Austin vs Bucharest vs Buenos Aires vs Cape Town vs Istanbul vs Lviv vs Sofia

Austin 🇺🇸
Remove
Bucharest 🇷🇴
Remove
Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
Remove
Cape Town 🇿🇦
Remove
Istanbul 🇹🇷
Remove
Lviv 🇺🇦
Remove
Sofia 🇧🇬
Remove
Population 926,426 1,830,000 2,900,000 4,617,560 15,520,000 731,387 1,270,169
Official language(s) English (de facto) Romanian Spanish Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English Turkish Ukrainian Bulgarian
Level of English Very high High High Very high Low Low High
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Cape Town International Airport (CPT) Istanbul Airport (IST) Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport (LWO) Sofia International Airport (SOF)
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November April - October September - December March - May, September - November April - June, September and October May - September April-June, September-October
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) RON - Romanian Leu (L) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) ZAR - South African Rand (R) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) UAH - Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴) BGN - Bulgarian Lev (лв)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No No No No
Average monthly costs $3484 $1351 $1321 $1549 $659 $922 $1289
Rent $1650 $615 $844 $618 $354 $400 $567
Groceries $243 $114 $98 $129 $44 $91 $10
Dining out $396 $165 $121 $269 $81 $151 $227
Cafe $66 $38 $25 $32 $18 $21 $27
Coworking space $331 $133 $95 $151 $49 $79 $140
Mobile internet $40 $7 $11 $27 $3 $4 $10
Public transportation $110 $21 $9 $55 $6 $5 $30
Taxis $73 $9 $9 $21 $6 $12 $12
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $25 $14 $49 $2 $16 $40
Sport and cultural events $54 $29 $24 $19 $11 $13 $18
Museums and sights $11 $29 $4 $15 $15 $9 $12
Nightlife $124 $45 $23 $43 $22 $43 $82
Gym $62 $30 $14 $36 $9 $22 $23
Yoga $139 $59 $19 $56 $23 $30 $62
Massage $89 $31 $10 $30 $15 $27 $29
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. Vodafone, Orange Movistar, Claro, Personal MTN, Vodacom Turkcell, Turk Telekom Vodafone, Kyivstar A1, Telenor, Vivacom
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 10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars 10% in restaurants, not expected elsewhere 10% in restaurants, 1-2 BGN at bars and cafés
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Star Taxi, Uber Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) Uber, Bolt BiTaksi Uber, Uklon TaxiMe, TaxiStars
Tap water Drinkable Not drinkable Not 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. 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 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. A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish 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). Vegetables and mild spices are often mixed with dairy products to create rich chicken and pork products. Seafood dishes also popular in some regions of the country, making them popular in the capital.
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 Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight Lviv cheesecake, fish Zupa, Tsivikli, Karmanadli, Banosh, Borscht, Salo, Syrnyky Kebapche, Bulgarian musaka, lyutenitsa, shkember chorba, kyufte, kavarma, banitsa and tarator
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 Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Local grills, themed taverns, local breweries, small bakeries Taverns, local BBQ restaurants, local markets and smaller eateries in residential and university areas.
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 33 listings on Happy Cow 79 options on Happy Cow 24 options on HappyCow 59 listings on Happy Cow 9 options on HappyCow 20 options on HappyCow