Austin vs Berlin vs Budapest vs Hanoi vs New York City

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Berlin 🇩🇪 Remove	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	New York City 🇺🇸 Remove
Population	926,426	3,400,000	1,768,073	8,053,663	8,323,340
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	German	Hungarian	Vietnamese	English (de facto)
Level of English	Very high	Very high	High	Moderate	Very high
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Berlin Tegel (TXL)	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	May - September	March - June, September - November	January, February, October - December	April - June, September - November
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	USD - US Dollar ($)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted in some places but cash often preferred	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	No	No	No
Average monthly costs	$3484	$2200	$1230	$1167	$5431
Rent	$1650	$939	$499	$503	$2891
Groceries	$243	$188	$108	$151	$383
Dining out	$396	$271	$202	$134	$656
Cafe	$66	$57	$29	$39	$72
Coworking space	$331	$174	$120	$72	$326
Mobile internet	$40	$23	$9	$4	$45
Public transportation	$110	$88	$36	$20	$220
Taxis	$73	$58	$27	$13	$78
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$17	$13	$0	$30
Sport and cultural events	$54	$64	$24	$3	$100
Museums and sights	$11	$37	$7	$4	$74
Nightlife	$124	$63	$43	$89	$195
Gym	$62	$66	$37	$57	$55
Yoga	$139	$99	$48	$57	$197
Massage	$89	$56	$26	$21	$109
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone	Vodafone, Telenor	Viettel, Mobifone	AT&T, Verizon
Tipping	15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars	Round up for restaurants, not common for bars and services	10 - 15% at restaurants and bars	Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%.	15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Mytaxi, Uber	Bolt, Fotaxi	Grab, GoViet	Uber, Lyft
Tap water	Drinkable	Drinkable	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.	Heavy and hearty meals with plenty of meat, potatoes and bread	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.	American. Emphasis on comfort and fast food, with some good seafood dishes. Influence from other regions of the US, North America and the world make NYC a cosmopolitan and international cuisine hub that is incredibly diverse.
Local food specialities	Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos	Currywurst, spätzle, königsberger klopse, schnitzel, eisbein, doner kebab, pretzels	Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos	Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads	Pizza, clam chowder, bagels, corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, hot dogs, and hundred of other international food options.
Eat like a local	Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries	Brew pubs, cafes, bars, deli shops	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food	Delis, local pizza shops, street food stalls and food trucks, food markets, local bakeries and smaller, authentic international cuisine restaurants
Vegetarian / vegan options	30 options on HappyCow	844 listings on Happy Cow	47 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	309 options on HappyCow