Austin vs Barcelona vs Cape Town vs New York City

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Barcelona 🇪🇸 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	New York City 🇺🇸 Remove
Population	926,426	5,585,556	4,617,560	8,323,340
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	Catalan, Spanish	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	English (de facto)
Level of English	Very high	High	Very high	Very high
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	April - June, September - November	March - May, September - November	April - June, September - November
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	USD - US Dollar ($)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost evewhere	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	No	No
Average monthly costs	$3484	$2384	$1549	$5431
Rent	$1650	$932	$618	$2891
Groceries	$243	$121	$129	$383
Dining out	$396	$403	$269	$656
Cafe	$66	$45	$32	$72
Coworking space	$331	$213	$151	$326
Mobile internet	$40	$10	$27	$45
Public transportation	$110	$127	$55	$220
Taxis	$73	$48	$21	$78
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$24	$49	$30
Sport and cultural events	$54	$81	$19	$100
Museums and sights	$11	$33	$15	$74
Nightlife	$124	$112	$43	$195
Gym	$62	$81	$36	$55
Yoga	$139	$93	$56	$197
Massage	$89	$59	$30	$109
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Vodafone, Movistar	MTN, Vodacom	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 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Cabify, FreeNow	Uber, Bolt	Uber, Lyft
Tap water	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.	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.	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	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	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	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	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	24 options on HappyCow	309 options on HappyCow