Been in Córdoba Argentina for a while, but new to the forum.

Hello samwdavis!

Welcome to Expat.com

Armand

If you are still in Cordoba, would you please give me some guidance as to the cost of renting a furnished, 1 or 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment? I am cuurently retired and living in FL, but am seriously considering moving to Argentina rather soon. Thanks.

You can get some ideas from argentina.inmobiliaria.com/listado_inmuebles-cordoba-capital-cordoba-Z8940O3.htm and inmuebles.clasificadoslavoz.com.ar. By law, residential rental contracts are for two years, except furnished which can be rented by the day, week, or month. So, most furnished places you find are temporary rentals (alquileres temporarios) which are more expensive than permanent rentals. For a 1BR 1BA 250-600SF, you're probably going to pay between 700-1500 dollars p/month on a temporary furnished apartment, depending largely on how you're willing to live such as in a halfway decent area of downtown vs. in a closed neighborhood. If I can help any further, please let me know.

Hello Sam!  My sister lives in Dallas, and I live a short distance from in you Cordoba, in a beautiful mountain village called La Cumbre.  I'm renovating a house and then making some sort of business plan. So please get in touch, it's always nice to speak English, you can rent a bike or climb mountains or jump off cliffs, or just hang.  I was born in Arkansas but spent the best part of my life as an expatriate, with nearly 20 years in Africa. Anyway, we know Southerners are always good to know, so my email is michelle.buckland@gmail.com.  If you want a weekend in the hills, the collie dog and I welcome a fellow Southerner to visit.

Kind regards,
Michelle Buckland

  Hi! 

As is often the case, I am browsing around the Internet. Despite many years in communications and information of all types, I am still amazed at what we can find by simply taking a bit of time and using our imagination.

       I joined this forum on December 6, 2013 while feeling lonely for old, but not forgotten places  where I have lived.  Not necessarily as an expat, but as a traveler to many places in the world.

      Living in Cordoba for about six happy months, although later very, very disturbing due to unresolved or disguised matters on the part of my employers at the time, was a highlight of my stay in Argentina.  The year was, as I recall, 1967 which was the brink of many deadly events in Argentina's recent history.
     
      Those will not be written about by me, except in my memoirs and in passing.  However, I do want to bring closure to certain things that occurred to me in those long-ago years.

      Despite all that, I remember Cordoba as a wonderful place to spend some time. And, I did have the opportunity to go to La Cumbre and stay in a wonderful Swiss Hotel there. Somewhat hilariously, I remember how clean they kept the place, especially the windows which I could not tell if open or shut.   Mostly, I suppose, as is my normal habit, I stayed around the hotel and took walks in the area.  That always helps me to change from city to peaceful life.

      If you would, please reply and tell me more about yourself and your business. This forum does not have too much up-to-date information and I would not be surprised if you have moved on.   However, I am hoping for a reply.  With some luck, I expect to revisit Argentina soon.

Bye,   George

Hi George,

Please note that as you posted on an old thread, you may not have much response.

I therefore suggest you to start a new discussion on the Cordoba forum. Please feel free to share your experiences or post any specific questions if you need help.

Thank you,

Hasnaa
Expat.com Team

Hi George, I still have not visited La Cumbre, but I have heard great things about it and how it is a completely different environment, like a piece of Europe in the middle of Argentina. I'm still here in Córdoba, still hanging in there. It seems that it is an adventure a minute. I don't know if you saw the news this last week, what happened Tuesday night and Wednesday. You can look up Saqueos en Córdoba on YouTube if you are interested, but many middle aged folks told me it was worse than the chaos in 2001. On the other hand, Argentina offers many wonderful experiences or I guess I would not still be here, huh?

Hi Sam!

Small world!

I live in Dallas TX currently and am planning a move to NW Argentina.

It was a while since your last reply, how's it going?

-Adam

Pretty good actually. My personal situation, which I won't really go into, has led me to start speaking a lot more Spanish and that has improved more in the last 3 months probably than the last 5 years, so I'm pretty excited about that. Over time, I've fallen more in love with the people, the culture, etc., but the government and business environment... ugh. So..... NW Argentina.... looking at Salta maybe?

Actually, it's probably more west argentina than northwest.  San Juan area!

My fiancee has family and friends there.

I'm done with western society...I may take up some kind of small business venture once established, but it would be something local and enjoyable.

I don't want to deal with red tape from argentine commerce or government agencies anymore than I want to deal with american ones.

I want a more simple life, and I think when you want that, Argentina is a better place to be ;P

Thanks for the response!  It's cool to see an active thread so old!

What's the sense you get of the amount of other expats in your area?  Do you visit with them?  Are they a community?  Or do they not even really bother with each other?

I feel like finding expats with similar interests nearby could be a big source of enjoyment and help once there.

Córdoba is a city of about 1.3 million people and we have an expat group of I'm guessing around 50 people that kind of know each other. We get together infrequently usually in smaller groups.
Also, keep in mind what a "simpler" life really means. Simpler sometimes means harder. Just think in terms of how it's so much easier to conduct your daily life today in the U.S. than it may have been 50 years ago. Things are maybe more complicated, but easier. In not all ways, but in some ways, living life in Argentina is like taking a step back in time.

Back in time?

That's what I want!

I don't like my daily life in the US.

My fiancee still keeps in touch with her friends via facebook, so I keep telling people that the life I'm imagining isn't a fantasy.  We see people living, laughing, and enjoying life to a greater degree regardless of their economic situations every day.

I understand things like registering/submitting/applying online with government agencies is not common like in the US.  Standing in long lines for an update or a renewal of some document is normal.  These things actually fit in perfectly with the journey I'm undergoing within myself as well. 

The line can be an arduous, uncomfortable wait, or it can be a place to meet your neighbors.  Your life's next greatest adventure can be one conversation away.  It's this change of perspective that has me in the throes of this decision in the first place.

I'm ready for a completely different way of life!

That's also good to hear that you're aware of the other expats, I bet they can be a relief at times.

Then I wish you the very best of luck in your new life and new adventure.

Hello!

It's been a pleasure reading all the posts in this forum. Starting in 2012 and still going on

I would love to move to Cordoba the beginning of February and find a job there. I'm a licensed English teacher  (Celta, TEFL) and can also teach Dutch. Besides that I have experience as a therapist (Psychology/Acupuncture) and a little in HRM. Any job that will keep me going and make me feel useful will do!

Secondly I will need to find an apartment when I arrive. Is that an affordable option in the centre of the city? I have some money on my bank account to survive for a while, but I've heard discouraging stories about the need of a job contract and a Garant…otherwise you will pay three times as much. Is that so?

Of course I would also love to meet other expats when I move there. So if you have advice or like to have a drink and a chat together, please don't hesitate to respond!

Best wishes,

Petra

Petra,

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. Um... yeh.... when you are new here, the renting scene can be a bit intimidating. First thing to understand is that rental contract terms are regulated by law. There are two types of rental contracts. The more normal type of contract for private residence is a two-year contract which is inherently/normally unfurnished. That may also mean no refrigerator, stove, or other items that you would consider to be assumed in a rental agreement. The laws here make it almost impossible to evict people that don't pay their rent, so the landlords try the best they can to protect themselves with things like guarantees (collateral) which usually involves showing salary receipts for income in Cordoba and 1 or usually 2 properties in the province at least, preferably in the city.It's pretty ridiculous really. Most people have to get the equivalent of cosigners that have collateral to help get them into their rental. If you are a good salesperson, you might be able to talk someone into taking a large cash deposit.... 6 months to a year of rent in lieu of the guarantees, but that has become much more difficult in recent years than it used to be. The other type of rental is a short term (monthly) lease which by law is furnished. It usually comes with dishes, silverware, towels, sometimes even a cleaning service. It requires no proof of income, no guarantees of any kind, but you pay a heavy premium on the rental price..... very heavy. You may pay as much for a furnished small 1 bedroom apartment on a short term lease as you do for a nice 3BR/2BA house in a nice part of town on a normal lease.
There is a middle ground. Many insurance companies offer a guarantee policy for renters that don't have guarantees. I was scared of this at first, thinking it was going to cost a fortune, but ended up doing that on one contract that I had. Relative to the cost of a short-term lease, it was relatively affordable.
Regarding the expat community, it is pretty active. The best place to start is the Expats in Cordoba Argentina group in Facebook. There are lots of really friendly and helpful people there with plenty of combined experience with how to survive and thrive in Cordoba.
Good luck in your new adventure!
Sam

Hello,

I see this thread was inactive for some time now, are there still expats living in Cordoba?

Hey,
It would seem so. Albeit difficult to locate them.
I only got here a short while ago, do you still live here?

Sam,
      I am visiting Cordoba next month in hopes of housing prospects as well as to possibly look for a business opportunity.  My plans are to marry a long time girlfriend from the Mendiolaza area.   Any advice you have would be appreciated.

Thanks
Dan