Austin vs Bucharest vs Buenos Aires vs Istanbul vs Rio de Janeiro

Austin 🇺🇸
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Bucharest 🇷🇴
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Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
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Istanbul 🇹🇷
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Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷
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Population 926,426 1,830,000 2,900,000 15,520,000 6,718,903
Official language(s) English (de facto) Romanian Spanish Turkish Portuguese
Level of English Very high High High Low Low
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Istanbul Airport (IST) Galeão International Airport
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November April - October September - December April - June, September and October January - March, December
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) RON - Romanian Leu (L) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) BRL - Brazilian Real (R$)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted in most places Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No No
Average monthly costs $3484 $1351 $1321 $659 $1833
Rent $1650 $615 $844 $354 $1066
Groceries $243 $114 $98 $44 $95
Dining out $396 $165 $121 $81 $210
Cafe $66 $38 $25 $18 $25
Coworking space $331 $133 $95 $49 $130
Mobile internet $40 $7 $11 $3 $7
Public transportation $110 $21 $9 $6 $33
Taxis $73 $9 $9 $6 $14
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $25 $14 $2 $16
Sport and cultural events $54 $29 $24 $11 $55
Museums and sights $11 $29 $4 $15 $26
Nightlife $124 $45 $23 $22 $54
Gym $62 $30 $14 $9 $31
Yoga $139 $59 $19 $23 $40
Massage $89 $31 $10 $15 $32
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. Vodafone, Orange Movistar, Claro, Personal Turkcell, Turk Telekom Tim, Claro, Vivo
Tipping 15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars 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% usually included in restaurants, 10% at bars and cafes with table service is common
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Star Taxi, Uber Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) BiTaksi Easy Taxi, 99 Taxi, Uber
Tap water 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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 33 listings on Happy Cow 79 options on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 54 options on Happy Cow