Anyone know the air quality, cost of living and climate for Salta, Buenos Aires & San Rafael, Argentina?

Question

We are looking into retiring in Argentina. We would like to live in a moderate to somewhat warm climate where it rains but is not too muggy. We REALLY want clean air. We have done some research online and these 3 cities look like they have nice climates, but we couldn't find anything helpful about air quality.

Does Buenos Aires have any suburbs that are less expensive? How is the air? What about Salta and San Rafael? What kind of cities are they? We don't need to be in the middle of a big city but would like to be walking distance or a short commute to local stores and within a reasonable commute to a good hospital for emergencies. We would love anyone's personal experience and specific recommendations. Good informational websites would be great too. Thanks!!

Answer 1

Like the others said, the air in BA is not polluted per se, not like Santiago de Chile or LA for example, but there is a big problem, and that is DIRECT contamination from buses and cars, which is awlful in my opinion.  The streets are narrow and you are very close to traffic on the sidewalks and the buses especially blow those fumes right in your face.  Some areas are better than others so make sure you choose a part of town where there are few bus lines, where the sidewalks are wide and there are trees lining the street.  It will make all the difference in quality of life.  But if clean air is your FIRST priority, I don't think you'll be happy in BA, sorry to say, even though it is true that the air current do keep the city's air moving and relatively fresh.

As far as temp goes, this is a very hot and humid city in the summer months, the worst being january and february.  winter is short and not too cold, but quite damp.  spring can come early but can be wet.  That's BA again.

Salta is a smaller city and I never noticed any permanant air quality problems, and the direct contamination I mentioned is not as much of a problem since there are fewer buses.  It's very easy to get out of the city where there are many options for a greener place to live.  Try San Lorenzo, just 15 minutes away and quiet and beautiful.  It's warm and wet in the summer, dry in the winter and nice weather in spring and fall.

I don't know San Rafael at all.

Answer 2

Hi. I am Argentinian and I live in Buenos Aires, but I have been in San Rafael last summer and I can tell you is a beautiful city, the air is very clean and the people is very kind. Buenos Aires has not got a very clean air, but San Rafael has.

Buenos Aires has a lot of less expensive suburbs, but I really don't recommend it. San Rafael is much better; the streets are borded by trees, the city is big and there is a lot of shops, hospitals, schools, etc, and, if you go to the south, you will be in Valle Grande, a beautiful place where you will find Atuel River, where you will be in the middle of the nature.

So, I can't tell you anything about Salta because I have never been there, but I really recommend you San Rafael. I'd like to live there some day.

=)

Answer 3

As a Buenos Aires native I can hardly tell you negative aspects about retiring in my home town.  As BDancer already told you, the air is clean in just about every place in and around the city (plus being right on the coast whatever air impurities get carried away by the wind).  The living standard is outstanding, and shopping, transport, eating out and entertainment facilities are the ones you'd expect in a city with over 10 million inhabitants.

If I was to retire in Buenos Aires I would certainly choose any suburb just north of Buenos Aires (San Isidro would be my first choice).  It's an upscale area, with beautiful strolling areas, close to the river, filled with shopping streets, but still calm, relaxed and quite safe (if you read news or stories about security in Buenos Aires it wouldn't quite apply to "Zona Norte", where San Isidro is).  Rent might be a tad higher than anyone would want to pay, but it all boils down to your budget, which I ignore.  

Regarding health care, I wouldn't worry too much.  In just about any part of the city you should be within 5 to 10 minutes driving distance of any decent sized hospital or private clinic.  The good thing about Buenos Aires: there are 2 types of taxis.  the regular ones (equivalent to the yellow cabs in the US), which charge passengers by the meter installed on the dashboard, and the so-called "Remises", which charge by the kilometer, and provide a 24h service that can be requested on demand by phone.  There is normally a Remise agency every sq. km, so a Remise should always be under 10min. from home, no matter what.  Emergency services are abundant as well, so health services should not be a concern when choosing an area to live.

I know it's a long winded answer, but when it comes to relocation there's just so much to say that Yahoo Answers might not even be the bet medium !

I'd be glad to help further.  Don't hesitate to contact me if you have more questions.

Answer 4

yes I've been to Argentina three times the last time was last year June.  My hubby and I was just talking today about taking another trip to Argentina. I can't tell you about the two cities but, let me tell you about Buenos Aires, I'm not sure if you are aware but, it's call little Europe. The shopping is great it's not expensive the food is cheap the air  is good as well.We would also like to retire there. They have a subway station, buses taxi and little cars. I've never seen a big car. They are advance in medical and is  a 100 times cheaper than the USA. Great for cosmetic surgery. Friendly people , easy going most of them speak English. You get 3 pesos for 1us dollar. There's a lot of towns around the city which is really great. They are known for their great wines one of the worlds best. The beef is as soft as butter , no kidding you can cut it with a butter knife. I think you should take a trip and see if it's right for you. You can email me if you need a reasonable hotel ,if you plan on going. The weather is also great,think about spending Christmas in summer.. hope this helps, good luck..