Austin vs Barcelona vs Bucharest vs Cape Town vs Da Nang vs Prague vs Rio de Janeiro

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Barcelona 🇪🇸 Remove	Bucharest 🇷🇴 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Da Nang 🇻🇳 Remove	Prague 🇨🇿 Remove	Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Remove
Population	926,426	5,585,556	1,830,000	4,617,560	1,125,316	1,305,737	6,718,903
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	Catalan, Spanish	Romanian	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Vietnamese	Czech	Portuguese
Level of English	Very high	High	High	Very high	Low	High	Low
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)	Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Da Nang International Airport (DAD)	Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)	Galeão International Airport
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	April - June, September - November	April - October	March - May, September - November	February - May	June - October	January - March, December
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	RON - Romanian Leu (L)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	CZK - Czech Koruna (Kč)	BRL - Brazilian Real (R$)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost evewhere	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted in some places. Cash also needed.	Accepted most places (some places are cash only)	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
Average monthly costs	$3484	$2384	$1351	$1549	$959	$1806	$1833
Rent	$1650	$932	$615	$618	$316	$780	$1066
Groceries	$243	$121	$114	$129	$161	$158	$95
Dining out	$396	$403	$165	$269	$128	$240	$210
Cafe	$66	$45	$38	$32	$35	$53	$25
Coworking space	$331	$213	$133	$151	$88	$175	$130
Mobile internet	$40	$10	$7	$27	$4	$24	$7
Public transportation	$110	$127	$21	$55	$15	$61	$33
Taxis	$73	$48	$9	$21	$15	$33	$14
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$24	$25	$49	$0	$19	$16
Sport and cultural events	$54	$81	$29	$19	$6	$19	$55
Museums and sights	$11	$33	$29	$15	$2	$35	$26
Nightlife	$124	$112	$45	$43	$74	$50	$54
Gym	$62	$81	$30	$36	$34	$56	$31
Yoga	$139	$93	$59	$56	$71	$66	$40
Massage	$89	$59	$31	$30	$10	$37	$32
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Vodafone, Movistar	Vodafone, Orange	MTN, Vodacom	Viettel, Vinafone	Vodafone, T-Mobile	Tim, Claro, Vivo
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	5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	5-15% in restaurants, round up at bars and cafes	10% at restaurants and bars, round up elsewhere	10% usually included in restaurants, 10% at bars and cafes with table service is common
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Cabify, FreeNow	Star Taxi, Uber	Uber, Bolt	Grab	Uber, Liftago	Easy Taxi, 99 Taxi, Uber
Tap water	Drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	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.	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.	Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine.	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 sautéed vegetables and dry-cured meats. Creamy desserts and liqueurs compliment large and flavorful meals.	Healthy and with robust flavors, Vietnamese cuisine combines noodles and rice with a variety of greens and local herbs to compliment specially seasoned pork, beef or seafood dishes. In Da Nang, you'll find a strong emphasis on barbecued seafood dishes as well as fish-based sauces.	Thick soups are often combined with stewed vegetables and baked meats to produce rich dishes. Gravies and creams are popular in Czech cuisine, as is beer!	Emphasis on rice, beans, pork and beef with a variety of root vegetables and fresh fruits. Fresh seafood is also very common.
Local food specialities	Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos	Paella, bombas, esqueixada, pa amb tomáquet, escalivada, crema Catalana, gazpacho, chorizo	Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Chao Tom, Bahn Xeo, Goi Cuon, Bun Thit Nuong, Bahn Cuon, Mi Quang, Bun nam, Bun cha ca	Vepřo knedlo zelo, Česnečka, Guláš, Svíčková na smetaně, Ovocné Knedlíky.	Feijoada, bolinho de bacalhau, fried sardines, caldo verde, pao de queijo and brigadeiros.
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	Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Smaller, local restaurants, roadside eateries, street food stalls and local markets	Pubs and taverns, street food stalls, local cafés	The "snack capital" of Brazil, Rio is a perfect place to try street food as well as the wide varieties of small, traditional eateries and churrascarias easily found across the city.
Vegetarian / vegan options	30 options on HappyCow	98 options on HappyCow	33 listings on Happy Cow	24 options on HappyCow	107 options on HappyCow	112 options on HappyCow	54 options on Happy Cow