You’re absolutely right. Prices have gone up. But here’s a tip. Small markets run by Chinese owners often have significantly lower prices than the chain supermarkets do. I’ve heard people explain that the Chinese owners pay fewer taxes. I have no idea if this is true, but I do know that their prices are lower.

But these prices do need to be updated. Food prices in particular have risen pretty dramatically. I hear that’s been happening worldwide. Too bad salaries aren’t going up, too.

Hope you enjoyed your stay in BA.

All the best,
Angela

Tks, for the post,
wish i’ve read it before my trip!

Some people ask their host if they would like anything from their home country as a courtesy. Others invite them to dinner or lunch or something once they’re here. It’s absolutely not necessary to pay the host, but a gift is a very nice gesture.

I think a sort of unwritten rule is that couchsurfers shouldn’t stay more than 2-3 nights at someone’s place. So, for example, if you’re coming to BA for a week (six nights), you might want to find three couchsurfers to stay with. This is really an unwritten rule, but works well for both parties. As a host, you get to meet a new person and learn about where they’re from, but it doesn’t interrupt your life too much. As a guest, you get to meet several people, see several parts of town, and never feel you are overstaying your welcome.

Best of luck. You’re going to love BA!
Angela

The price question is really a hard one to answer. I had some visitors recently who didn’t want to pay more than about 4 pesos a meal. And in March, a group that bought a bottle of wine for 400 pesos. It was great wine, although I’m not sure it was worth the 400 pesos.

Cheers!