Austin vs Berlin vs Bucharest vs Budapest vs Madrid

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Berlin 🇩🇪 Remove	Bucharest 🇷🇴 Remove	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Madrid 🇪🇸 Remove
Population	926,426	3,400,000	1,830,000	1,768,073	6,578,0179
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	German	Romanian	Hungarian	Spanish
Level of English	Very high	Very high	High	High	Moderate
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Berlin Tegel (TXL)	Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	May - September	April - October	March - June, September - November	March - May, September - November
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	RON - Romanian Leu (L)	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	EUR - Euro (€)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted in some places but cash often preferred	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$3484	$2200	$1351	$1230	$2498
Rent	$1650	$939	$615	$499	$1174
Groceries	$243	$188	$114	$108	$175
Dining out	$396	$271	$165	$202	$313
Cafe	$66	$57	$38	$29	$51
Coworking space	$331	$174	$133	$120	$196
Mobile internet	$40	$23	$7	$9	$10
Public transportation	$110	$88	$21	$36	$78
Taxis	$73	$58	$9	$27	$44
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$17	$25	$13	$49
Sport and cultural events	$54	$64	$29	$24	$54
Museums and sights	$11	$37	$29	$7	$20
Nightlife	$124	$63	$45	$43	$82
Gym	$62	$66	$30	$37	$44
Yoga	$139	$99	$59	$48	$142
Massage	$89	$56	$31	$26	$64
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone	Vodafone, Orange	Vodafone, Telenor	Orange, Movistar, Vodafone
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 and bars	Not customary or expected but small tips are appreciated.
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Mytaxi, Uber	Star Taxi, Uber	Bolt, Fotaxi	Uber, Cabify, MyTaxi Free Now
Tap water	Drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	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.	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.	Fresh, regional produce accentuated with garlic and olive oil and mixed with various meats and seafoods. Influenced both by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors.
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	Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos	Paella, tapas, tortilla, gazpacho, pulpo a la gallega, callos a la madrileña, churros
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	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Have some tapas and sangria at a tasca and paella at an authentic eatery. Keep an eye on the time and visit a cafeteria for a mid-afternoon merienda and some churros!
Vegetarian / vegan options	30 options on HappyCow	844 listings on Happy Cow	33 listings on Happy Cow	47 options on HappyCow	85 listings on Happy Cow