Austin vs Bangkok vs Budapest vs Buenos Aires vs Rio de Janeiro

Austin 🇺🇸
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Bangkok 🇹🇭
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Budapest 🇭🇺
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Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
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Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷
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Population 926,426 5,680,000 1,768,073 2,900,000 6,718,903
Official language(s) English (de facto) Thai Hungarian Spanish Portuguese
Level of English Very high Low High High Low
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Galeão International Airport
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November January - March, November, December March - June, September - November September - December January - March, December
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) THB - Thai Baht (฿) HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) BRL - Brazilian Real (R$)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No No
Average monthly costs $3484 $1560 $1230 $1321 $1833
Rent $1650 $616 $499 $844 $1066
Groceries $243 $191 $108 $98 $95
Dining out $396 $168 $202 $121 $210
Cafe $66 $45 $29 $25 $25
Coworking space $331 $127 $120 $95 $130
Mobile internet $40 $23 $9 $11 $7
Public transportation $110 $32 $36 $9 $33
Taxis $73 $19 $27 $9 $14
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $17 $13 $14 $16
Sport and cultural events $54 $46 $24 $24 $55
Museums and sights $11 $21 $7 $4 $26
Nightlife $124 $50 $43 $23 $54
Gym $62 $96 $37 $14 $31
Yoga $139 $98 $48 $19 $40
Massage $89 $11 $26 $10 $32
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. AIS Vodafone, Telenor Movistar, Claro, Personal Tim, Claro, Vivo
Tipping 15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars 10% for restaurants, bars and services 10 - 15% at restaurants and bars 10% at restaurants and cafés is common, not common at bars 10% usually included in restaurants, 10% at bars and cafes with table service is common
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Grab Bolt, Fotaxi Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) Easy Taxi, 99 Taxi, Uber
Tap water Drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine Emphasis on barbecued meats (beef and pork) as well as corn-based dishes and tex-mex, and rich American-style desserts. Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup Magyar cuisine makes extensive use of creams, cheeses and sauces primarily in beef, chicken and pork dishes, mixed with seasonal vegetables, fruits and rich desserts. Argentinian style with an emphasis on red meats, pastries, and Italian-inspired options Emphasis on rice, beans, pork and beef with a variety of root vegetables and fresh fruits. Fresh seafood is also very common.
Local food specialities Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Feijoada, bolinho de bacalhau, fried sardines, caldo verde, pao de queijo and brigadeiros.
Eat like a local Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants Local restaurants serving asados grill-to-dish (Parrillas), markets (San Telmo, Recoleta) and local cafés for maté and facturas The "snack capital" of Brazil, Rio is a perfect place to try street food as well as the wide varieties of small, traditional eateries and churrascarias easily found across the city.
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 416 listings on Happy Cow 47 options on HappyCow 79 options on Happy Cow 54 options on Happy Cow