Need cash when I land, best place in Argentina? Airport or places in the city?
Airport exchange windows gave me ARS 160 per USD - terrible compared to ARS 180+ from a Banco Ciudad ATM in Palermo. Withdrawing cash in-city is the smartest move for Argentina newcomers. Keep only emergency dollars to cover bus or taxi costs to your hotel, then hit a major bank ATM downtown. It’s quick, you skip extra fees, and you’ll hold more pesos for your budget spend. No need to change high volumes on arrival.
At Mendoza airport I exchanged USD, but the rate was visibly low. I walked to downtown and used a Banco Supervielle ATM which offered a rate close to the interbank. City ATMs beat airport currency counters in Argentina every time. I recommend withdrawing only what you need immediately at the airport - about ARS 2,000 - then do the rest in town. If you're at Pistarini, buses to Retiro are frequent and much more efficient than airport currency traps.
First cash grab? Don’t use the airport kiosk. They charge over 10% margin. Best ATM for tourists in Argentina is Banco Provincia in Retiro station - they allow withdrawals up to ARS 60,000 and accept foreign cards reliably. I took a bus into the city and went straight there. Lower fees, fair rate, and no scam prompts. You’ll walk in with pesos in hand and avoid taxi showdown rates at the exit.
After landing at Ezeiza, I skipped the exchange counter - rates were awful. Instead I took an airport shuttle to Constitución and used a Banco Nación ATM there, which gave better mid-market rate and only ARS 350 fee. Best places to get cash in Argentina are bank ATMs in the city, not airport booths. Be sure to decline dynamic conversion prompts and always withdraw in pesos. That approach easily saved me around 8% on exchange.