Bangkok vs Budapest vs Cape Town vs Hanoi vs Panama City

	Bangkok 🇹🇭 Remove	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	Panama City 🇵🇦 Remove
Population	5,680,000	1,768,073	4,617,560	8,053,663	880,691
Official language(s)	Thai	Hungarian	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Vietnamese	Spanish
Level of English	Low	High	Very high	Moderate	Low
Main airport	Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
Most common months to visit	January - March, November, December	March - June, September - November	March - May, September - November	January, February, October - December	December - April
Currency	THB - Thai Baht (฿)	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	PAB - Panamanian Balboa (B/.)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted almost everywhere but not in smaller shops.
Remote worker visa	No	No	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$1560	$1230	$1549	$1167	$2359
Rent	$616	$499	$618	$503	$1036
Groceries	$191	$108	$129	$151	$236
Dining out	$168	$202	$269	$134	$371
Cafe	$45	$29	$32	$39	$43
Coworking space	$127	$120	$151	$72	$157
Mobile internet	$23	$9	$27	$4	$21
Public transportation	$32	$36	$55	$20	$12
Taxis	$19	$27	$21	$13	$48
Shared bicycles and scooters	$17	$13	$49	$0	$0
Sport and cultural events	$46	$24	$19	$3	$35
Museums and sights	$21	$7	$15	$4	$9
Nightlife	$50	$43	$43	$89	$117
Gym	$96	$37	$36	$57	$37
Yoga	$98	$48	$56	$57	$163
Massage	$11	$26	$30	$21	$75
SIM card options	AIS	Vodafone, Telenor	MTN, Vodacom	Viettel, Mobifone	Claro, Movistar
Tipping	10% for restaurants, bars and services	10 - 15% at restaurants and bars	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%.	10% in restaurants, round up elsewhere
Taxi apps	Grab	Bolt, Fotaxi	Uber, Bolt	Grab, GoViet	Uber, Tu Chofer
Tap water	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup	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.	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.	Latin American. Emphasis on rice, beans, coconut, and local fruits and vegetables. Pork and beef are regularly used and influence from the islands gives seafood dishes a prominent spot in Panamanian cuisine.
Local food specialities	Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan	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	Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads	Sancocho de gallina, carimanola, empanadas, tamales panameños, tostones, ropa vieja
Eat like a local	Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food	Fondas (roadside stalls), smaller local restaurants, local markets, food trucks
Vegetarian / vegan options	416 listings on Happy Cow	47 options on HappyCow	24 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	7 options on HappyCow