The Ultimate Guide to Digital Nomads in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is one of the best cities in South America to base yourself as a digital nomad.

Buenos Aires is a massive, metropolitan city. It’s an obvious choice for life long travelers thanks to a constantly improving food scene, an engaged and active immigrant community, and “easy” visa requirements.

The main draw for most digital nomads in Buenos Aires is the strength of the dollar. Life is much easier in Argentina if you earn a stable, foreign salary.

And yes, prices are on the rise. It may not be the bargain basement destination backpackers bragged about a few yeas ago, but life is still accessible and even convenient for digital nomads in Argentina.

This is the ultimate guide for digital nomads in Buenos Aires with all the logistics you need to know.

Why choose Buenos Aires as a digital nomad?

Buenos Aires is a huge.

To add some perspective, a third of the entire country’s population resides within greater Buenos Aires (the city plus its surrounding suburbs).

The saying goes “Dios está en todas partes, pero atiende en Buenos Aires.” God is everywhere, but he works in Buenos Aires.

If you want theater, cafes, new restaurants, nightlife, access to medical experts and healthcare, co-working offices… you’ll find it in Buenos Aires.

Also, Buenos Aires is a liberal city. While a lot of countries in Latin America are religious and conservative, Buenos Aires is a progressive and accepting city.

And finally, your dollar goes further in Argentina.

You may have heard Argentina is no longer the cheap destination it once was.

This is true.

If you’re reading articles where the author is raving about how they spent pennies to eat out and live large in Buenos Aires, they are probably out of date.

But if you’re coming with a steady salary in dollars, pounds, or euros you’re still going to live comfortably in Argentina.

While some things have gone up (dining out, shopping, etc.), others remain a bargain, think dental work and spa treatments. Come to Argentina with the right perspective, budgeting capabilities and a healthy dose of patience and you’ll live well here.

Enough of the why, let’s dive into the how…

Digital Nomad Visa in Argentina

Citizens of the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, and most European Union countries do not require a visa to enter Argentina.

Click here for a full list of countries to check whether you need a visa or not.

As a tourist you are allowed to stay in Argentina for 90 days. You can extend your tourist visa for another 90 days in Migraciones or, as most do, head to Uruguay for a day trip or weekend away to get a new stamp on the way back in.

You won’t get a stamp in your passport anymore, but you can check your status online here.

Argentina does have an official digital nomad visa available that allows you to be here for 180 days. This can be extended once for an additional 180 days.

You can read about that here and begin the application process if you’d like.

My personal opinion is that Argentina’s digital nomad is not that helpful since it allows you to stay for just one year. If you were hoping to stay in Argentina longer, I recommend pursuing other pathways to legal residency:

• Legal residency: You have a number of options: studying, family reunification, finding an employer or utilizing your assets and passive income back home. I recommend contacting an immigration attorney to evaluate your options here.
• 👉🏻READ MORE: An immigration lawyer wrote a detailed article for us with everything you need to know about obtaining legal residency in Argentina. It’s a must-read.
• 🤔Need help? Send a WhatsApp to MH Legal Hub, a team of trusted immigration lawyers in Argentina. A consultation with them can answer all of your questions and get you on the path to stay in Argentina long term, the right way.

When to Come to Buenos Aires

When to come to Buenos Aires as a digital nomad?

Summers in Buenos Aires are hot and humid. This is a muggy city with mosquitos and sweltering afternoons from December through February (honestly, into March as well).

The city is also noticeably empty after Christmas through summer, bursting back to life in March when the school year starts.

This may be a pro or a con for you. I love the city at it’s emptiest. I find it peaceful. But if you’re wanting to discover a vibrant and bustling Buenos Aires, you may prefer to wait until after summer.

Winters – from June through early September – are cold and dreary. The cold is mild, no snow here. But with cloudy days with a humid, wet cold, Buenos Aires isn’t at her most beautiful in winter.

The best time to come? Spring and Fall.

Spring, starting in late September through early December, bring beautiful blooms, mild weather and lower humidity.

Fall, from late March through May, also brings mild weather and the benefits of a well-rested general public as everyone is returning refreshed and bright eyed from spending their summer by the beach.

Where to stay in Buenos Aires as a Digital Nomad

I’ve written a really detailed article all about where to stay in Buenos Aires breaking down each neighborhood with its pros and cons.

So I won’t repeat myself here.

But I will give a brief opinion on what barrios might interest you as a digital nomad, let’s go…

Palermo is the obvious choice. It’s the power house. Palermo and its many mini barrios – Hollywood, Soho, Viejo, etc. – is where most foreigners base themselves. Palermo is bursting with cafes, nightlife, and is home to the city’s best parks. If you want to be close to other Buenos Aires digital nomads, first consider Palermo.

Secondly, I would suggest San Telmo. Many expats live here, but it is more bohemian and historic. You can say “I don’t live in Palermo” with a certain level of disdain. I live in San Telmo, con el pueblo.

And, of course, there are a lot of residential neighborhoods to choose from to get off the foreigner path and live among the locals.

Nuñez is a favorite of mine, along with nearby Belgrano, Coghlan, and Saavedra. These are leafy green neighborhoods, with large sidewalks and beautiful parks. They have plenty of young cafes for working and you’ll be with the locals here. Find an apartment near the train or subte and you can be in Palermo or downtown within 15-20 minutes.

If you want to be walking distance from Palermo, check out Chacarita, Villa Crespo or Colegiales.

And if you want to be in the urban heart of things, with small sidewalks, great people watching, and all the fun busy-ness of the city – look at Boedo or Almagro.

Co-Workings in Buenos Aires

With the boom of digital nomads in Argentina, you can bet there are plenty of co-workings to choose from if you need a proper office setting beyond the desk provided by your Airbnb.

• WeWork – WeWork has a few locations in Buenos Aires, I’m a fan of their Vicente Lopez location with its epic views of the river.
• La Maquinita Co. – La Maquinita has a large network of co-workings in Buenos Aires and even has locations in Cordoba and Rosario as well. They have a lot of amenities and are even pet friendly.
• Huerta – With 3 locations (2 in Palermo and one in Microcentro), Huerta really focuses on sustainability and community beyond working. They have private booths for you calls and Zoom meetings and beautiful terraces to relax. Huerta is also pet friendly.
• AreaTres – Located in Palermo on El Salvador, you can rent a professional fixed office, a desk, or a meeting room.
• Hit Coworking – Hit has formal and professional feel with a focus on start ups who need to rent a large office space, you can also rent one-off meeting rooms or a flexible office in their multiple locations across the city.

Cafes with Wifi

Buenos Aires has been in the throes of the “cafes de especialidad” trend for a while, because when Argentina does a new trend, it goes hard.

So, this list should be taken as a loose guide.

These are cafes I like, but it is far from the end all, be all list.

You’ll probably have one (or five) respectable cafes just a stone’s throw from your apartment.

All will have wifi, all will have coffee (quality will vary).

None will expect you to leave. Nurse that coffee for hours while you write your thesis. Make yourself at home.

Here are some tried and true cafes I love:

• Cuervo – The original cafe de especialidad in Buenos Aires, they were one of the first and remain one of the best. They make great coffee and are also improving their pastry game. You can’t go wrong with Cuervo, check their IG bio for a list of their locations (at the moment up to six.
• La Kitchen – The original location in Saavedra is been my go to cafe to work from. Their pastries are impeccable, wi-fi reliable, and clientele young and too hip for me.
• Café Registrado – With great coffee, Café Registrado is a great option for the digital nomad. I can’t speak for their now many locations on space, I love their OG location in Palermo Hollywood. They have since grown immensely, check their Google Maps for a location near you.
• Libros del Pasaje – I love the cozy cafe at the back of this Palermo Soho bookstore. Pick up a book, a coffee, and get to work. It feels very reminiscent of Central Perk.
• Cosecha – My go to Cosecha is on the park in Saavedra, but they have locations elsewhere, like San Telmo. I love their generous avocado and hummus toasts. They also have an affordable lunch menu and great wifi. Bonus: the menu is vegan.
• Las Flores – Want to work outdoors? Check out Las Flores’ beautiful inner courtyard, home to more than 100 native plants and flowers. Bonus: the entire menu is gluten free.
• Malvon – A long term Villa Crespo classic with great cakes.

🛜 Pro-tip from me to you: Connect to their Wi-Fi first. Make sure it’s working before you order and commit to a location. Many a time I’ve ordered my expensive flat white and masa madre medialuna only to find out their Wi-Fi was down.

Quick Tips for Relocating to Buenos Aires

Here are a few quick tips to help you relocate smoothly:

• Bring all the electronics you could possibly need. Things like that cost significantly more here and some things can be hard to find.
• On a related note, bring all the clothes you may need. For example, if you’ll be hiking in Patagonia, bring all of your gear. Anything imported is very expensive here.
• For more on packing: read this vacation focused Argentina packing list and this Argentina moving here packing list.
• Get a data plan. Get an eSIM like Airolo to use while you get settled, then go to Claro for this affordable tourist plan for the rest of your stay. Bring your passport and credit card to get set up.
• Is Buenos Aires safe? Yes, it has issues with petty theft (be careful with your phone in the street and avoid flashy or sentimental jewelry). But overall this is a very safe city as long as you utilize the same basic precautions as you would in any city.
• Read more: Is Buenos Aires safe?
• Be patient and have an open mind. If you’re coming from North America or the UK you may be used to a certain level of efficiency or punctuality that you just won’t find here. Have patience and go with the flow to set yourself up for success.

More Buenos Aires Resources

I hope this guide was helpful. Working remotely in Buenos Aires is really the ideal situation for becoming an expat here. It’s definitely made my life infinitely better.

If you’re planning your move to Argentina, check out my other resources:

• A Complete Guide to Living in Buenos Aires
• The Pros & Cons of Living in Argentina
• How to get your Argentine drivers license
• Lunfardo: A Lesson in Buenos Aires Slang
• How to Choose the Best International School in Buenos Aires (a must-read if you’re moving with children).

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