Austin vs Bangkok vs Cape Town vs Istanbul vs Lviv vs Valencia

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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Istanbul ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท
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Lviv ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ
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Valencia ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ
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Population 926,426 5,680,000 4,617,560 15,520,000 731,387 834,000
Official language(s) English (de facto) Thai Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English Turkish Ukrainian Spanish, Valencian
Level of English Very high Low Very high Low Low Moderate
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Cape Town International Airport (CPT) Istanbul Airport (IST) Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport (LWO) Valencia Manises Airport (VLC)
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November January - March, November, December March - May, September - November April - June, September and October May - September March - June, September, October
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) THB - Thai Baht (เธฟ) ZAR - South African Rand (R) TRY - Turkish Lira (โ‚บ) UAH - Ukrainian Hryvnia (โ‚ด) EUR - Euro (โ‚ฌ)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No No Yes
Average monthly costs $3484 $1560 $1549 $659 $922 $1976
Rent $1650 $616 $618 $354 $400 $869
Groceries $243 $191 $129 $44 $91 $146
Dining out $396 $168 $269 $81 $151 $292
Cafe $66 $45 $32 $18 $21 $42
Coworking space $331 $127 $151 $49 $79 $152
Mobile internet $40 $23 $27 $3 $4 $16
Public transportation $110 $32 $55 $6 $5 $38
Taxis $73 $19 $21 $6 $12 $42
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $17 $49 $2 $16 $30
Sport and cultural events $54 $46 $19 $11 $13 $73
Museums and sights $11 $21 $15 $15 $9 $44
Nightlife $124 $50 $43 $22 $43 $66
Gym $62 $96 $36 $9 $22 $34
Yoga $139 $98 $56 $23 $30 $87
Massage $89 $11 $30 $15 $27 $45
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. AIS MTN, Vodacom Turkcell, Turk Telekom Vodafone, Kyivstar Vodafone, Orange
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 Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafรฉs and bars 10% in restaurants, not expected elsewhere Round up for good service at restaurants, not common at bars
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Grab Uber, Bolt BiTaksi Uber, Uklon Cabify, FreeNow
Tap water Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable 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. A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish 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). Mediterranean style using vegetables, seafoods and meats
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 Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight Lviv cheesecake, fish Zupa, Tsivikli, Karmanadli, Banosh, Borscht, Salo, Syrnyky Paella, fideuร , esgarrat, orxata, bunyols
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 Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Local grills, themed taverns, local breweries, small bakeries Tapas bars, markets, menu del dia (cheap set lunches)
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 416 listings on Happy Cow 24 options on HappyCow 59 listings on Happy Cow 9 options on HappyCow 98 listings on Happy Cow