Buenos Aires vs Cape Town vs Lisbon vs Playa del Carmen

Buenos Aires ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท
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Cape Town ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ
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Lisbon ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น
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Playa del Carmen ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ
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Population 2,900,000 4,617,560 517,000 259,453
Official language(s) Spanish Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English Portuguese Spanish
Level of English High Very high Very high Moderate
Main airport Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Cape Town International Airport (CPT) Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Most common months to visit September - December March - May, September - November March - May, September, October January - May, October - December
Currency ARS - Argentine Peso ($) ZAR - South African Rand (R) EUR - Euro (โ‚ฌ) MXN - Mexican Peso ($)
Credit cards Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX) Accepted almost everywhere
Remote worker visa No No Yes Yes
Average monthly costs $1321 $1549 $1984 $2143
Rent $844 $618 $965 $923
Groceries $98 $129 $136 $127
Dining out $121 $269 $271 $207
Cafe $25 $32 $37 $42
Coworking space $95 $151 $164 $160
Mobile internet $11 $27 $24 $21
Public transportation $9 $55 $63 $17
Taxis $9 $21 $27 $9
Shared bicycles and scooters $14 $49 $18 $49
Sport and cultural events $24 $19 $29 $97
Museums and sights $4 $15 $24 $217
Nightlife $23 $43 $47 $77
Gym $14 $36 $65 $42
Yoga $19 $56 $65 $54
Massage $10 $30 $50 $101
SIM card options Movistar, Claro, Personal MTN, Vodacom Vodafone Telcel, Movistar
Tipping 10% at restaurants and cafรฉs is common, not common at bars 10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere 5-10% for restaurants, not common at bars 10-15% for restaurants
Taxi apps Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) Uber, Bolt Uber, FreeNow N/A
Tap water Not drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine 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. Fresh seafood, meats, soup, sausages and famous pastries Staple dishes from maize, beans, sweet potato and avocado along with meat, chili peppers and other spices
Local food specialities Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow Bacalhau ร  bras, sardinhas, petiscos, leitรฃo, polvo ร  lagareiro, pasteis de nata, bifana Chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, chile rellenos, cochinita pibil, tostadas, pozole
Eat like a local 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 Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants Taco stands, esquite stalls, El Fogon, El Pirata, Dona Mary's
Vegetarian / vegan options 79 options on Happy Cow 24 options on HappyCow 401 listings on Happy Cow 72 listings on Happy Cow