Inflation Isn't Hitting Brazil Or Even Argentina As Hard As The USA Anymore

Alright, so as of early November 2025, the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Brazilian real and Argentinian peso are 5R and $1400AR, respectively.

I looked at restaurant menus in Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. A simple cheeseburger at an upscale place in SP close to the airport is 18R or just over $3 USD while a fancy cheeseburger with ham, onions, and fancy Brazilian-style cheese is 45R, or $7 USD. 

Grilled cheese at an American-style diner in Buenos Aires is $4000AR, or about $2.50 USD.

Not even in the most podunk parts of Mississippi, West Virginia, or either of the Dakotas can you expect to find basic restaurant food for these prices. I was at a Mexican flea market in Oregon today and tacos and small cups of aguas frescas are no less than $5 each. Cheap Latin food is now a thing of the past here in the states.

Obviously, there is a difference in how much a citizen of one country or the other is paid in their own currency. That is something that I took into consideration when I looked at prices in Japan last year during my adventure. But we Americans are getting shafted all over the place. Mind you, none of these other countries have to worry about paying so much for health insurance. Housing is another wild card, but it's more of an issue for Europe than for Latin America. 

I did some research and it costs MORE to live in Mexicali CA than in Portland OR, but just under or over half to live in Sao Paulo, the most expensive city in Brazil. 

The reason I am so blase and smug when pointing out these facts and suggesting that I can live abroad is because I already speaking almost fluent Spanish and Portuguese. Plus, mentally, I am Latino and I think along similar lines as the people who live in both of these other countries. Unfortunately, it's also a question as to whether I want to live as a minority in the largest, richest Portuguese-speaking country or as a privileged everyman in a Spanish-speaking country with the best pop culture, but the most volatile economy. 

I looked briefly into Mexico, Chile, and Uruguay and all have the same work visa regimes. I'm not quite dumb enough to think I can live in a border town in the USA, then drive down south to blow my money in Mexico, especially not while Trump is president. Plus, not to knock on Mexico, but I'm not really impressed by the culture despite the fact living standards are quickly catching up with the USA's for the most comically-dark of reasons. 

Oigan, México. Por favor, produzcan músicos como Marcos Valle, Emilio Santiago, o Gustavo Cordera. Porque estoy harto de escuchar música norteña cada vez que visito algún lugar con mucha población mexicana y centroamericana.