Back then a 2BR 2BA condo (this was around 2003-4) in a luxury hi-rise in the nicest part of the city was about $140K (plus some additional build out as these units don't come completely "finished" in terms of kitchen and bath fixtures, etc.). While this district (Recoleta) wasn't my favorite (I was a huge fan of a neighborhood called "Palermo Soho"), it was a good investment move as most of your ex-pat renters from USA and Europe prefer Recoleta (or at least they did back then)...since I rented it out when not there - that was a wise decision (got about $100-200/night depending on length of stay).
Food was absolutely incredible...but you have to be a meat lover for sure to truly appreciate it...at this stage of my life I have shifted to mostly plant-based diet for health reasons and wouldn't be able to handle it. What I can say, unequivocally, they have THE BEST steaks I have EVER eaten in my entire life...and I have had all the primo cuts (American, Japanese, etc.) at many of the most renowned steak houses across the country and throughout much of the world. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING! can match the quality of the flavor and the meat from that region. When I first went to one of BA's best known restaurants for the locals (I tend to avoid tourist spots), called La Cabrera, we sat down to eat. First thing I noticed were the open flame (wood burning) grills lining the back of the kitchen's cooking area. The aroma was downright intoxicating. We ordered the "Oso de Bife" (bone-in ribeye), which is 25-30 oz. btw so you only need one. They supply these various sides in small dishes ("comes with" the steak) and the table has this little side rail mini-table where the place the beef. Well rested, juicy and ready for carving. We serve up and I take my first bite...I swear, Waldo, it was like I had never had steak before...everything I thought I knew about it (including my own grilling prowess) was turned upside down....I was transported, bro. The steak, salads, sides, two bottles of their best malbec and tiramisu for dessert. The bill? $55!?! Yeah...gotta love the exchange rate!
Can you tell I'm a foodie, yet?
The other cool thing to eat are the empanadas...at about 5pm every afternoon the "maté" bars open up (these are bars dedicated to serving the popular local tea that is consumed through a metal straw in a cup with loose leaf green maté tea, lightly sweetened). You drink tea (or beer/wine), socialize and eat an endless variety of savory and sweet empanadas while ladies like those in your pics prepare for the tango show later that night...yeah man...soak that in!
If you love great food, wine and natural beauty in all it's forms, in a city that reminds you of some of the finest destinations in Europe, with an absolute killer exchange rate (we had a PERSONAL DRIVER for $35/day!?!), you owe yourself the chance to go visit. My two cents...