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The basic food basket in Buenos Aires has undergone dramatic transformations in the last twelve months. What was once a routine weekly purchase has become an exercise in strategy and meticulous planning for thousands of porteño families.

The Real Impact on Family Budgets

When we analyze the cold numbers, we see that the average food cost for a typical family has grown 187% year-on-year. But these abstract percentages come to life when we enter a supermarket. A kilogram of beef that cost $2,800 in January 2025 now hovers around $8,000. Sunflower oil went from $1,200 to $3,400 per liter. Dairy products, bakery items and vegetables followed similar trajectories.

María Fernández, mother of two and resident of Caballito, shares her experience: "Before I did one big monthly purchase and small weekly replenishments. Now I have to go three times a week, compare prices between different stores and constantly adjust what I buy according to the day's deals."

Most Affected Categories

Our survey identified that animal proteins lead the increases. Beef, traditional in the Argentine diet, has become an occasional luxury for many families. Chicken, historically more economical, also registered increases of 165%. Fish and seafood, always premium, are now completely out of reach for the average consumer.

Basic pantry products didn't escape either. Rice, pasta, legumes and flour increased between 140% and 170%. Vegetable oils, essential for cooking, experienced temporary shortages that momentarily shot prices up to 250% above historical values.

Adaptation Strategies

Porteño families have developed ingenious tactics to maintain nutritious food without breaking the budget. Shopping at wholesale markets has become popular, especially for non-perishable products. Neighbor groups organize joint purchases to access volume prices.

Smart substitution is another key strategy. More economical cuts of meat replace traditional ones. Legumes gain prominence as a protein source. Seasonal vegetables, more economical, dictate weekly menus. Homemade bread resurfaces as an alternative to bakery bread.

Differences by Zone

Not all porteño neighborhoods face the same reality. Our analysis revealed differences of up to 35% in prices for identical products depending on the area. Supermarkets in central neighborhoods like Recoleta or Palermo tend to have higher prices than those in peripheral areas like Flores or Villa Urquiza.

Neighborhood markets and local greengrocers, although less convenient, frequently offer competitive prices on fruits, vegetables and fresh products. Open-air markets and municipal markets have become mandatory destinations for those seeking to optimize every peso.

Future Outlook

Consulted economists anticipate that inflationary pressure on food will continue during the first half of 2026, although possibly at a more moderate pace. Weather factors, transportation costs and exchange rate policies will continue to influence final prices.

For families, this means that the adaptation strategies developed are not temporary but must be incorporated as permanent habits. Careful planning, price comparison and flexibility in food preferences are now essential skills for porteño household economy.

Practical Recommendations

Based on our research, we suggest: maintaining a price list of basic products in different stores, taking advantage of discount programs and loyalty cards, buying in larger quantities when there are genuine deals on durable products, cooking in large batches and freezing portions, and growing herbs and basic vegetables in small spaces.

The food reality in Buenos Aires has changed profoundly. Adapting is not optional, it's necessary. But with information, strategy and creativity, families are finding ways to maintain dignified and nutritious food despite economic challenges.

Transportation represents one of the most significant and least compressible expenses in the Córdoba family budget. Unlike other items where consumption can be adjusted, urban mobility is essential to access work, education and basic services.

Public Transportation Overview

The Córdoba public transportation system, mainly composed of bus lines operated by private companies, has experienced constant fare adjustments. The basic ticket went from $380 in January 2025 to $950 in January 2026, an increase of 150%. For a family where two adults commute daily to work, this represents a monthly expense of approximately $76,000, not counting additional trips.

Student discount cards and those for retirees partially cushion the impact, but not everyone qualifies for these benefits. Roberto Gómez, a 42-year-old administrative employee, explains: "Before, transportation was a minor line in my budget. Now it competes with food for second place after rent."

The Private Vehicle Dilemma

Many Córdoba residents consider the private car as an alternative to public transportation. However, our analysis reveals that this option involves substantially higher costs. Fuel, which averaged $850 per liter of super gasoline in January 2026, means that filling a 50-liter tank costs $42,500.

An average driver covering 800 kilometers monthly with a medium-consumption car (10 km/liter) will spend approximately $68,000 on fuel alone. Add to this mandatory insurance (average $35,000 monthly), vehicle registration ($8,000 monthly), preventive maintenance (average $15,000 monthly) and occasional repairs. The total monthly cost of maintaining a car is around $126,000.

Emerging Alternatives

The bicycle has gained popularity as an urban means of transportation. Córdoba has expanded its bike lane network, although still insufficient. For distances less than 10 kilometers, the bicycle represents significant savings: initial cost of $150,000 to $400,000 for a medium-quality bicycle, minimal maintenance of $5,000 monthly and zero fuel costs.

Electric motorcycles and scooters also emerge as an intermediate option. With electrical consumption equivalent to $800 monthly for daily use and reduced maintenance costs, they particularly attract young professionals. However, the initial investment (from $800,000) and road safety risks are factors to consider.

App-Based Transportation Services

Private transportation applications like Uber, Cabify and DiDi operate in Córdoba, offering a flexible but expensive alternative. An average 5-kilometer trip costs between $2,500 and $3,800 depending on time and demand. For occasional use it's convenient, but as a daily means of transportation it's prohibitive: two daily trips would represent $150,000 to $228,000 monthly.

Optimization Strategies

Córdoba families have developed creative strategies to reduce mobility costs. Carpooling or shared rides among coworkers or neighbors heading to similar areas divides fuel and toll costs. Some companies incentivize this practice with preferential parking spaces.

The combination of means of transportation is also becoming popular. Bicycle to a bus station, then public transportation for the long stretch. Or shared car to a connection point with public transportation. This multimodality requires planning but can reduce costs by up to 40%.

Impact on Life Decisions

Transportation costs are influencing residential decisions. Families consider moving closer to workplaces or schools, even if this means higher rents. The calculation is simple: a rent $50,000 more expensive but eliminating $80,000 in transportation costs results in net savings of $30,000 monthly.

Remote work, when possible, is valued more than ever. Professionals negotiate hybrid schemes that reduce commute days. Even two or three days of weekly remote work represent significant transportation savings.

Projections and Recommendations

Experts anticipate that transportation costs will continue to be pressured by fuel inflation and fare adjustments. Investment in public transportation infrastructure and bike lanes will be crucial to offer viable alternatives to the population.

For families, we recommend: evaluating the real total cost of each transportation option, considering combined alternatives, taking advantage of available discounts and preferential cards, exploring carpooling or shared transportation options, and when feasible, prioritizing proximity to frequent activity places in residential decisions.

Transportation in Córdoba is a complex economic challenge without a single solution. Each family must analyze their particular situation, calculate real costs of each alternative and design a mobility strategy that balances needs, convenience and available budget.

Rosario's real estate market is undergoing a profound transformation that is redefining housing access for thousands of families. Rental and property prices have experienced increases that far exceed general inflation, creating a housing affordability crisis.

The Evolution of Rentals

Rental contracts in Rosario have seen extraordinary increases. A two-bedroom apartment in the central area that rented for $120,000 monthly at the beginning of 2025 now demands between $280,000 and $320,000. This represents an increase of 150% to 166%, well above the accumulated inflation for the period.

Peripheral areas, traditionally more accessible, didn't escape this dynamic either. Neighborhoods like Fisherton, Alberdi or Tablada saw increases of 130% to 145%. Carolina Pérez, tenant of an apartment in the south zone, recounts: "When I renewed the contract, the increase was so high that I had to choose between accepting it or moving. But moving also involves enormous costs for moving, deposit and commissions."

Structural Factors of the Increase

Multiple factors converge to explain this price escalation. The new Rental Law, which modified the previous regulation, allowed more frequent and flexible adjustments. Landlords, hit by years of contracts with insufficient adjustments, now transfer all inflationary pressure to new contracts.

The informal dollarization of the market is another critical factor. Many landlords mentally set prices in dollars and convert them to pesos at the current exchange rate. This practice, although not always explicit, generates increases that exceed peso inflation when the dollar rises faster than general prices.

The supply shortage also pushes prices upward. New housing construction has slowed dramatically due to high material costs and nonexistent financing. Fewer available units facing constant or growing demand inevitably raises prices.

The Purchase and Sale Market

For those considering buying, the outlook is not encouraging either. Prices per square meter in Rosario range between USD 1,200 and USD 2,500 depending on area and characteristics. A 60-square-meter apartment in a medium area requires between USD 72,000 and USD 90,000, amounts unreachable for most Argentine families.

Mortgage loans, which could facilitate access, are practically nonexistent or have requirements so strict that they disqualify most applicants. Interest rates, when there is credit supply, hover around 80% annually, making financing unviable for average salaries.

Geographic Distribution of Prices

Our survey identified clear zonal differences. The downtown and adjacent areas (Parque Independencia, Boulevard Oroño) maintain the highest prices, both in rentals and sales. These areas offer better connectivity, services and urban amenities.

The north (Fisherton, Funes) and west (Echesortu, Lisandro de la Torre) zones present intermediate prices, attractive for families seeking a balance between cost and quality of life. Peripheral southern and western neighborhoods offer the most economical options, but frequently with less access to services and transportation.

Impact on Family Composition

High housing costs are modifying family structures and life decisions. Young adults extend their stay in their parents' home beyond what is traditionally expected. Young couples postpone independence or starting their own family.

Shared housing or cohousing is gaining popularity. Groups of students, young professionals or even families share large homes to divide costs. This modality, common in other cities worldwide, is normalizing in Rosario as a pragmatic response to the affordability crisis.

Family Strategies

Faced with this reality, Rosario families develop diverse strategies. Some opt to move to neighboring municipalities like Funes, Roldán or Villa Gobernador Gálvez, where prices are lower, although this implies greater travel times and costs.

Other families prioritize reducing square meters. Smaller apartments in well-located areas replace larger homes in peripheral zones. Forced minimalism becomes an economic survival strategy.

Direct negotiation with landlords, avoiding real estate intermediaries, is another tactic. Although it requires more time and search effort, it can result in savings of 20% to 30% in commissions and administrative expenses.

The Role of Public Policies

Rosario's housing crisis requires public policy responses. Social housing programs, accessible credits, construction incentives and regulations that balance landlord and tenant rights are necessary but insufficiently developed.

Some municipal initiatives attempt to address the problem. Programs of serviced lots, tax exemptions for new housing construction and mediation in rental conflicts are steps in the right direction, although their scale is limited compared to the magnitude of the challenge.

Future Outlook

Real estate analysts don't anticipate significant relief in the short term. Price stabilization will depend on multiple factors: control of general inflation, construction reactivation, credit availability and effective public policies.

For families, this means that the adaptation strategies developed must be maintained. Flexibility in housing expectations, creativity in cohabitation solutions and careful financial planning will be essential to navigate this challenging market.

Practical Recommendations

Based on our research, we suggest: carefully evaluating the cost-benefit ratio of each housing option, considering alternative areas with good connectivity, negotiating directly with landlords when possible, exhaustively documenting the property's condition at contract start, exploring shared housing options if viable, and maintaining an emergency fund for housing contingencies.

Access to dignified housing is a fundamental right that in Rosario, as in many Argentine cities, has become increasingly difficult to exercise. Only with combined efforts of public policies, responsible private initiative and family resilience can we begin to reverse this concerning trend.