Austin vs Bogota vs Bucharest vs Buenos Aires vs Istanbul vs Playa del Carmen

Austin 🇺🇸
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Bogota 🇨🇴
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Bucharest 🇷🇴
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Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
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Istanbul 🇹🇷
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Playa del Carmen 🇲🇽
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Population 926,426 10,978,360 1,830,000 2,900,000 15,520,000 259,453
Official language(s) English (de facto) Spanish Romanian Spanish Turkish Spanish
Level of English Very high Low High High Low Moderate
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) El Dorado International Airport (BOG) Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Istanbul Airport (IST) Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November January - March, December April - October September - December April - June, September and October January - May, October - December
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) COP - Colombian Peso ($) RON - Romanian Leu (L) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) MXN - Mexican Peso ($)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No No Yes
Average monthly costs $3484 $1097 $1351 $1321 $659 $2143
Rent $1650 $480 $615 $844 $354 $923
Groceries $243 $82 $114 $98 $44 $127
Dining out $396 $174 $165 $121 $81 $207
Cafe $66 $22 $38 $25 $18 $42
Coworking space $331 $77 $133 $95 $49 $160
Mobile internet $40 $11 $7 $11 $3 $21
Public transportation $110 $23 $21 $9 $6 $17
Taxis $73 $28 $9 $9 $6 $9
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $17 $25 $14 $2 $49
Sport and cultural events $54 $22 $29 $24 $11 $97
Museums and sights $11 $7 $29 $4 $15 $217
Nightlife $124 $46 $45 $23 $22 $77
Gym $62 $15 $30 $14 $9 $42
Yoga $139 $57 $59 $19 $23 $54
Massage $89 $37 $31 $10 $15 $101
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. Tigo, Movistar, Claro Vodafone, Orange Movistar, Claro, Personal Turkcell, Turk Telekom Telcel, Movistar
Tipping 15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars 10% service included in all bills, not required or expected at bars without table service 5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis 10% at restaurants and cafés is common, not common at bars Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars 10-15% for restaurants
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Uber, Cabify Star Taxi, Uber Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) BiTaksi N/A
Tap water Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not 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. Latin American. Dishes with beef, pork and chicken are often mixed with flour-based foods and fruity desserts. Heavy influence from the Andes and other Colombian regions. Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine. Argentinian style with an emphasis on red meats, pastries, and Italian-inspired options A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish Staple dishes from maize, beans, sweet potato and avocado along with meat, chili peppers and other spices
Local food specialities Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos Arepas, ajiaco santaferense, buñuelos, patacones, té de coca, changua Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight Chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, chile rellenos, cochinita pibil, tostadas, pozole
Eat like a local Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries Local family restaurants and those from other regions. Menú del día. Community markets and sports bars. Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Local restaurants serving asados grill-to-dish (Parrillas), markets (San Telmo, Recoleta) and local cafés for maté and facturas Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Taco stands, esquite stalls, El Fogon, El Pirata, Dona Mary's
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 104 options on Happy Cow 33 listings on Happy Cow 79 options on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 72 listings on Happy Cow