Argentina and the Cost of Travel
Argentina is not cheap with prices comparable to Western Europe, for example in regards of eating and accommodation.
Argentina is a large county and the major tourist destinations are in the far corners of the country, in all wind directions. To see all of the attractions on a single trip, you either need to spend a lot of time in a bus, or you have to fly several times.
Aerolineas Argentinas is a good and reliable company for inland flights. They allow only 15kg of main luggage, but 10kg extra for cabin luggage… FlyBondi is the cheapest, but absolutely most unreliable airline. They appear to cancel a lot of flights at short notice.
Buses are excellent options between nearby locations, for example between El Calafate and Ushuaia (recommended!), or between Salta and Iguazu Falls, or between Mendoza and Santiago de Chile. Buses in Argentina and Chile are excellent and with the most comfortable buses in the world.
All national parks have an entrance fee that varies between USD 25 and 50 per person, per day. Extensions are available, at a reduced cost. It doesn’t seem like much, but adds up. This is just the entrance fee, not the tour inside the park. A simple walking tour on your own in El Chalten (Patagonia) with 2 adults might cost you USD 90 for one day, without a guide, excluding food and drinks. Yes, looking at Mt Fitzroy comes at a price.
Yes, we do need money to travel around in Argentina. We met some travellers who were very disappointed in the prices in Argentina. If you travel longer than a few weeks there, it may indeed become expensive and there are cheaper alternatives like Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Argentina and money history
Argentina has been and should be one of the wealthiest countries in the world per capita, thanks to its very fertile land. In particular the Pampas brought in lots of money in the early 20th century. Due to bad politics and a military government it still managed to create lots of debt. It even defaulted several times.
Due to its insecurity over the decades, inflation has been really high. Between 2020 and 2024 it has been as high as 280% per year or 25% per month. This means that a cup of coffee may cost $2 in 2020, $5.60 in 2021, $15.60 in 2022 and $44.00 in 2023. Money, including your savings, really devaluates fast. As an Argentinean resident you really want to either spend it straight away or look for a way to keep your hard-earning cash for example by buying other currency.
The black market for USD and EUR was significant. The highest exchange rate of a USD on the black market in 2020-2021 was almost double the official rate. You could therefore travel a lot further and do a lot more with your money, if you were a foreigner.
The current president Javier Milei (elected in 2023) is an economist who is trying to change the state of the country by cutting government expenses and making the Argentinian Peso more attractive. It may still take several years and some very difficult decisions till the country is healthy, but it is already showing results. The inflation rate as per 2025 is still high, but has fallen significantly to 31%.
The Black Market for cash USD and EUR was thriving till mid- 2024, but has now almost disappeared. The many money exchangers in Calle Florida in Buenos Aires still try to buy your cash dollars, but in 2025 do not offer more than $1.05 per dollar.
ATMs, Cambios and Banks
There are several options to pay for your bills. Major credit and debit cards (VISA, MasterCard, Maestro) are widely accepted. Personally I would use my card only for trusted hotels and restaurants in a foreign country.
Getting your hands on cash ARS (peso) may still be an issue. Withdrawing money from ATMs can be difficult because many ATMs just don’t have any money. Nothing. Nada. If they do have money, you may be allowed to withdraw only the equivalent of USD 100 or 200 per day. The cost per withdrawal in an ATM machine can be as much as 10%. I recommend Scotia Bank and Banco de Santander, with low or no fees.
Cambios (offices to change money) are an alternative, but they may also face cash money shortages. If they would have money, you may get your Peso in small nominations… 100 USD would actually result in 100 ARS, paid out in a pile of 100 notes x 1 ARS…
You can also send money to yourself by means of a Western Union account. At location you could then collect it in ARS. This was a good way to get blue dollar exchange rates, but no more.
You may get cash by over-paying the restaurant where you eat with Dollars, Euros or Credit Card and get the extra back in Peso. Do ask them first. Be aware, that outside of Argentina nobody is interested in buying Argentinian peso, not even in Chile or Brasil.
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