Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-15
LIVING COSTLY IN BUFNOs AIRES

| WASHINGTON, July ll.-Eyery one
acquainted with Buenos Ayrcs whether
as VISITOR or as permanent resi-
dent. has something to say about the
! high cost OF living In Buenos Aires.
| Ia many cases these statements are
based upon inaccurate knowledge OF
prevailing conditions here. just as a
traveller finds that in every city his
expenses are somewhat greater than
those OF the people living there.
In not II few instances these state
ments seem to be misleading from the
fact that they give quotations in dol
lars, which are in realty paper pesos
'about Al centsl, thereby unfortunate
~ leaving the impression that 81 gold
goes no further than peso paper.
Nevertheless, the cost OF living is rcla-
lively high in Buenos Aires as will
be demonstrated b. what follows:
There are many excellent hotels in
the city. few OF the greatest luxury.
and almost innumerablc places open
10 the traveller In the highest priced
hotel the rate day for one person is
$3.50 TO slI.Go This is supposed TO
include coffee with rolls in the morn
inS; "almuerzo" luncheon). which is
substantial meal and "comida. -
another substantial meal. as well as
the ordinary service. The use OF a
cold-water shower bath is also includ
ed.
Hotels Of the first rank, but with less
luxury than the best. charge s3.52 TO
$3.50 a dag FOR the same acconmoda :
tons. still! lower rates can be OBJ
tained in good, but less known. hotels,
where the foreigner. II he does not
speak Spanish. would be at u disad =
vantage. 1t is not advisable, there
fore. that they be taken into consid-
Grafton. All hotels, as in the United
States will make special rates for
those who take up their permanent
residence in them. hut reduction
is relatively slight
Prices ut observation-disclosures.
Many foreign residents in Bucuos
Aires prefer to live In boarding houses
rather than TO assume the rcsponsi-
btlities OF housekeeping. y moderate
cost in boarding house for a sin gle
man who must regard his social sur
roundings Is NJ the rate of 80 n month.
Nothing less than this should b. taken
into consideration. From this price up
TO Sil0 n month Is considered by no
means excessive.
y married couple. while paying as a
rule twice the amount expected from
the single person, can find Judgment
at $40, but II will he found that si32
to SIG is more frequently paid for
suitable accommodations. In the more
fashionable clearinghouse s220 is not
uncommon. Boarding houses are uc-
cupicd almost altogether b. foreign
residents. Although the Argentine
people are sometime permanent guests
at the hotels, they seldom board, eX-
ccpt while on visit to the city.
The older houses In Buenos Aires arc
OF one story. and the more modern and
spacious houses OF two. three or more
stories. Almost all houses in Bucnos
Aires have an interior courtyard or
patio" from which the living rooms
extend. These houses may be small. OF
only FIVE rooms, EXCLUSIVE Of kitchen
and bathroom, or they may be as com
modious rs the best of houses in the
large cities in the United States. In
the residence quarters there have been
built in late years rows of houses sim
liar to those seen in England thu
United States.
In some of the older parts of the city
houses by no means new can be rented
as low rs $50 month, hut the better
class even of these modest one-story
houses. and especially of The newer
two story houses In the suburbs, run
from $SS to 1920 q month, or even more
according to the number of rooms. This
as in tho United States. is rental and
nothing more. for light and similar SER
vice are extra expenses for the tenant
| The older houses have no arrangement
for central heating plant. nor do all
of them even have ireplaces in the best
! rooms.
Buenos Aires is becoming we'll sup
| piled with apartments. Some of them
are old fashioned, gloomy and nnat-
tractivc The majority Of the newer
apartment buildings are. however, wei
! constructed, so as to give the TENANT
| sufficient light and air and provide al
1 facilities for clean and comfortap Die
| living. The best have gas and electric
/ light, elevator service and steam neat
! distributed from central apparatus
! In the la semcnt.
Apartments all over the city can be
| found rs low as sec month, but SIS
! month is low price Tor an apart
I mcnt of five rooms; and from TINS
amount the rentals rise to SllO and
sl32. and even to 1854 and s"62. ac-
/ cording to the space occupied. Apart
/ mcnts in Buenos Aires are at least 81
| per cent higher than In New York
| Chicago and washington. No apart
ment houses i'm Buenos Aires have res
| taurants Within the last Six months
| rents have fallen. and there is an abun-
| dance of empty houses and apartments
| from which to choose; this fact. how
| ever has been taken into consideration
| in the estimate OF prices
| 1t can he broadly estimated that fur
| niture costs 25 to so per cent more ir
| Argentina than in the United States.
| Servants Wages.
While it is possible. especially for Z
| married couple without children &c
| manage with only one servant. II i.
moro usual. even in small apartment
| or house, to have two servants, Il cool
| and a housemaid. a good cook can b,
secured at s17.60 to s44 a month and 8
| housemaid at 1920 to $500.
| house telephone costs $3.50 q
| month. Electricity, used chiefly fol