Buenos Aires feels like a European capital that drifted across the Atlantic — grand boulevards, late dinners, tango spilling out of doorways near midnight. It is also a city shaped by a long-running economic drama, and that drama has a direct effect on your wallet.
For years Argentina has run with two exchange rates: the official one your card gives you, and the unofficial blue rate you get for cash dollars, often dramatically better. Travelers who bring clean, crisp US bills can make their money stretch far further than those relying on plastic.
A few practicalities
Bring dollars in good condition — torn or marked notes are often refused — and change them through legitimate means rather than the first tout on the street. Rates and rules shift with the country’s politics, so check the current picture before you go. Get it right and Buenos Aires, already one of the most elegant cities in the Americas, becomes a genuine bargain too.
