Austin vs Bucharest vs Istanbul vs Lisbon

Austin ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
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Bucharest ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด
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Istanbul ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท
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Lisbon ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น
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Population 926,426 1,830,000 15,520,000 517,000
Official language(s) English (de facto) Romanian Turkish Portuguese
Level of English Very high High Low Very high
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Istanbul Airport (IST) Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November April - October April - June, September and October March - May, September, October
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) RON - Romanian Leu (L) TRY - Turkish Lira (โ‚บ) EUR - Euro (โ‚ฌ)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX)
Remote worker visa No No No Yes
Average monthly costs $3484 $1351 $659 $1984
Rent $1650 $615 $354 $965
Groceries $243 $114 $44 $136
Dining out $396 $165 $81 $271
Cafe $66 $38 $18 $37
Coworking space $331 $133 $49 $164
Mobile internet $40 $7 $3 $24
Public transportation $110 $21 $6 $63
Taxis $73 $9 $6 $27
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $25 $2 $18
Sport and cultural events $54 $29 $11 $29
Museums and sights $11 $29 $15 $24
Nightlife $124 $45 $22 $47
Gym $62 $30 $9 $65
Yoga $139 $59 $23 $65
Massage $89 $31 $15 $50
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. Vodafone, Orange Turkcell, Turk Telekom Vodafone
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 Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafรฉs and bars 5-10% for restaurants, not common at bars
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Star Taxi, Uber BiTaksi Uber, FreeNow
Tap water 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. Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine. A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish Fresh seafood, meats, soup, sausages and famous pastries
Local food specialities Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos Sarmale, mฤƒmฤƒligฤƒ, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbฤƒ de burtฤƒ, covrig, papanasi Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight Bacalhau ร  bras, sardinhas, petiscos, leitรฃo, polvo ร  lagareiro, pasteis de nata, bifana
Eat like a local Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 33 listings on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 401 listings on Happy Cow