Visiting a poor Latin American city with a very high crime rate. What should I do about thieves?

Since guns are illegal without a permit, I've been considering different carry options (ranging from pepper spray, to knives, to retractable batons).​I've been watching a bunch of ccw-related videos on youtube, and for fun I decided to pepper spray myself... It is honestly the most painful experience I ever had. For the first 30 minutes, I was filled with extreme remorse for putting myself through such misery (however, now I'm happy I did it so at least I know what it was like, and that I'll be able to survive it in the future).​However, the severity of the pain (and the emotional distress it caused me for the first 30 minutes) is really making me question the ethics of using pepper spray vs criminals who are simply trying to take my possessions. The only thing of value I have is my smart phone, valued at around $500. Is it worth putting another human being through this experience for a mere $500 (which is easy for me to replace)?​At this point, I think I'm still going to carry my pepper spray, but only use it if I feel that my life is in danger. The small chance that my pepper spray could be taken away and used against me is not worth $500. In addition to my pepper spray, is it worth also carrying a knife just in case my life is in danger, or does this too only run the risk of escalating the situation since I'm untrained with them?​Basically, I'm asking for the best strategy to maximize my chance of survival (without caring so much about whether I lose my property, which can be easily replaced). via /r/CCW http://bit.ly/2AtAxYP