STORY: Argentines were all smiles at this Nike store in Santiago, Chile, where some have flocked to buy shoes and other items for much cheaper than at home.
Melanie Galarza is one of them.
"There is a big difference, everything is about half the price here than what we can get in Argentina. I just bought one of my children a pair of Nike tennis shoes here and I paid around 25 to 26 dollars and there you have the same footwear for above 100 or 150 dollars more or less."
The Argentine Peso has remained strong and triple-digit inflation has pushed up the relative cost of goods in the country.
The dramatic shift has come since libertarian President Javier Milei took office in late 2023, ushering in tough austerity measures that have helped bolster the currency which had been a laggard over the last decade that made Argentina cheap.
Now Lionel Messi appears to be encouraging travelers at the Buenos Aires airport to go abroad for bargains while celebrating Argentina's World Cup win in front of Brazil's famous Marcana Stadium in Rio - just as Fernanda Montaño did.
"It was much cheaper for us to vacation here than in Argentina. Yesterday, we were shopping, and we were very surprised by the difference in prices for household appliances. We can't take things with us because we came by plane, but it's much cheaper."
Argentina's official peso weakened around 22% last year, while inflation was estimated at around 118%.
That's made restaurants, shops and fuel all feel much more expensive in dollar terms than they were just a couple of years ago.
But Milei's government argues that domestic prices will eventually come down with more open competition.
He strongly favors free markets, even if that comes with a short-term cost.
Milei's policies have remained broadly popular with a populace tired of years of economic dysfunction.