Bangkok vs Barcelona vs Bucharest vs Istanbul vs Lisbon vs Rio de Janeiro vs Seoul

Bangkok 🇹🇭
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Barcelona 🇪🇸
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Bucharest 🇷🇴
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Istanbul 🇹🇷
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Lisbon 🇵🇹
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Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷
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Seoul 🇰🇷
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Population 5,680,000 5,585,556 1,830,000 15,520,000 517,000 6,718,903 9,963,452
Official language(s) Thai Catalan, Spanish Romanian Turkish Portuguese Portuguese Korean
Level of English Low High High Low Very high Low Moderate
Main airport Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Istanbul Airport (IST) Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) Galeão International Airport Incheon International Airport (ICN)
Most common months to visit January - March, November, December April - June, September - November April - October April - June, September and October March - May, September, October January - March, December March - May, September - November
Currency THB - Thai Baht (฿) EUR - Euro (€) RON - Romanian Leu (L) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) EUR - Euro (€) BRL - Brazilian Real (R$) KRW - South Korean won (₩)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost evewhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX) Accepted everywhere Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No Yes No No Yes No No
Average monthly costs $1560 $2384 $1351 $659 $1984 $1833 $2184
Rent $616 $932 $615 $354 $965 $1066 $797
Groceries $191 $121 $114 $44 $136 $95 $356
Dining out $168 $403 $165 $81 $271 $210 $211
Cafe $45 $45 $38 $18 $37 $25 $69
Coworking space $127 $213 $133 $49 $164 $130 $222
Mobile internet $23 $10 $7 $3 $24 $7 $40
Public transportation $32 $127 $21 $6 $63 $33 $40
Taxis $19 $48 $9 $6 $27 $14 $41
Shared bicycles and scooters $17 $24 $25 $2 $18 $16 $13
Sport and cultural events $46 $81 $29 $11 $29 $55 $39
Museums and sights $21 $33 $29 $15 $24 $26 $6
Nightlife $50 $112 $45 $22 $47 $54 $93
Gym $96 $81 $30 $9 $65 $31 $69
Yoga $98 $93 $59 $23 $65 $40 $112
Massage $11 $59 $31 $15 $50 $32 $75
SIM card options AIS Vodafone, Movistar Vodafone, Orange Turkcell, Turk Telekom Vodafone Tim, Claro, Vivo KT, SK Telecom, LG Uplus
Tipping 10% for restaurants, bars and services 5-10% in restaurants if service is exceptional, not expected elsewhere 5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars 5-10% for restaurants, not common at bars 10% usually included in restaurants, 10% at bars and cafes with table service is common Not customary or expected
Taxi apps Grab Cabify, FreeNow Star Taxi, Uber BiTaksi Uber, FreeNow Easy Taxi, 99 Taxi, Uber Uber, Kakao
Tap water Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable
Overall cuisine Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup Catalan cuisine makes extensive use of Mediterranean vegetables, legumes mixed with pork in its many varieties, chicken and fish. Regularly mixes sweet and savory flavors in specific dishes. This cuisine is known for being bold in flavor and striking in color, with a variety of specific regional dishes found the culinary hub that is Barcelona. Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine. A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish Fresh seafood, meats, soup, sausages and famous pastries Emphasis on rice, beans, pork and beef with a variety of root vegetables and fresh fruits. Fresh seafood is also very common. Emphasis on rice, vegetables, spices and meats. Main dishes are coupled with diverse side dishes and desserts. Strong driking culture.
Local food specialities Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan Paella, bombas, esqueixada, pa amb tomáquet, escalivada, crema Catalana, gazpacho, chorizo Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight Bacalhau à bras, sardinhas, petiscos, leitão, polvo à lagareiro, pasteis de nata, bifana Feijoada, bolinho de bacalhau, fried sardines, caldo verde, pao de queijo and brigadeiros. Kimchi, bulgogi, chap chae, mandu, sam gae tang, bossam
Eat like a local Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants Taverns, tapas bars, local markets, bodegas and street food spots Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants 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. Smaller, local eateries (sikdang), street stalls and local markets
Vegetarian / vegan options 416 listings on Happy Cow 98 options on HappyCow 33 listings on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 401 listings on Happy Cow 54 options on Happy Cow 57 options on Happy Cow