Buenos Aires vs Medellin vs Playa del Carmen vs Rio de Janeiro

Buenos Aires ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท
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Medellin ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ด
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Playa del Carmen ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ
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Rio de Janeiro ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท
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Population 2,900,000 2,427,000 259,453 6,718,903
Official language(s) Spanish Spanish Spanish Portuguese
Level of English High Low Moderate Low
Main airport Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Josรฉ Marรญa Cรณrdova International Airport (MDE) Cancun International Airport (CUN) Galeรฃo International Airport
Most common months to visit September - December January - April, December January - May, October - December January - March, December
Currency ARS - Argentine Peso ($) COP - Colombian Peso ($) MXN - Mexican Peso ($) BRL - Brazilian Real (R$)
Credit cards Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted in some places Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No No Yes No
Average monthly costs $1321 $1293 $2143 $1833
Rent $844 $732 $923 $1066
Groceries $98 $87 $127 $95
Dining out $121 $131 $207 $210
Cafe $25 $18 $42 $25
Coworking space $95 $96 $160 $130
Mobile internet $11 $16 $21 $7
Public transportation $9 $21 $17 $33
Taxis $9 $14 $9 $14
Shared bicycles and scooters $14 $0 $49 $16
Sport and cultural events $24 $8 $97 $55
Museums and sights $4 $9 $217 $26
Nightlife $23 $73 $77 $54
Gym $14 $15 $42 $31
Yoga $19 $54 $54 $40
Massage $10 $20 $101 $32
SIM card options Movistar, Claro, Personal Claro, Tigo Telcel, Movistar Tim, Claro, Vivo
Tipping 10% at restaurants and cafรฉs is common, not common at bars Tip 10% in restaurants 10-15% for restaurants 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) EasyTaxi N/A Easy Taxi, 99 Taxi, Uber
Tap water Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine Argentinian style with an emphasis on red meats, pastries, and Italian-inspired options 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 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 Bandeja paisa, ajiaco, mondongo, empanada, and arepa Chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, chile rellenos, cochinita pibil, tostadas, pozole 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 Street stalls for empanada and arepa with cheese, restaurants for traditional Colombian food Taco stands, esquite stalls, El Fogon, El Pirata, Dona Mary's 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 153 listings on Happy Cow 72 listings on Happy Cow 54 options on Happy Cow