Buenos Aires vs Lisbon vs Medellin vs New York City vs Rio de Janeiro

Buenos Aires ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท
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Lisbon ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น
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Medellin ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ด
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New York City ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
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Rio de Janeiro ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท
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Population 2,900,000 517,000 2,427,000 8,323,340 6,718,903
Official language(s) Spanish Portuguese Spanish English (de facto) Portuguese
Level of English High Very high Low Very high Low
Main airport Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) Josรฉ Marรญa Cรณrdova International Airport (MDE) John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Galeรฃo International Airport
Most common months to visit September - December March - May, September, October January - April, December April - June, September - November January - March, December
Currency ARS - Argentine Peso ($) EUR - Euro (โ‚ฌ) COP - Colombian Peso ($) USD - US Dollar ($) BRL - Brazilian Real (R$)
Credit cards Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX) Accepted in some places Accepted everywhere Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No Yes No No No
Average monthly costs $1321 $1984 $1293 $5431 $1833
Rent $844 $965 $732 $2891 $1066
Groceries $98 $136 $87 $383 $95
Dining out $121 $271 $131 $656 $210
Cafe $25 $37 $18 $72 $25
Coworking space $95 $164 $96 $326 $130
Mobile internet $11 $24 $16 $45 $7
Public transportation $9 $63 $21 $220 $33
Taxis $9 $27 $14 $78 $14
Shared bicycles and scooters $14 $18 $0 $30 $16
Sport and cultural events $24 $29 $8 $100 $55
Museums and sights $4 $24 $9 $74 $26
Nightlife $23 $47 $73 $195 $54
Gym $14 $65 $15 $55 $31
Yoga $19 $65 $54 $197 $40
Massage $10 $50 $20 $109 $32
SIM card options Movistar, Claro, Personal Vodafone Claro, Tigo AT&T, Verizon Tim, Claro, Vivo
Tipping 10% at restaurants and cafรฉs is common, not common at bars 5-10% for restaurants, not common at bars Tip 10% in restaurants 15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars 10% usually included in restaurants, 10% at bars and cafes with table service is common
Taxi apps Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) Uber, FreeNow EasyTaxi Uber, Lyft Easy Taxi, 99 Taxi, Uber
Tap water Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine Argentinian style with an emphasis on red meats, pastries, and Italian-inspired options Fresh seafood, meats, soup, sausages and famous pastries A blend of indigenous and European traditions with rice, maize, cassava, assorted legumes, and meats American. Emphasis on comfort and fast food, with some good seafood dishes. Influence from other regions of the US, North America and the world make NYC a cosmopolitan and international cuisine hub that is incredibly diverse. Emphasis on rice, beans, pork and beef with a variety of root vegetables and fresh fruits. Fresh seafood is also very common.
Local food specialities Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Bacalhau ร  bras, sardinhas, petiscos, leitรฃo, polvo ร  lagareiro, pasteis de nata, bifana Bandeja paisa, ajiaco, mondongo, empanada, and arepa Pizza, clam chowder, bagels, corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, hot dogs, and hundred of other international food options. Feijoada, bolinho de bacalhau, fried sardines, caldo verde, pao de queijo and brigadeiros.
Eat like a local Local restaurants serving asados grill-to-dish (Parrillas), markets (San Telmo, Recoleta) and local cafรฉs for matรฉ and facturas Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants Street stalls for empanada and arepa with cheese, restaurants for traditional Colombian food Delis, local pizza shops, street food stalls and food trucks, food markets, local bakeries and smaller, authentic international cuisine restaurants The "snack capital" of Brazil, Rio is a perfect place to try street food as well as the wide varieties of small, traditional eateries and churrascarias easily found across the city.
Vegetarian / vegan options 79 options on Happy Cow 401 listings on Happy Cow 153 listings on Happy Cow 309 options on HappyCow 54 options on Happy Cow