Rio de Janeiro

Modern and affordable accommodation isn't one of Rio's strong points. A combination of high seasonal tourist demand and a relative shortage of modern building stock means that, more than in other cities, you really need to book as far in advance as possible when planning a month-long stay.

At under a £1,000 monthly rate, much of the available accommodation in the streets behind Ipanema and Copacabana tends to be smaller, more dated studio units, and represents a substantial drop in size, specification and amenities compared to the same price as in say Buenos Aires.

Expect to pay an increasing premium the closer you get to the beachfront, especially towards Leblon. Prices spike dramatically during Carnival (late February/March), so unless you're specifically visiting for the festival, book around the entire period to avoid significantly inflated rates.

Accommodation costs are one of the reasons why I didn't feel that Rio was particularly well suited to remote work. While by global standards the prices remain good value, the premiums you are likely to pay to be based next to the beach or to visit during peak seasons are probably not justified when you are on a work-oriented trip.

In both Airbnbs I stayed in during my time in Brazil, there were notably strict security measures for building access. In both Rio and São Paulo, you needed to identify yourself at the main security entrance before being allowed into the building. While the security is welcome, it does create a degree of friction when passing through the building.

There's a more than adequate selection of coworking spaces across each of the key neighbourhoods from Leblon to Centro, but notably fewer top-quality options than you'd expect from a more renowned remote work hub.

WeWork has two options remaining, both in the slightly inconvenient Centro district, which, unless you already have membership access, probably aren't worth considering.

Arca Hub in Ipanema looked like one of the best options in terms of location and quality, and somewhere I would aim to be within close proximity to on a return visit.

Having spent the last month in both Buenos Aires and Santiago - Rio felt like incredible value as of December 2024. Eating out represented some of the best value you could find on the continent.

Filling, tasty local meals at lanchonetes can be found for around £5, with more sophisticated international options coming under £10. Speciality coffee and patisserie items are on par with the quality you would expect from somewhere twice the price, if not higher, in European cities.

Depending on where you head to, drinks in bars can be particularly inexpensive, with large bottles of beer available for a couple of pounds in casual outlets, though expect those prices to rise naturally in more sophisticated venues.

Even in the countless beachside bars, which are typically tourist traps wherever you set foot globally, costs remain consistently reasonable, offering similar prices and quality for food and drink to what you'd expect elsewhere in the city.

Metro tickets cost under £1, and getting around in the evenings via Uber is particularly inexpensive.

I can't think of many more exciting cities to visit for a week than Rio. It is so utterly distinctive in every perceptible way, especially over a weekend.

The rhythms of samba music appearing in the street, the ubiquitous flip-flops, the diabetes-inducing sweetness of a £2 Caipirinha on a crowded beach. Everything you've read, watched and heard about the city in this regard is probably completely true.

During the week, Centro feels like a conventional downtown business district where you can get on with your workday if you need some compartmentalisation between your working hours and free time.

If you love the beach and plan on spending a good proportion of your weekends on the sand, there may not be too many better options globally. It's not something I personally made the most of, as there would be no quicker way of being parted from your personal belongings than leaving them unattended at any point.

The major east coast cities operate on Brasília Time (BRT), which is GMT-3, putting them 3-4 hours behind most European time zones and 1-2 hours ahead of US Eastern Time throughout the year.

I started work at 7AM each day and while it required some earlier nights, it was easily achievable to remain in sync with colleagues across Europe.