Barbados vs Buenos Aires vs Cape Town vs Panama City

	Barbados 🇧🇧 Remove	Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Panama City 🇵🇦 Remove
Population	110,000	2,900,000	4,617,560	880,691
Official language(s)	English, Bajan Creole	Spanish	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Spanish
Level of English	Very high	High	Very high	Low
Main airport	Bridgetown/Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)	Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
Most common months to visit	November - May	September - December	March - May, September - November	December - April
Currency	BBD - Barbadian dollar ($)	ARS - Argentine Peso ($)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	PAB - Panamanian Balboa (B/.)
Credit cards	Accepted in some places, cash also needed for smaller businesses	Accepted everywhere. (ID required!)	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted almost everywhere but not in smaller shops.
Remote worker visa	Yes	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$2702	$1321	$1549	$2359
Rent	$1054	$844	$618	$1036
Groceries	$234	$98	$129	$236
Dining out	$345	$121	$269	$371
Cafe	$75	$25	$32	$43
Coworking space	$321	$95	$151	$157
Mobile internet	$49	$11	$27	$21
Public transportation	$35	$9	$55	$12
Taxis	$106	$9	$21	$48
Shared bicycles and scooters	$0	$14	$49	$0
Sport and cultural events	$37	$24	$19	$35
Museums and sights	$36	$4	$15	$9
Nightlife	$96	$23	$43	$117
Gym	$86	$14	$36	$37
Yoga	$130	$19	$56	$163
Massage	$99	$10	$30	$75
SIM card options	Digicel	Movistar, Claro, Personal	MTN, Vodacom	Claro, Movistar
Tipping	10 - 15% usually included in restaurants, add 10 - 15% at bars	10% at restaurants and cafés is common, not common at bars	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	10% in restaurants, round up elsewhere
Taxi apps	None available	Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only)	Uber, Bolt	Uber, Tu Chofer
Tap water	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	Bajan cuisine features an eclectic mix of European, Asian, and Caribbean styles resulting in bold, tasty and crunchy meat or fish dishes with lots of spices, lime juice, thyme and salads laden with local vegetables and hot side dishes.	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.	Latin American. Emphasis on rice, beans, coconut, and local fruits and vegetables. Pork and beef are regularly used and influence from the islands gives seafood dishes a prominent spot in Panamanian cuisine.
Local food specialities	Cou-cou and flying fish, fish cakes, cutters, pudding and souse, macaroni pie, conkies, Bajan black cake, sea eggs	Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Sancocho de gallina, carimanola, empanadas, tamales panameños, tostones, ropa vieja
Eat like a local	Food trucks, pubs, seaside street food, roadside carts, local seafood restaurants, smaller traditional restaurants and rum shops	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	Fondas (roadside stalls), smaller local restaurants, local markets, food trucks
Vegetarian / vegan options	14 options on HappyCow	79 options on Happy Cow	24 options on HappyCow	7 options on HappyCow