Passport Delays Workaround/Rich Lives of Expats/Argentina on Sale
Nomadico issue #47
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
U.S. Passport Delays
Check your passport expiration date if you’re American. The State Department confirmed last week that it is commonly taking three months or more to process applications because of record-high demand. You also can’t leave the country while it’s getting processed. If you’re going to be abroad, it might pay to go to the U.S. embassy where you’re headed instead in person: they’ll often turn it around in a day or less if they’re not busy.
Living It Up Abroad
Do you live abroad to cut back or to cut loose? Most of the articles and YouTube videos from expats will focus on cutting expenses, but there’s a growing contingent of nomads who are spending what they would in their home country and living the high life instead. They may be small in number, but they get noticed (and sometimes derided) because they don’t need to be price-sensitive. See this post of mine on expats who are upgrading their life instead of stretching their budget.
Countries On Sale: Argentina
Last week I mentioned the huge decline in the Turkish lira. There’s been a similar currency value decline in Argentina. Plus the official government rate isn’t anywhere close to the real “blue rate” on the street. The official rate was 92 pesos to the dollar this time two years ago and is 210 today. If you come with cash dollars though, you’ll get 388 pesos for each greenback instead (euros and pounds are also easy to change). It’s typical to eat and drink well in Buenos Aires these days for $20 for two at nice restaurants. You can stick around for three months on a tourist visa. Then go to Uruguay or Chile on vacation and start over again.
A Dream City for Public Transportation
There’s surprisingly great public transportation in a European city that mostly stays under the radar: Sofia, Bulgaria. This week I rode the electric trams, energy-efficient buses, and underground metro all over the city. Most fares are around a dollar (including to the airport or train station). You just touch your credit card to a reader to pay. Electronic signs indicate when the next ride is coming, then tell you what station is next on the inside of the cars. The natural result: I never saw a traffic jam, even when entering and exiting by intercity bus.
04/13/23
