- For foreign buyers
- Built with local realtors
- Updated this quarter
Here's 99% of what you need to know before buying in Buenos Aires.
The 12 documents we wish we had before buying in Buenos Aires. What each barrio costs, how far below the asking price things actually close, what they rent for now the rental law is gone. Plus the things nobody writes down: how the money changes hands, and what the expensas will really cost you.
The 12 documents to make a good real estate investment in Buenos Aires in 2026
An asking price here is an opening position, the money changes hands in cash at the escribanía, and the expensas can cost more than the mortgage you are not taking. These documents show you what is actually paid, and by whom. They are put together with agents, escribanos and owners we work with in the city.
Questions
Do you list your sources?
Yes, on every table. Each one says where the figures came from and the month they were collected: the property registry, published escribanía and stamp tax rates, listing histories we track ourselves, building accounts shared with us by owners, and what the agents we work with in each barrio are seeing week to week. Anything that is an estimate rather than a recorded number is labelled as one.
Is it true that you pay in cash?
Largely, yes. The balance is usually counted out in physical US dollars in front of the escribano on the day of the deed, and the notes themselves get inspected. It is normal, it is legal, and it is nothing like a closing anywhere you have done this before. How buyers get the money into the room is in document 07.
Can a foreigner actually own property here?
Yes, in your own name, with the same rights as an Argentine and no permit involved. You will need a local tax number before the deed, which is a formality but not one you want to discover on the day. Document 09 lists what has to exist before you pay anything.
Are prices in pesos or dollars?
Sale prices are in US dollars and always have been. Rents are in pesos and move with inflation, so a yield here is the ratio of two different currencies, which is exactly why we show both sides separately rather than a single percentage.
What are expensas and why do you keep mentioning them?
They are the building's monthly charge, and in Buenos Aires they are high enough to change whether a purchase makes sense. A doorman's salary, an old lift and a heating system are all in there, and they rise with inflation rather than with what you agreed. Document 05 shows the range by building type.
Has the rental market settled down?
It has changed completely. The old rental law was repealed at the end of 2023, terms and currency are negotiated freely again, and supply came back quickly. What that means for what you can charge and for how long is in document 11.
How long are the documents?
One to four pages each. They are tables and checklists rather than reports, so any one of them takes about ten minutes to read.
Which areas do you cover?
Eighteen barrios: Palermo Soho, Hollywood, Botánico and Chico, Recoleta, Barrio Norte, Belgrano, Colegiales, Chacarita, Villa Crespo, Almagro, Caballito, Núñez, Villa Urquiza, Coghlan, San Telmo, Puerto Madero and Retiro. If you need somewhere or a specific building that is not in there, write to us and we will put it together for you at no extra cost.
I have a question about my own situation.
Ask us. If the answer is in the research we already have, we will send it. If it needs a call to someone in that barrio or a look at a specific building, we will do that too and come back to you, at no extra cost.
Is $49 a lot for a set of documents?
You are about to spend a few hundred thousand dollars on a property, in a country whose paperwork you did not grow up with. Paying an asking price nobody local would pay, a building whose charges eat the yield, a deed that never happens: there are plenty of ways this gets expensive.
What format are they in, and when do I get them?
PDF, so you can read them on your phone, tablet or computer. The download link appears on screen straight after payment and a copy arrives by email.
How often are they updated?
Every quarter. Our contacts in Buenos Aires re-check the numbers before each release, so the version you download today is the one updated this quarter.
I have another question.
Ask us on the contact page and we will get back to you.
Three packs
The first pack has 4 documents, the second has 6, and the third has all 12 of our Buenos Aires research.
All the data and information in these documents was checked this year with agents, escribanos and owners working in Buenos Aires.