that you know the city, start looking for a longer-term rental. Check ZonaProp, Argenprop, and Facebook groups ('Buenos Aires Apartments for Rent'). Expect: 1-3 months deposit upfront, rent quoted in USD, and some landlords requiring a garantia (local guarantor).
Temporary rental agencies (like BATempRentals, Nestpick, or Imovelweb) specialize in expat-friendly contracts without a garantia. They're 10-20% more expensive than direct rentals but save enormous hassle. Many handle everything in English.
Plan your visa next steps
1 hourMost nationalities get 90 days as a tourist, extendable once at Migraciones. If you want to stay longer, now is the time to research: Digital Nomad Visa (6 months, renewable), Rentista Visa (passive income), or start a residency process. An immigration lawyer can save you months of confusion.
The 'border run' (going to Uruguay for a day and re-entering for another 90 days) technically works but is increasingly scrutinized. If you plan to stay long-term, investing in a proper visa now saves headaches later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buenos Aires safe for expats in 2026?
How much money do I need for my first week in Buenos Aires?
Do I need to speak Spanish to live in Buenos Aires?
What's the best neighborhood for someone who just arrived?
Can I use my credit card everywhere in Buenos Aires?
Continue Your BA Journey
Neighborhood Matcher Quiz
Find your perfect barrio based on your budget and lifestyle.
Cost of Living 2026
Full budget breakdowns with real prices for singles and couples.
Visa Options
Compare all 6 visa pathways to find the right one for your situation.
Dining Guide
Michelin-starred restaurants and hidden gems across BA.
Healthcare Guide
Prepaga insurance, English-speaking doctors, and emergency care.
Safety Guide
Honest safety info: neighborhoods, scams, and emergency numbers.
Planning to stay beyond the 90-day tourist period? An immigration attorney can help you choose the right visa and navigate the application process. Learn more