Austin 🇺🇸
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Bucharest 🇷🇴
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Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
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Istanbul 🇹🇷
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Lviv 🇺🇦
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Sofia 🇧🇬
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Population | 926,426 | 1,830,000 | 2,900,000 | 15,520,000 | 731,387 | 1,270,169 |
Official language(s) | English (de facto) | Romanian | Spanish | Turkish | Ukrainian | Bulgarian |
Level of English | Very high | High | High | Low | Low | High |
Main airport | Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) | Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) | Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) | 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 | April - June, September and October | May - September | April-June, September-October |
Currency | USD - US Dollar ($) | RON - Romanian Leu (L) | ARS - Argentine Peso ($) | TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) | UAH - Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴) | BGN - Bulgarian Lev (лв) |
Credit cards | Accepted almost everywhere | Accepted almost everywhere | Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) | Accepted in most places | Accepted almost everywhere | Accepted everywhere |
Remote worker visa | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Average monthly costs | $3484 | $1351 | $1321 | $659 | $922 | $1289 |
Rent | $1650 | $615 | $844 | $354 | $400 | $567 |
Groceries | $243 | $114 | $98 | $44 | $91 | $10 |
Dining out | $396 | $165 | $121 | $81 | $151 | $227 |
Cafe | $66 | $38 | $25 | $18 | $21 | $27 |
Coworking space | $331 | $133 | $95 | $49 | $79 | $140 |
Mobile internet | $40 | $7 | $11 | $3 | $4 | $10 |
Public transportation | $110 | $21 | $9 | $6 | $5 | $30 |
Taxis | $73 | $9 | $9 | $6 | $12 | $12 |
Shared bicycles and scooters | $96 | $25 | $14 | $2 | $16 | $40 |
Sport and cultural events | $54 | $29 | $24 | $11 | $13 | $18 |
Museums and sights | $11 | $29 | $4 | $15 | $9 | $12 |
Nightlife | $124 | $45 | $23 | $22 | $43 | $82 |
Gym | $62 | $30 | $14 | $9 | $22 | $23 |
Yoga | $139 | $59 | $19 | $23 | $30 | $62 |
Massage | $89 | $31 | $10 | $15 | $27 | $29 |
SIM card options | AT&T, T-Mobile. | Vodafone, Orange | Movistar, Claro, Personal | 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 | 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) | BiTaksi | Uber, Uklon | TaxiMe, TaxiStars |
Tap water | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 59 listings on Happy Cow | 9 options on HappyCow | 20 options on HappyCow |