Austin vs Bangkok vs Bucharest vs Buenos Aires vs Istanbul

Austin ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
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Bangkok ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ
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Bucharest ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด
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Buenos Aires ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท
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Istanbul ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท
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Population 926,426 5,680,000 1,830,000 2,900,000 15,520,000
Official language(s) English (de facto) Thai Romanian Spanish Turkish
Level of English Very high Low High High Low
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Istanbul Airport (IST)
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November January - March, November, December April - October September - December April - June, September and October
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) THB - Thai Baht (เธฟ) RON - Romanian Leu (L) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) TRY - Turkish Lira (โ‚บ)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted in most places
Remote worker visa No No No No No
Average monthly costs $3484 $1560 $1351 $1321 $659
Rent $1650 $616 $615 $844 $354
Groceries $243 $191 $114 $98 $44
Dining out $396 $168 $165 $121 $81
Cafe $66 $45 $38 $25 $18
Coworking space $331 $127 $133 $95 $49
Mobile internet $40 $23 $7 $11 $3
Public transportation $110 $32 $21 $9 $6
Taxis $73 $19 $9 $9 $6
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $17 $25 $14 $2
Sport and cultural events $54 $46 $29 $24 $11
Museums and sights $11 $21 $29 $4 $15
Nightlife $124 $50 $45 $23 $22
Gym $62 $96 $30 $14 $9
Yoga $139 $98 $59 $19 $23
Massage $89 $11 $31 $10 $15
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. AIS Vodafone, Orange Movistar, Claro, Personal Turkcell, Turk Telekom
Tipping 15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars 10% for restaurants, bars and services 5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis 10% at restaurants and cafรฉs is common, not common at bars Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafรฉs and bars
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Grab Star Taxi, Uber Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) BiTaksi
Tap water Drinkable Not drinkable Not 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. Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine. Argentinian style with an emphasis on red meats, pastries, and Italian-inspired options A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish
Local food specialities Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan Sarmale, mฤƒmฤƒligฤƒ, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbฤƒ de burtฤƒ, covrig, papanasi Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight
Eat like a local Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Local restaurants serving asados grill-to-dish (Parrillas), markets (San Telmo, Recoleta) and local cafรฉs for matรฉ and facturas Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 416 listings on Happy Cow 33 listings on Happy Cow 79 options on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow