Bangkok vs Barbados vs Barcelona vs Budapest vs Cape Town vs Madrid vs New York City

	Bangkok 🇹🇭 Remove	Barbados 🇧🇧 Remove	Barcelona 🇪🇸 Remove	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Madrid 🇪🇸 Remove	New York City 🇺🇸 Remove
Population	5,680,000	110,000	5,585,556	1,768,073	4,617,560	6,578,0179	8,323,340
Official language(s)	Thai	English, Bajan Creole	Catalan, Spanish	Hungarian	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Spanish	English (de facto)
Level of English	Low	Very high	High	High	Very high	Moderate	Very high
Main airport	Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)	Bridgetown/Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)	Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)	John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Most common months to visit	January - March, November, December	November - May	April - June, September - November	March - June, September - November	March - May, September - November	March - May, September - November	April - June, September - November
Currency	THB - Thai Baht (฿)	BBD - Barbadian dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	EUR - Euro (€)	USD - US Dollar ($)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted in some places, cash also needed for smaller businesses	Accepted almost evewhere	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted everywhere	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Average monthly costs	$1560	$2702	$2384	$1230	$1549	$2498	$5431
Rent	$616	$1054	$932	$499	$618	$1174	$2891
Groceries	$191	$234	$121	$108	$129	$175	$383
Dining out	$168	$345	$403	$202	$269	$313	$656
Cafe	$45	$75	$45	$29	$32	$51	$72
Coworking space	$127	$321	$213	$120	$151	$196	$326
Mobile internet	$23	$49	$10	$9	$27	$10	$45
Public transportation	$32	$35	$127	$36	$55	$78	$220
Taxis	$19	$106	$48	$27	$21	$44	$78
Shared bicycles and scooters	$17	$0	$24	$13	$49	$49	$30
Sport and cultural events	$46	$37	$81	$24	$19	$54	$100
Museums and sights	$21	$36	$33	$7	$15	$20	$74
Nightlife	$50	$96	$112	$43	$43	$82	$195
Gym	$96	$86	$81	$37	$36	$44	$55
Yoga	$98	$130	$93	$48	$56	$142	$197
Massage	$11	$99	$59	$26	$30	$64	$109
SIM card options	AIS	Digicel	Vodafone, Movistar	Vodafone, Telenor	MTN, Vodacom	Orange, Movistar, Vodafone	AT&T, Verizon
Tipping	10% for restaurants, bars and services	10 - 15% usually included in restaurants, add 10 - 15% at bars	5-10% in restaurants if service is exceptional, not expected elsewhere	10 - 15% at restaurants and bars	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	Not customary or expected but small tips are appreciated.	15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars
Taxi apps	Grab	None available	Cabify, FreeNow	Bolt, Fotaxi	Uber, Bolt	Uber, Cabify, MyTaxi Free Now	Uber, Lyft
Tap water	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Drinkable
Overall cuisine	Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup	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.	Catalan cuisine makes extensive use of Mediterranean vegetables, legumes mixed with pork in its many varieties, chicken and fish. Regularly mixes sweet and savory flavors in specific dishes. This cuisine is known for being bold in flavor and striking in color, with a variety of specific regional dishes found the culinary hub that is Barcelona.	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.	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.	Fresh, regional produce accentuated with garlic and olive oil and mixed with various meats and seafoods. Influenced both by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors.	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	Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan	Cou-cou and flying fish, fish cakes, cutters, pudding and souse, macaroni pie, conkies, Bajan black cake, sea eggs	Paella, bombas, esqueixada, pa amb tomáquet, escalivada, crema Catalana, gazpacho, chorizo	Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Paella, tapas, tortilla, gazpacho, pulpo a la gallega, callos a la madrileña, churros	Pizza, clam chowder, bagels, corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, hot dogs, and hundred of other international food options.
Eat like a local	Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants	Food trucks, pubs, seaside street food, roadside carts, local seafood restaurants, smaller traditional restaurants and rum shops	Taverns, tapas bars, local markets, bodegas and street food spots	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Have some tapas and sangria at a tasca and paella at an authentic eatery. Keep an eye on the time and visit a cafeteria for a mid-afternoon merienda and some churros!	Delis, local pizza shops, street food stalls and food trucks, food markets, local bakeries and smaller, authentic international cuisine restaurants
Vegetarian / vegan options	416 listings on Happy Cow	14 options on HappyCow	98 options on HappyCow	47 options on HappyCow	24 options on HappyCow	85 listings on Happy Cow	309 options on HappyCow