Austin vs Barcelona vs Bogota vs Bucharest vs Budapest vs Chiang Mai vs New York City

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Barcelona 🇪🇸 Remove	Bogota 🇨🇴 Remove	Bucharest 🇷🇴 Remove	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Chiang Mai 🇹🇭 Remove	New York City 🇺🇸 Remove
Population	926,426	5,585,556	10,978,360	1,830,000	1,768,073	1,166,978	8,323,340
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	Catalan, Spanish	Spanish	Romanian	Hungarian	Thai	English (de facto)
Level of English	Very high	High	Low	High	High	Low	Very high
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)	El Dorado International Airport (BOG)	Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)	John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	April - June, September - November	January - March, December	April - October	March - June, September - November	November - April	April - June, September - November
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	COP - Colombian Peso ($)	RON - Romanian Leu (L)	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	THB - Thai Baht (฿)	USD - US Dollar ($)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost evewhere	Accepted everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted sometimes. Cash preferred in many places.	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Average monthly costs	$3484	$2384	$1097	$1351	$1230	$974	$5431
Rent	$1650	$932	$480	$615	$499	$274	$2891
Groceries	$243	$121	$82	$114	$108	$169	$383
Dining out	$396	$403	$174	$165	$202	$108	$656
Cafe	$66	$45	$22	$38	$29	$45	$72
Coworking space	$331	$213	$77	$133	$120	$95	$326
Mobile internet	$40	$10	$11	$7	$9	$11	$45
Public transportation	$110	$127	$23	$21	$36	$60	$220
Taxis	$73	$48	$28	$9	$27	$20	$78
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$24	$17	$25	$13	$10	$30
Sport and cultural events	$54	$81	$22	$29	$24	$8	$100
Museums and sights	$11	$33	$7	$29	$7	$8	$74
Nightlife	$124	$112	$46	$45	$43	$62	$195
Gym	$62	$81	$15	$30	$37	$41	$55
Yoga	$139	$93	$57	$59	$48	$55	$197
Massage	$89	$59	$37	$31	$26	$10	$109
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Vodafone, Movistar	Tigo, Movistar, Claro	Vodafone, Orange	Vodafone, Telenor	AIS, DTAC	AT&T, Verizon
Tipping	15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars	5-10% in restaurants if service is exceptional, not expected elsewhere	10% service included in all bills, not required or expected at bars without table service	5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis	10 - 15% at restaurants and bars	10% at restaurants, not customary or expected elsewhere	15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Cabify, FreeNow	Uber, Cabify	Star Taxi, Uber	Bolt, Fotaxi	Grab	Uber, Lyft
Tap water	Drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	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.	Catalan cuisine makes extensive use of Mediterranean vegetables, legumes mixed with pork in its many varieties, chicken and fish. Regularly mixes sweet and savory flavors in specific dishes. This cuisine is known for being bold in flavor and striking in color, with a variety of specific regional dishes found the culinary hub that is Barcelona.	Latin American. Dishes with beef, pork and chicken are often mixed with flour-based foods and fruity desserts. Heavy influence from the Andes and other Colombian regions.	Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine.	Magyar cuisine makes extensive use of creams, cheeses and sauces primarily in beef, chicken and pork dishes, mixed with seasonal vegetables, fruits and rich desserts.	Combines salty, sweet, spicy and sour flavors to create bold and colorful dishes. Meals typically include a mixture of meat and seafood dishes, as well as noodles or soups recipes. Strong emphasis on local spices and vegetables.	American. Emphasis on comfort and fast food, with some good seafood dishes. Influence from other regions of the US, North America and the world make NYC a cosmopolitan and international cuisine hub that is incredibly diverse.
Local food specialities	Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos	Paella, bombas, esqueixada, pa amb tomáquet, escalivada, crema Catalana, gazpacho, chorizo	Arepas, ajiaco santaferense, buñuelos, patacones, té de coca, changua	Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi	Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos	Khao soi, khan toke, sai oua, miang kham, nam prik, khanom jeen nam ngiaw, larb khua	Pizza, clam chowder, bagels, corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, hot dogs, and hundred of other international food options.
Eat like a local	Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries	Taverns, tapas bars, local markets, bodegas and street food spots	Local family restaurants and those from other regions. Menú del día. Community markets and sports bars.	Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Street food stalls, local markets, bakeries and smaller, traditional restaurants that serve fresh food	Delis, local pizza shops, street food stalls and food trucks, food markets, local bakeries and smaller, authentic international cuisine restaurants
Vegetarian / vegan options	30 options on HappyCow	98 options on HappyCow	104 options on Happy Cow	33 listings on Happy Cow	47 options on HappyCow	90 options on HappyCow	309 options on HappyCow