Domestic help is available at reasonable cost. Some families have live-in maids; single employees usually employ part-time maids.

In Argentina the maid is called the “mucama”. It is very easy to find one. The highest salary, generally speaking, for a worker that sleeps at your place, is 500 pesos. As in the case of a part-time maid, it costs about 6 pesos per hour, or two dollars an hour, plus a tip.

In accordance with Argentine law, full-time maids are given:

1) the equivalent of one-half month bonus at the end of June and a second one-half month bonus at the end of December (these bonuses are calculated based on the highest compensation paid during the preceding semester);
2) paid vacations,
3) 1 free day per week;
4) one month paid sick leave per year.

Employers should provide food, lodging, and uniforms (optional) for live-in servants. Social security payments are required for part-time and full-time Argentina or third-country-residents domestic employees.

In Argentina it is not usual to employ a person that, besides cleaning, also takes care of the children, and in many cases replaces parents in a variety of situations the mucama takes care of the house, that is all. There are employment agencies that specialise in domestic help, but word of mouth is always the best system. It is also very unusual to employ a driver in Argentina.