Is it worthwhile to rent a phone in Buenos Aires?

Is it worthwhile to rent a phone in Buenos Aires? - From above of young ethnic bearded man and woman with curly hair looking at each other and lying on bed among suitcases and cardboard boxes with stuff while moving in new apartment together

I'm taking a quick trip to Buenos Aires and while I know I can buy a SIM card for my phone, what I am curious about is the options of renting a cheap voice only phone while I am there.

Various websites offer such services in Buenos Aires and promise to deliver to your hotel (thus saving the time/hassle of hunting down a SIM card), but none mention prices or give me much confidence in their quality.

So do these sites deliver on their promises? And how does the cost stack up against a pre-paid SIM?



Best Answer

Baires Apartments (a temporary rental and real state) offers phone rentals and, as you mention, they send it and pick it up for free (to/from the hotel, or to/from the airport).

The Cell phones are free of charge. You just pay the calls.

The rates are of course more expensive than a normal cellphone you can buy and top-up, but still not terrible:

Locals: AR$ 1,50 | National: AR$ 1,99 | Argentina - Mercosur AR$ 3,19 | Argentina - U.S. AR$ 3,49 | Argentina - Europe: AR$ 4,59 | Argentina - México-Venezuela-Israel AR$ 3.79 | Incoming Calls AR$ 1.00

Cellular rental: AR$ No Charge | Insurance: AR$ 19.00*

So local calls would be $1,50 pesos or, at today's change rate, 0.19 US Dollars.

Another company is For Rent Argentina, phones are also free but the price per minute doubles.




Pictures about "Is it worthwhile to rent a phone in Buenos Aires?"

Is it worthwhile to rent a phone in Buenos Aires? - Delighted young female homeowner sitting near pile of boxes and browsing smartphone
Is it worthwhile to rent a phone in Buenos Aires? - Group of cheerful young male and female multiracial friends laughing and taking selfie on smartphone while spending time together on terrace
Is it worthwhile to rent a phone in Buenos Aires? - A Colorful Sliced Pizza



What cell phone carriers are in Argentina?

There are three mobile network providers in Argentina which provide high-speed (4G) services.
  • CLARO. www.claro.com.ar. Phone: 0800 122 1000.
  • TELEF\xd3NICA MOVISTAR. www.movistar.com.ar. Phone: 0800 321 0611.
  • TELECOM PERSONAL. www.personal.com.ar. Phone: 0800 444 0800.


Does Argentina have cell phones?

There are three mobile phone companies in Argentina: Movistar (owned by Telef\xf3nica), Claro, and Personal. Although they are similar, Claro is said to have the best rates, while Movistar has the best coverage and Personal has the best service. All three companies have offices and sales stands all over the country.

Will my AT&T phone work in Argentina?

Re: AT&T GSM Cell Phone - Will it work it BA? a tri or quad band phone will work. you'll have to pay international roaming or have your phone unlocked in the USA and then purchase an Argentine sim card in Argentina.



Searching for a Rental Apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Ketut Subiyanto, SHVETS production, Kampus Production, Andy Kuzma