Currency

The legal currency in Argentina is the "Argentine Peso" (since there is also the Mexican peso). The notes and coins have this appearence:

              Pesos notes and coins

Do not worry trying to memorise the notes. You will find a leaflet with a better resolution of them - plus some tips on how to identify false notes (very common there, ite seems) - at Global Exchange, a money exchange stand at Ezeiza. Although in many places you can pay with American Dollars (and, more rarely, in Euros), you will find that the exchange rate will not be the most convenient for you. It is only advantageous in shopping malls and renowned brands shops (Puma, Lacoste, Nike, etc.), used to dealing with tourists. Try to get pesos as soon as you get to Argentina. Taxis, buses and most restaurants and stores used by locals will not accept foreign currency.

Banks & Currency exchange

Currency can be exchanged in most Banks (open from 10 am to 3 pm) and exchange companies "casas de cambio" operating in the same time-range. Try to avoid exchanging your money with people in the street, operating mainly in the downtown area (called "arbolitos" -little trees- by locals, since they are right beside the road).

If you arrive to Buenos Aires by plane, at the Ezeiza Airport there is an exchange company (the aforementioned Global Exchange) but you will most likely get a much better rate if you change at the Banco de La Nación (state owned bank) located in the disembark area of the airport.

You can carry your money with you - Buenos Aires is still a relatively safe town to walk by day and night. Keep about a third of you money in dollars, and the rest in pesos. You can always exchange dollars by the official rates in several Banco de La Nación agencies across town. Remember that money exchange houses usually pull the rates down, so you should go there only in the weekends when banks are closed. A good alternative is to get local money from your account using the ATMs spread all over the city. By this, you avoid travelling with money and sometimes getting a lousy exchange rate. ATMs are found not only in banks but also in Shopping Centers (such as Alto Palermo, Paseo Alcorta, Unicenter, etc.) and many large supermarkets (Jumbo, Disco, etc.).  The largest network of ATMs is Banelco (https://w3.banelco.com.ar/Extranet/De...). In the web page you can find an ATM locator. The web page is in Spanish, unfortunately. Beware of the credit card rates.