Austin vs Bangkok vs Cape Town vs Lisbon vs Lviv vs Sofia

Austin ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
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Bangkok ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ
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Cape Town ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ
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Lisbon ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น
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Lviv ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ
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Sofia ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฌ
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Population 926,426 5,680,000 4,617,560 517,000 731,387 1,270,169
Official language(s) English (de facto) Thai Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English Portuguese Ukrainian Bulgarian
Level of English Very high Low Very high Very high Low High
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Cape Town International Airport (CPT) Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport (LWO) Sofia International Airport (SOF)
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November January - March, November, December March - May, September - November March - May, September, October May - September April-June, September-October
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) THB - Thai Baht (เธฟ) ZAR - South African Rand (R) EUR - Euro (โ‚ฌ) UAH - Ukrainian Hryvnia (โ‚ด) BGN - Bulgarian Lev (ะปะฒ)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX) Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No Yes No No
Average monthly costs $3484 $1560 $1549 $1984 $922 $1289
Rent $1650 $616 $618 $965 $400 $567
Groceries $243 $191 $129 $136 $91 $10
Dining out $396 $168 $269 $271 $151 $227
Cafe $66 $45 $32 $37 $21 $27
Coworking space $331 $127 $151 $164 $79 $140
Mobile internet $40 $23 $27 $24 $4 $10
Public transportation $110 $32 $55 $63 $5 $30
Taxis $73 $19 $21 $27 $12 $12
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $17 $49 $18 $16 $40
Sport and cultural events $54 $46 $19 $29 $13 $18
Museums and sights $11 $21 $15 $24 $9 $12
Nightlife $124 $50 $43 $47 $43 $82
Gym $62 $96 $36 $65 $22 $23
Yoga $139 $98 $56 $65 $30 $62
Massage $89 $11 $30 $50 $27 $29
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. AIS MTN, Vodacom Vodafone Vodafone, Kyivstar A1, Telenor, Vivacom
Tipping 15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars 10% for restaurants, bars and services 10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere 5-10% for restaurants, not common at bars 10% in restaurants, not expected elsewhere 10% in restaurants, 1-2 BGN at bars and cafรฉs
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Grab Uber, Bolt Uber, FreeNow Uber, Uklon TaxiMe, TaxiStars
Tap water Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine Emphasis on barbecued meats (beef and pork) as well as corn-based dishes and tex-mex, and rich American-style desserts. Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup 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 Slavic. Emphasis on frilled meats combined with potatoes, carrots, pickles and cabbage. Creamy deserts often elaborated with cottage cheese. Lviv enjoys culinary influences from Kiev (traditional with an emphasis on chicken) and Odessa (various seafood dishes). Vegetables and mild spices are often mixed with dairy products to create rich chicken and pork products. Seafood dishes also popular in some regions of the country, making them popular in the capital.
Local food specialities Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan 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 Lviv cheesecake, fish Zupa, Tsivikli, Karmanadli, Banosh, Borscht, Salo, Syrnyky Kebapche, Bulgarian musaka, lyutenitsa, shkember chorba, kyufte, kavarma, banitsa and tarator
Eat like a local Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants Local grills, themed taverns, local breweries, small bakeries Taverns, local BBQ restaurants, local markets and smaller eateries in residential and university areas.
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 416 listings on Happy Cow 24 options on HappyCow 401 listings on Happy Cow 9 options on HappyCow 20 options on HappyCow