LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide for Sunday, July 12, 2026

Bottom Line Up Front

Today’s verdict: Argentina are into the World Cup semi-finals, the region’s last team, and next is England on Wednesday in a fixture heavy with history — as Colombia’s July 20 tax reform takes shape, aiming higher income and wealth taxes at top earners.

01

Argentina reach the semis. A Julián Álvarez extra-time stunner beat Switzerland 3-1, sending the holders to the last four. They meet England in Atlanta on Wednesday, a tie loaded with history.

02

Colombia’s tax reform takes shape. The July 20 bill would raise the top income-tax rate, trim VAT exemptions and lean on a wealth tax. It is the measure that reaches resident foreigners’ income, wealth and property.

03

A first legal test passes. A court declined to admit, but did not reject, a bid to annul the president-elect’s win. The August 7 inauguration proceeds as planned.

What changed since yesterdayArgentina beat Switzerland to reach the semi-finals, where England await on Wednesday. Colombia’s July 20 tax reform now has a shape, and a court gave the incoming president a first, if procedural, reprieve.

Good morning. Your LatAm expat nomad daily guide opens on Argentina’s place in the World Cup semi-finals, the contours of Colombia’s tax reform, and a court test for Colombia’s president-elect.

Argentina beat Switzerland in extra time and now face England on Wednesday, the region’s last team standing. Markets are closed for the weekend, so the rates below are Friday’s close.

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Key Points

Argentina reach the semis. They beat Switzerland 3-1 and face England on Wednesday.

A fixture with history. Argentina and England carry a rivalry that goes back to 1986.

Colombia’s tax reform. The July 20 bill targets higher income and wealth taxes on top earners.

The VAT angle. It would also trim the list of exempt goods, sparing the basic family basket.

A court reprieve. A bid to annul the president-elect’s win was not admitted as filed.

FX is the weekend close. Rates below are Friday’s; markets reopen Monday.

00Status Changes Since Yesterday

Story

Yesterday

Today

Next

World Cup (LatAm)

Quarter-final

Argentina reach the semis

England v Argentina Wednesday

Colombia transition

Budget revealed

Tax-reform contents public; court test

Reform filed Jul 20; inauguration Aug 7

Argentina money

Steady

Steady

June CPI Monday

Peru election

Transition continues

Unchanged

Credentials Jul 15; handover Jul 28

Riviera Maya sargassum

Unchanged

Unchanged

Aug–Oct peak

01Visas & Residency

Where

What changed

What it means for you

Colombia

The July 20 tax reform would raise the top income-tax rate, apply a wealth tax with higher tariffs on the largest fortunes, and trim VAT exemptions. The handover remains suspended, and a court declined to admit a bid to annul the result.

Watch the July 20 filing; nothing changes for residents before the August 7 inauguration.

Peru

The foreign ministry is rewriting the national migration policy, which contains the digital-nomad permit. Credentials for the president-elect follow on July 15.

Nothing changes at the border today; watch for a draft and consultation.

Argentina

A 2025 decree means the two years of residence for citizenship must be uninterrupted, so leaving can break the count. June inflation lands Monday.

If building time toward citizenship, avoid leaving; watch Monday’s print.

Uruguay

The 12% tax on foreign income now reaches income routed through offshore entities owned above 5%, hitting US expats hardest with no treaty.

If you hold offshore structures or are a US taxpayer, review your position with a cross-border adviser.

Mexico

The tax authority is cross-checking immigration data on long-staying foreigners, and the residency test turns on your home and center of life.

If you live most of the year in Mexico, check your tax status.

02Cost of Living & Money

Markets are shut for the weekend, so these are Friday’s closing rates against the dollar. The Colombian peso held firm through the fiscal news, and Argentina’s peso is steady before Monday’s inflation print.

Currency

Per US$

Read

Brazilian real

5.17

steady

Mexican peso

17.47

little changed

Colombian peso

3,368

firm despite the fiscal news

Chilean peso

924

flat

Peruvian sol

3.42

steady

Argentine peso

1,489

official; blue ~1,515

Uruguayan peso

40.12

firm

Colombia’s tax reform, due July 20, would aim to raise around 21.8 trillion pesos next year, rising toward 37 trillion by 2030. Argentina’s June inflation, due Monday, is expected near 1.8 to 1.9 percent.

Apartment-hunting season runs all winter, so here is the rent check across all 13 hubs — a furnished one-bedroom in the neighbourhoods expats actually pick.

City

Furnished 1-BR

Comfortable month

Mexico City

US$800–1,500 (Roma Norte)

US$1,800–3,500

Playa del Carmen

US$900–1,400 near the beach

US$1,700–3,600

Mérida

US$500–800, bills often in

US$1,100–1,500

Oaxaca

US$400–750

US$1,600–2,400

Medellín

US$500–1,200 (El Poblado)

US$1,200–1,800

Bogotá

US$550–1,300 furnished

US$1,200–2,850

Buenos Aires

US$800–1,300 (Palermo)

US$1,500–2,000

São Paulo

US$950–1,900, condo fees in

US$1,800–2,500

Rio de Janeiro

US$690–1,190 (Botafogo)

about US$2,000

Florianópolis

US$700–1,400

US$1,250–2,000

Lima

US$600–900 (Barranco)

US$1,300–1,600

Santiago

US$550–900 (Providencia)

US$1,200–2,000

Montevideo

US$600–1,000 (Pocitos)

US$1,500–2,200

03What’s On

Today (Sunday). São Paulo’s endurance race finishes at Interlagos, closing the motorsport weekend. Fans across the region look ahead to Wednesday’s semi-final.

This week. France play Spain on Tuesday and England meet Argentina on Wednesday in the World Cup semi-finals. Peru’s president-elect receives her credentials on Wednesday.

Later. Oaxaca’s Feria del Mezcal opens on Friday, July 17. The World Cup final is Sunday, July 19.

04Art & Culture

Oaxaca opens its Feria del Mezcal on July 17, the state’s biggest festival season, with the Guelaguetza following the next week. Mexico City’s concert calendar runs on through the winter.

Buenos Aires, Santiago and Montevideo keep their winter theatre programmes. São Paulo returns to its museums after the endurance-racing weekend at Interlagos.

05Food & Coffee

Buenos Aires will build all week toward Wednesday’s semi-final, the biggest World Cup night the city has had in years. Fan zones run at Plaza Seeber and across the capital.

Oaxaca’s mezcal fair from July 17 is the month’s set-piece for the spirit. On the Caribbean coast, the sargassum keeps beach days pointed at the sheltered bays and the cenotes.

06Community & Safety

Argentina. Buenos Aires is calm now, but expect huge crowds for Wednesday’s semi-final. Plan around packed bars, fan zones and heavy transport demand that evening.

Colombia. The cities are calm, with the handover fight confined to institutions and the courts. Expect noisy politics through to the August 7 inauguration.

Peru. With the transition under way and the opposition rejecting the result, protests remain possible around government buildings in central Lima. Avoid demonstrations and allow extra time in the Centro.

07What to Watch — July 12–19

Sun Jul 12WEC 6 Hours of São Paulo finishes at Interlagos.

Tue Jul 14France v Spain semi-final · Argentina’s June inflation print.

Wed Jul 15England v Argentina semi-final, Atlanta · Peru’s credentials.

Fri Jul 17Oaxaca’s Feria del Mezcal opens.

Sun Jul 19The World Cup final.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Argentina still in the World Cup?

Yes. They beat Switzerland 3-1 in extra time to reach the semi-finals, where they face England on Wednesday.

Why is Argentina v England a big deal?

It revives one of football’s fiercest rivalries, going back to the 1986 World Cup. It is the region’s last game in the tournament.

What is in Colombia’s tax reform?

The July 20 bill would raise the top income-tax rate, apply a wealth tax on large fortunes and trim VAT exemptions. It is a bill, not yet law.

Does the court ruling stop Colombia’s president-elect?

No. A court declined to admit a bid to annul his win but did not reject it, and the August 7 inauguration proceeds.

What are the latest exchange rates?

The dollar buys roughly 5.17 Brazilian reais, 17.47 Mexican pesos and 3,368 Colombian pesos. Argentina’s blue dollar sits near 1,515.

Connected Coverage

Argentina reach the World Cup semi-finals: England next

What Colombia’s July 20 tax reform would mean for foreigners

Colombia’s locked budget: the fiscal squeeze

Uruguay’s 12% tax goes deeper: the look-through rule