Bangkok vs Buenos Aires vs Cape Town vs Istanbul vs Seoul

Bangkok ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ
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Buenos Aires ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท
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Cape Town ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ
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Istanbul ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท
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Seoul ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท
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Population 5,680,000 2,900,000 4,617,560 15,520,000 9,963,452
Official language(s) Thai Spanish Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English Turkish Korean
Level of English Low High Very high Low Moderate
Main airport Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Cape Town International Airport (CPT) Istanbul Airport (IST) Incheon International Airport (ICN)
Most common months to visit January - March, November, December September - December March - May, September - November April - June, September and October March - May, September - November
Currency THB - Thai Baht (เธฟ) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) ZAR - South African Rand (R) TRY - Turkish Lira (โ‚บ) KRW - South Korean won (โ‚ฉ)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops Accepted in most places Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No No
Average monthly costs $1560 $1321 $1549 $659 $2184
Rent $616 $844 $618 $354 $797
Groceries $191 $98 $129 $44 $356
Dining out $168 $121 $269 $81 $211
Cafe $45 $25 $32 $18 $69
Coworking space $127 $95 $151 $49 $222
Mobile internet $23 $11 $27 $3 $40
Public transportation $32 $9 $55 $6 $40
Taxis $19 $9 $21 $6 $41
Shared bicycles and scooters $17 $14 $49 $2 $13
Sport and cultural events $46 $24 $19 $11 $39
Museums and sights $21 $4 $15 $15 $6
Nightlife $50 $23 $43 $22 $93
Gym $96 $14 $36 $9 $69
Yoga $98 $19 $56 $23 $112
Massage $11 $10 $30 $15 $75
SIM card options AIS Movistar, Claro, Personal MTN, Vodacom Turkcell, Turk Telekom KT, SK Telecom, LG Uplus
Tipping 10% for restaurants, bars and services 10% at restaurants and cafรฉs is common, not common at bars 10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafรฉs and bars Not customary or expected
Taxi apps Grab Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) Uber, Bolt BiTaksi Uber, Kakao
Tap water Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable
Overall cuisine Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup 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 sautรฉed 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 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 Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight Kimchi, bulgogi, chap chae, mandu, sam gae tang, bossam
Eat like a local Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants Local restaurants serving asados grill-to-dish (Parrillas), markets (San Telmo, Recoleta) and local cafรฉs for matรฉ 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 Smaller, local eateries (sikdang), street stalls and local markets
Vegetarian / vegan options 416 listings on Happy Cow 79 options on Happy Cow 24 options on HappyCow 59 listings on Happy Cow 57 options on Happy Cow