Austin vs Barbados vs Cape Town vs Larnaca

	Austin 🇺🇸 Remove	Barbados 🇧🇧 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Larnaca 🇨🇾 Remove
Population	926,426	110,000	4,617,560	144,900
Official language(s)	English (de facto)	English, Bajan Creole	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Greek
Level of English	Very high	Very high	Very high	High
Main airport	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)	Bridgetown/Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Larnaca International Airport (LCA)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	November - May	March - May, September - November	March - May, October - December
Currency	USD - US Dollar ($)	BBD - Barbadian dollar ($)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	EUR - Euro (€)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted in some places, cash also needed for smaller businesses	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	No	No
Average monthly costs	$3484	$2702	$1549	$1959
Rent	$1650	$1054	$618	$678
Groceries	$243	$234	$129	$157
Dining out	$396	$345	$269	$261
Cafe	$66	$75	$32	$56
Coworking space	$331	$321	$151	$209
Mobile internet	$40	$49	$27	$35
Public transportation	$110	$35	$55	$63
Taxis	$73	$106	$21	$42
Shared bicycles and scooters	$96	$0	$49	$45
Sport and cultural events	$54	$37	$19	$28
Museums and sights	$11	$36	$15	$8
Nightlife	$124	$96	$43	$110
Gym	$62	$86	$36	$107
Yoga	$139	$130	$56	$105
Massage	$89	$99	$30	$54
SIM card options	AT&T, T-Mobile.	Digicel	MTN, Vodacom	Primetel, Cytamobile-Vodafone and Epic/MTN
Tipping	15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars	10 - 15% usually included in restaurants, add 10 - 15% at bars	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	10% usually added and expected at restaurants, round up at bars
Taxi apps	Uber, Lyft	None available	Uber, Bolt	nTaxi
Tap water	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.	Bajan cuisine features an eclectic mix of European, Asian, and Caribbean styles resulting in bold, tasty and crunchy meat or fish dishes with lots of spices, lime juice, thyme and salads laden with local vegetables and hot side dishes.	South African cuisine has been shaped by a long history of Dutch, Malay, British and Indian settlements, making the food diverse and strong in flavor. There is a strong emphasis on game in all of its different forms, as well as spicy sauces and sautéed vegetables and dry-cured meats. Creamy desserts and liqueurs compliment large and flavorful meals.	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	Cou-cou and flying fish, fish cakes, cutters, pudding and souse, macaroni pie, conkies, Bajan black cake, sea eggs	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Souvlaki, sheftalia, kleftiko, stifado, halloumi, koukepia and moussaka
Eat like a local	Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries	Food trucks, pubs, seaside street food, roadside carts, local seafood restaurants, smaller traditional restaurants and rum shops	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	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	14 options on HappyCow	24 options on HappyCow	14 options on HappyCow, but non-meat Mediterranean/Middle Eastern options are always available