Bangkok vs Buenos Aires vs Istanbul vs Medellin vs Playa del Carmen

Bangkok 🇹🇭
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Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
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Istanbul 🇹🇷
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Medellin 🇨🇴
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Playa del Carmen 🇲🇽
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Population 5,680,000 2,900,000 15,520,000 2,427,000 259,453
Official language(s) Thai Spanish Turkish Spanish Spanish
Level of English Low High Low Low Moderate
Main airport Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Istanbul Airport (IST) José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Most common months to visit January - March, November, December September - December April - June, September and October January - April, December January - May, October - December
Currency THB - Thai Baht (฿) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) COP - Colombian Peso ($) MXN - Mexican Peso ($)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted in most places Accepted in some places Accepted almost everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No Yes
Average monthly costs $1560 $1321 $659 $1293 $2143
Rent $616 $844 $354 $732 $923
Groceries $191 $98 $44 $87 $127
Dining out $168 $121 $81 $131 $207
Cafe $45 $25 $18 $18 $42
Coworking space $127 $95 $49 $96 $160
Mobile internet $23 $11 $3 $16 $21
Public transportation $32 $9 $6 $21 $17
Taxis $19 $9 $6 $14 $9
Shared bicycles and scooters $17 $14 $2 $0 $49
Sport and cultural events $46 $24 $11 $8 $97
Museums and sights $21 $4 $15 $9 $217
Nightlife $50 $23 $22 $73 $77
Gym $96 $14 $9 $15 $42
Yoga $98 $19 $23 $54 $54
Massage $11 $10 $15 $20 $101
SIM card options AIS Movistar, Claro, Personal Turkcell, Turk Telekom Claro, Tigo Telcel, Movistar
Tipping 10% for restaurants, bars and services 10% at restaurants and cafés is common, not common at bars Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars Tip 10% in restaurants 10-15% for restaurants
Taxi apps Grab Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) BiTaksi EasyTaxi N/A
Tap water Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup 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 A blend of indigenous and European traditions with rice, maize, cassava, assorted legumes, and meats Staple dishes from maize, beans, sweet potato and avocado along with meat, chili peppers and other spices
Local food specialities Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight Bandeja paisa, ajiaco, mondongo, empanada, and arepa Chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, chile rellenos, cochinita pibil, tostadas, pozole
Eat like a local Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants 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 Street stalls for empanada and arepa with cheese, restaurants for traditional Colombian food Taco stands, esquite stalls, El Fogon, El Pirata, Dona Mary's
Vegetarian / vegan options 416 listings on Happy Cow 79 options on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 153 listings on Happy Cow 72 listings on Happy Cow