Austin vs Budapest vs Hanoi vs Medellin vs New York City

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	Medellin 🇨🇴 Remove	New York City 🇺🇸 Remove
Population	926,426	1,768,073	8,053,663	2,427,000	8,323,340
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	Hungarian	Vietnamese	Spanish	English (de facto)
Level of English	Very high	High	Moderate	Low	Very high
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	José María Córdova International Airport (MDE)	John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	March - June, September - November	January, February, October - December	January - April, December	April - June, September - November
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	COP - Colombian Peso ($)	USD - US Dollar ($)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted in some places	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	No	No	No	No
Average monthly costs	$3484	$1230	$1167	$1293	$5431
Rent	$1650	$499	$503	$732	$2891
Groceries	$243	$108	$151	$87	$383
Dining out	$396	$202	$134	$131	$656
Cafe	$66	$29	$39	$18	$72
Coworking space	$331	$120	$72	$96	$326
Mobile internet	$40	$9	$4	$16	$45
Public transportation	$110	$36	$20	$21	$220
Taxis	$73	$27	$13	$14	$78
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$13	$0	$0	$30
Sport and cultural events	$54	$24	$3	$8	$100
Museums and sights	$11	$7	$4	$9	$74
Nightlife	$124	$43	$89	$73	$195
Gym	$62	$37	$57	$15	$55
Yoga	$139	$48	$57	$54	$197
Massage	$89	$26	$21	$20	$109
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Vodafone, Telenor	Viettel, Mobifone	Claro, Tigo	AT&T, Verizon
Tipping	15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars	10 - 15% at restaurants and bars	Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%.	Tip 10% in restaurants	15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	Bolt, Fotaxi	Grab, GoViet	EasyTaxi	Uber, Lyft
Tap water	Drinkable	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.	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.	A blend of indigenous and European traditions with rice, maize, cassava, assorted legumes, and meats	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	Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos	Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads	Bandeja paisa, ajiaco, mondongo, empanada, and arepa	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	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food	Street stalls for empanada and arepa with cheese, restaurants for traditional Colombian 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	47 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	153 listings on Happy Cow	309 options on HappyCow