Bangkok vs Hanoi vs Istanbul vs New York City vs Sofia

Bangkok ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ
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Hanoi ๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ
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Istanbul ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท
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New York City ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
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Sofia ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฌ
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Population 5,680,000 8,053,663 15,520,000 8,323,340 1,270,169
Official language(s) Thai Vietnamese Turkish English (de facto) Bulgarian
Level of English Low Moderate Low Very high High
Main airport Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) Nแป™i Bร i International Airport (HAN) Istanbul Airport (IST) John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Sofia International Airport (SOF)
Most common months to visit January - March, November, December January, February, October - December April - June, September and October April - June, September - November April-June, September-October
Currency THB - Thai Baht (เธฟ) VND - Vietnamese Dong (โ‚ซ) TRY - Turkish Lira (โ‚บ) USD - US Dollar ($) BGN - Bulgarian Lev (ะปะฒ)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred. Accepted in most places Accepted everywhere Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No No
Average monthly costs $1560 $1167 $659 $5431 $1289
Rent $616 $503 $354 $2891 $567
Groceries $191 $151 $44 $383 $10
Dining out $168 $134 $81 $656 $227
Cafe $45 $39 $18 $72 $27
Coworking space $127 $72 $49 $326 $140
Mobile internet $23 $4 $3 $45 $10
Public transportation $32 $20 $6 $220 $30
Taxis $19 $13 $6 $78 $12
Shared bicycles and scooters $17 $0 $2 $30 $40
Sport and cultural events $46 $3 $11 $100 $18
Museums and sights $21 $4 $15 $74 $12
Nightlife $50 $89 $22 $195 $82
Gym $96 $57 $9 $55 $23
Yoga $98 $57 $23 $197 $62
Massage $11 $21 $15 $109 $29
SIM card options AIS Viettel, Mobifone Turkcell, Turk Telekom AT&T, Verizon A1, Telenor, Vivacom
Tipping 10% for restaurants, bars and services Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%. Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafรฉs and bars 15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars 10% in restaurants, 1-2 BGN at bars and cafรฉs
Taxi apps Grab Grab, GoViet BiTaksi Uber, Lyft TaxiMe, TaxiStars
Tap water Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine Meat and fish dishes, vegetables, noodles and soup 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 fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish 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. 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 Pad thai, tom yam, kway teow reua, som tum, sooan Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight Pizza, clam chowder, bagels, corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, hot dogs, and hundred of other international food options. Kebapche, Bulgarian musaka, lyutenitsa, shkember chorba, kyufte, kavarma, banitsa and tarator
Eat like a local Food stalls, local markets, shophouse restaurants Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Delis, local pizza shops, street food stalls and food trucks, food markets, local bakeries and smaller, authentic international cuisine restaurants Taverns, local BBQ restaurants, local markets and smaller eateries in residential and university areas.
Vegetarian / vegan options 416 listings on Happy Cow 104 listings on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 309 options on HappyCow 20 options on HappyCow