Austin vs Berlin vs Bucharest vs Cape Town vs Prague

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Berlin 🇩🇪 Remove	Bucharest 🇷🇴 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Prague 🇨🇿 Remove
Population	926,426	3,400,000	1,830,000	4,617,560	1,305,737
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	German	Romanian	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Czech
Level of English	Very high	Very high	High	Very high	High
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Berlin Tegel (TXL)	Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	May - September	April - October	March - May, September - November	June - October
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	RON - Romanian Leu (L)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	CZK - Czech Koruna (Kč)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted in some places but cash often preferred	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted most places (some places are cash only)
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$3484	$2200	$1351	$1549	$1806
Rent	$1650	$939	$615	$618	$780
Groceries	$243	$188	$114	$129	$158
Dining out	$396	$271	$165	$269	$240
Cafe	$66	$57	$38	$32	$53
Coworking space	$331	$174	$133	$151	$175
Mobile internet	$40	$23	$7	$27	$24
Public transportation	$110	$88	$21	$55	$61
Taxis	$73	$58	$9	$21	$33
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$17	$25	$49	$19
Sport and cultural events	$54	$64	$29	$19	$19
Museums and sights	$11	$37	$29	$15	$35
Nightlife	$124	$63	$45	$43	$50
Gym	$62	$66	$30	$36	$56
Yoga	$139	$99	$59	$56	$66
Massage	$89	$56	$31	$30	$37
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone	Vodafone, Orange	MTN, Vodacom	Vodafone, T-Mobile
Tipping	15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars	Round up for restaurants, not common for bars and services	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	10% at restaurants and bars, round up elsewhere
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Mytaxi, Uber	Star Taxi, Uber	Uber, Bolt	Uber, Liftago
Tap water	Drinkable	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.	Heavy and hearty meals with plenty of meat, potatoes and bread	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.	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!
Local food specialities	Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos	Currywurst, spätzle, königsberger klopse, schnitzel, eisbein, doner kebab, pretzels	Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Vepřo knedlo zelo, Česnečka, Guláš, Svíčková na smetaně, Ovocné Knedlíky.
Eat like a local	Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries	Brew pubs, cafes, bars, deli shops	Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Pubs and taverns, street food stalls, local cafés
Vegetarian / vegan options	30 options on HappyCow	844 listings on Happy Cow	33 listings on Happy Cow	24 options on HappyCow	112 options on HappyCow