Bucharest vs Istanbul vs Lisbon vs Medellin vs Playa del Carmen

Bucharest 🇷🇴
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Istanbul 🇹🇷
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Lisbon 🇵🇹
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Medellin 🇨🇴
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Playa del Carmen 🇲🇽
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Population 1,830,000 15,520,000 517,000 2,427,000 259,453
Official language(s) Romanian Turkish Portuguese Spanish Spanish
Level of English High Low Very high Low Moderate
Main airport Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Istanbul Airport (IST) Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Most common months to visit April - October April - June, September and October March - May, September, October January - April, December January - May, October - December
Currency RON - Romanian Leu (L) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) EUR - Euro (€) COP - Colombian Peso ($) MXN - Mexican Peso ($)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX) Accepted in some places Accepted almost everywhere
Remote worker visa No No Yes No Yes
Average monthly costs $1351 $659 $1984 $1293 $2143
Rent $615 $354 $965 $732 $923
Groceries $114 $44 $136 $87 $127
Dining out $165 $81 $271 $131 $207
Cafe $38 $18 $37 $18 $42
Coworking space $133 $49 $164 $96 $160
Mobile internet $7 $3 $24 $16 $21
Public transportation $21 $6 $63 $21 $17
Taxis $9 $6 $27 $14 $9
Shared bicycles and scooters $25 $2 $18 $0 $49
Sport and cultural events $29 $11 $29 $8 $97
Museums and sights $29 $15 $24 $9 $217
Nightlife $45 $22 $47 $73 $77
Gym $30 $9 $65 $15 $42
Yoga $59 $23 $65 $54 $54
Massage $31 $15 $50 $20 $101
SIM card options Vodafone, Orange Turkcell, Turk Telekom Vodafone Claro, Tigo Telcel, Movistar
Tipping 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 Tip 10% in restaurants 10-15% for restaurants
Taxi apps Star Taxi, Uber BiTaksi Uber, FreeNow EasyTaxi N/A
Tap water Not drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine 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 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 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 Bandeja paisa, ajiaco, mondongo, empanada, and arepa Chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, chile rellenos, cochinita pibil, tostadas, pozole
Eat like a local Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants 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 33 listings on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 401 listings on Happy Cow 153 listings on Happy Cow 72 listings on Happy Cow