What's still cheap in Buenos Aires

As mentioned in the last post, prices are on the rise and this place just isn't nearly as cheap as it was a few years ago. But there's one class of things that's still a tremendous bargain for visitors from the US (and probably Europe, but I can't be sure) -- personal services.

This week I will take 5 one-hour private spanish classes at 30 pesos ($10) each, a one hour private tennis lesson, which includes court fees for 70 pesos ($23), and a 90-120 minute private photography lesson for 60 pesos ($20). And all of these are with highly qualified providers. My friend Piper and her friends take lots of private tango lessons. Of all the private lessons, these are probably the most expensive, only because tourist demand is so great. But they're still somewhere between 30 and 50 dollars US I believe.

Another thing we visitors indulge in here is massage and other personal treatments. I've been going to this one masseuse three years running now, and she is fantastic. She has been studying to be an osteopath, with a focus on cranial-sacral therapy (which I guess is the approach osteopaths in Europe take, whereas American osteopaths lean more towards chiropractic manipulation). She now apparently charges 70 pesos for an hour, and she is really, really qualified. Cheaper but still very good massages can be had for 45 pesos ($15) or so.

Last year I went to a physical therapist for my shoulder. I got a whole hour out of the guy, though admittedly about half of that was being iced and getting some kind of weird magnetic stimulation (not the standard electro-stim you get in the states). But even then half the time he stayed in the room and nicely spoke basic spanish with me. This treatment -- free spanish practice included -- cost me all of 30 pesos, though I understand he raised his fees to 45 pesos now.

I haven't had a haircut here in a while, but a couple years ago a super-stylish salon charged me 30 pesos, and that was way upscale. I believe I saw a price list in a regular salon listing 11 pesos, or under four dollars, for a hair cut. I'm sure things like manicures and facials and what-not are equally reasonably priced.

So, visitors, give up your dreams of buying cheap crap here in Argentina. Chances are you have enough crap back home. Instead, get yourself pampered, or figure out some skill you'd like to develop via lessons while you're here. That's the bargain, and the money goes right into the pockets of people who need it.