Bangkok vs Barcelona vs Buenos Aires vs Cape Town vs Istanbul vs Ubud

Bangkok 🇹🇭
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Barcelona 🇪🇸
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Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
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Cape Town 🇿🇦
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Istanbul 🇹🇷
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Ubud 🇮🇩
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Population 5,680,000 5,585,556 2,900,000 4,617,560 15,520,000 112,490
Official language(s) Thai Catalan, Spanish Spanish Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English Turkish Indonesian and Balinese
Level of English Low High High Very high Low Low
Main airport Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Cape Town International Airport (CPT) Istanbul Airport (IST) Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPA)
Most common months to visit January - March, November, December April - June, September - November September - December March - May, September - November April - June, September and October May - October
Currency THB - Thai Baht (฿) EUR - Euro (€) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) ZAR - South African Rand (R) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) IDR - Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost evewhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops Accepted in most places Accepted in some places
Remote worker visa No Yes No No No Yes
Average monthly costs $1560 $2384 $1321 $1549 $659 $1363
Rent $616 $932 $844 $618 $354 $658
Groceries $191 $121 $98 $129 $44 $150
Dining out $168 $403 $121 $269 $81 $10
Cafe $45 $45 $25 $32 $18 $28
Coworking space $127 $213 $95 $151 $49 $106
Mobile internet $23 $10 $11 $27 $3 $3
Public transportation $32 $127 $9 $55 $6 $53
Taxis $19 $48 $9 $21 $6 $13
Shared bicycles and scooters $17 $24 $14 $49 $2 $33
Sport and cultural events $46 $81 $24 $19 $11 $14
Museums and sights $21 $33 $4 $15 $15 $9
Nightlife $50 $112 $23 $43 $22 $118
Gym $96 $81 $14 $36 $9 $72
Yoga $98 $93 $19 $56 $23 $87
Massage $11 $59 $10 $30 $15 $10
SIM card options AIS Vodafone, Movistar Movistar, Claro, Personal MTN, Vodacom Turkcell, Turk Telekom Telkomsel, XL Axiata
Tipping 10% for restaurants, bars and services 5-10% in restaurants if service is exceptional, not expected elsewhere 10% at restaurants and cafés is common, not common at bars 10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars Tip 5 - 10% in restaurants if service charge is not included in the bill
Taxi apps Grab Cabify, FreeNow Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) Uber, Bolt BiTaksi Grab, GoJek
Tap water Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not 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. Argentinian style with an emphasis on red meats, pastries, and Italian-inspired options South African cuisine has been shaped by a long history of Dutch, Malay, British and Indian settlements, making the food diverse and strong in flavor. There is a strong emphasis on game in all of its different forms, as well as spicy sauces and sautéed vegetables and dry-cured meats. Creamy desserts and liqueurs compliment large and flavorful meals. A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish Balinese foods revolve on the complex flavors from certain ingredients like fresh vegetables, meat, coconut milk, and time-tested spices mixture.
Local food specialities Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan Paella, bombas, esqueixada, pa amb tomáquet, escalivada, crema Catalana, gazpacho, chorizo Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight Satay, nasi goreng, gado-gado, martabak, bubur sumsum
Eat like a local Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants Taverns, tapas bars, local markets, bodegas and street food spots Local restaurants serving asados grill-to-dish (Parrillas), markets (San Telmo, Recoleta) and local cafés for maté and facturas Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Warung for authentic babi guling and bebek betutu, cafes for kopi luwak, street stalls for pisang goreng, nasi campur, and sate lilit
Vegetarian / vegan options 416 listings on Happy Cow 98 options on HappyCow 79 options on Happy Cow 24 options on HappyCow 59 listings on Happy Cow 255 listings on Happy Cow