Austin vs Bucharest vs Budapest vs Hanoi vs Larnaca

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Bucharest 🇷🇴 Remove	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	Larnaca 🇨🇾 Remove
Population	926,426	1,830,000	1,768,073	8,053,663	144,900
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	Romanian	Hungarian	Vietnamese	Greek
Level of English	Very high	High	High	Moderate	High
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	Larnaca International Airport (LCA)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	April - October	March - June, September - November	January, February, October - December	March - May, October - December
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	RON - Romanian Leu (L)	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	EUR - Euro (€)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	No	No	No	No
Average monthly costs	$3484	$1351	$1230	$1167	$1959
Rent	$1650	$615	$499	$503	$678
Groceries	$243	$114	$108	$151	$157
Dining out	$396	$165	$202	$134	$261
Cafe	$66	$38	$29	$39	$56
Coworking space	$331	$133	$120	$72	$209
Mobile internet	$40	$7	$9	$4	$35
Public transportation	$110	$21	$36	$20	$63
Taxis	$73	$9	$27	$13	$42
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$25	$13	$0	$45
Sport and cultural events	$54	$29	$24	$3	$28
Museums and sights	$11	$29	$7	$4	$8
Nightlife	$124	$45	$43	$89	$110
Gym	$62	$30	$37	$57	$107
Yoga	$139	$59	$48	$57	$105
Massage	$89	$31	$26	$21	$54
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Vodafone, Orange	Vodafone, Telenor	Viettel, Mobifone	Primetel, Cytamobile-Vodafone and Epic/MTN
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 - 15% at restaurants and bars	Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%.	10% usually added and expected at restaurants, round up at bars
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Star Taxi, Uber	Bolt, Fotaxi	Grab, GoViet	nTaxi
Tap water	Drinkable	Not drinkable	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.	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.	A mix of French, Southeast Asian and Chinese with lots of fresh herbs and spices. Northern Vietnam cuisine includes a lot of fish and noodles.	Mediterranean style with emphasis on seafood, meats, olives, cheesed and traditional sauces. Some food with Middle Eastern influences as well..
Local food specialities	Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos	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	Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads	Souvlaki, sheftalia, kleftiko, stifado, halloumi, koukepia and moussaka
Eat like a local	Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries	Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food	Opt for smaller, outside eateries and taverns serving traditional foods. Fast food kebab shops and falafel bars offer authentic options, too.
Vegetarian / vegan options	30 options on HappyCow	33 listings on Happy Cow	47 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	14 options on HappyCow, but non-meat Mediterranean/Middle Eastern options are always available