Austin vs Barcelona vs Cape Town vs Mexico City vs New York City vs Rio de Janeiro vs Tbilisi

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Barcelona 🇪🇸 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Mexico City 🇲🇽 Remove	New York City 🇺🇸 Remove	Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Remove	Tbilisi 🇬🇪 Remove
Population	926,426	5,585,556	4,617,560	8,850,000	8,323,340	6,718,903	1,108,700
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	Catalan, Spanish	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Spanish	English (de facto)	Portuguese	Georgian
Level of English	Very high	High	Very high	Moderate	Very high	Low	Low
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Mexico City International Airport (MEX)	John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)	Galeão International Airport	Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	April - June, September - November	March - May, September - November	March - May, October, November	April - June, September - November	January - March, December	March - June
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	MXN - Mexican Peso ($)	USD - US Dollar ($)	BRL - Brazilian Real (R$)	GEL - Georgian Lari (₾)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost evewhere	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Widely accepted (less with AMEX)	Accepted everywhere	Accepted everywhere	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$3484	$2384	$1549	$1867	$5431	$1833	$1462
Rent	$1650	$932	$618	$778	$2891	$1066	$752
Groceries	$243	$121	$129	$281	$383	$95	$112
Dining out	$396	$403	$269	$182	$656	$210	$169
Cafe	$66	$45	$32	$49	$72	$25	$45
Coworking space	$331	$213	$151	$159	$326	$130	$125
Mobile internet	$40	$10	$27	$25	$45	$7	$4
Public transportation	$110	$127	$55	$11	$220	$33	$8
Taxis	$73	$48	$21	$9	$78	$14	$14
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$24	$49	$24	$30	$16	$27
Sport and cultural events	$54	$81	$19	$81	$100	$55	$21
Museums and sights	$11	$33	$15	$20	$74	$26	$9
Nightlife	$124	$112	$43	$64	$195	$54	$53
Gym	$62	$81	$36	$69	$55	$31	$33
Yoga	$139	$93	$56	$65	$197	$40	$37
Massage	$89	$59	$30	$51	$109	$32	$53
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Vodafone, Movistar	MTN, Vodacom	Telcel, Movistar	AT&T, Verizon	Tim, Claro, Vivo	Magti GSM, Geocell, Beeline
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 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	10-15% for restaurants, bars and services	15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars	10% usually included in restaurants, 10% at bars and cafes with table service is common	10% usually included in bill, not expected at bars or cafés.
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Cabify, FreeNow	Uber, Bolt	Uber	Uber, Lyft	Easy Taxi, 99 Taxi, Uber	Yandex, Bolt
Tap water	Drinkable	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.	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.	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.	Corn, beans, tortillas and chili peppers typically alongside meat and cheese	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.	Emphasis on rice, beans, pork and beef with a variety of root vegetables and fresh fruits. Fresh seafood is also very common.	Cuisine of the Caucasus meets regional diversity in Georgia. Emphasis on spices and meats (poultry, beef, pork and mutton) as well as soups and creams.
Local food specialities	Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos	Paella, bombas, esqueixada, pa amb tomáquet, escalivada, crema Catalana, gazpacho, chorizo	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Enchiladas, torta de chilaquiles, esquites, quesadillas, tlacoyos, tacos, tostadas	Pizza, clam chowder, bagels, corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, hot dogs, and hundred of other international food options.	Feijoada, bolinho de bacalhau, fried sardines, caldo verde, pao de queijo and brigadeiros.	Kachapuri, kuchmachi, khinkali, chikhirtma, kharcho with gomi, jonjoli
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	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Markets, food stalls, menú del día (cheap set lunch menus)	Delis, local pizza shops, street food stalls and food trucks, food markets, local bakeries and smaller, authentic international cuisine restaurants	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.	Small local restaurants, open bars, terraces and wine bars
Vegetarian / vegan options	30 options on HappyCow	98 options on HappyCow	24 options on HappyCow	279 listings on Happy Cow	309 options on HappyCow	54 options on Happy Cow	10 options on Happy Cow