Austin vs Bucharest vs Buenos Aires vs Istanbul vs Lisbon vs Lviv

Austin 🇺🇸
Remove
Bucharest 🇷🇴
Remove
Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
Remove
Istanbul 🇹🇷
Remove
Lisbon 🇵🇹
Remove
Lviv 🇺🇦
Remove
Population 926,426 1,830,000 2,900,000 15,520,000 517,000 731,387
Official language(s) English (de facto) Romanian Spanish Turkish Portuguese Ukrainian
Level of English Very high High High Low Very high Low
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Istanbul Airport (IST) Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport (LWO)
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November April - October September - December April - June, September and October March - May, September, October May - September
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) RON - Romanian Leu (L) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) EUR - Euro (€) UAH - Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX) Accepted almost everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No Yes No
Average monthly costs $3484 $1351 $1321 $659 $1984 $922
Rent $1650 $615 $844 $354 $965 $400
Groceries $243 $114 $98 $44 $136 $91
Dining out $396 $165 $121 $81 $271 $151
Cafe $66 $38 $25 $18 $37 $21
Coworking space $331 $133 $95 $49 $164 $79
Mobile internet $40 $7 $11 $3 $24 $4
Public transportation $110 $21 $9 $6 $63 $5
Taxis $73 $9 $9 $6 $27 $12
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $25 $14 $2 $18 $16
Sport and cultural events $54 $29 $24 $11 $29 $13
Museums and sights $11 $29 $4 $15 $24 $9
Nightlife $124 $45 $23 $22 $47 $43
Gym $62 $30 $14 $9 $65 $22
Yoga $139 $59 $19 $23 $65 $30
Massage $89 $31 $10 $15 $50 $27
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. Vodafone, Orange Movistar, Claro, Personal Turkcell, Turk Telekom Vodafone Vodafone, Kyivstar
Tipping 15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars 5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis 10% at restaurants and cafés is common, not common at bars Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars 5-10% for restaurants, not common at bars 10% in restaurants, not expected elsewhere
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Star Taxi, Uber Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) BiTaksi Uber, FreeNow Uber, Uklon
Tap water Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable 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. 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 Fresh seafood, meats, soup, sausages and famous pastries Slavic. Emphasis on frilled meats combined with potatoes, carrots, pickles and cabbage. Creamy deserts often elaborated with cottage cheese. Lviv enjoys culinary influences from Kiev (traditional with an emphasis on chicken) and Odessa (various seafood dishes).
Local food specialities Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight Bacalhau à bras, sardinhas, petiscos, leitão, polvo à lagareiro, pasteis de nata, bifana Lviv cheesecake, fish Zupa, Tsivikli, Karmanadli, Banosh, Borscht, Salo, Syrnyky
Eat like a local Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Local restaurants serving asados grill-to-dish (Parrillas), markets (San Telmo, Recoleta) and local cafés for maté and facturas Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants Local grills, themed taverns, local breweries, small bakeries
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 33 listings on Happy Cow 79 options on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 401 listings on Happy Cow 9 options on HappyCow