Barbados vs Barcelona vs Bucharest vs Chiang Mai vs Hanoi vs Istanbul vs Panama City

	Barbados 🇧🇧 Remove	Barcelona 🇪🇸 Remove	Bucharest 🇷🇴 Remove	Chiang Mai 🇹🇭 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	Istanbul 🇹🇷 Remove	Panama City 🇵🇦 Remove
Population	110,000	5,585,556	1,830,000	1,166,978	8,053,663	15,520,000	880,691
Official language(s)	English, Bajan Creole	Catalan, Spanish	Romanian	Thai	Vietnamese	Turkish	Spanish
Level of English	Very high	High	High	Low	Moderate	Low	Low
Main airport	Bridgetown/Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)	Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)	Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)	Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	Istanbul Airport (IST)	Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
Most common months to visit	November - May	April - June, September - November	April - October	November - April	January, February, October - December	April - June, September and October	December - April
Currency	BBD - Barbadian dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	RON - Romanian Leu (L)	THB - Thai Baht (฿)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	TRY - Turkish Lira (₺)	PAB - Panamanian Balboa (B/.)
Credit cards	Accepted in some places, cash also needed for smaller businesses	Accepted almost evewhere	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted sometimes. Cash preferred in many places.	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted in most places	Accepted almost everywhere but not in smaller shops.
Remote worker visa	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$2702	$2384	$1351	$974	$1167	$659	$2359
Rent	$1054	$932	$615	$274	$503	$354	$1036
Groceries	$234	$121	$114	$169	$151	$44	$236
Dining out	$345	$403	$165	$108	$134	$81	$371
Cafe	$75	$45	$38	$45	$39	$18	$43
Coworking space	$321	$213	$133	$95	$72	$49	$157
Mobile internet	$49	$10	$7	$11	$4	$3	$21
Public transportation	$35	$127	$21	$60	$20	$6	$12
Taxis	$106	$48	$9	$20	$13	$6	$48
Shared bicycles and scooters	$0	$24	$25	$10	$0	$2	$0
Sport and cultural events	$37	$81	$29	$8	$3	$11	$35
Museums and sights	$36	$33	$29	$8	$4	$15	$9
Nightlife	$96	$112	$45	$62	$89	$22	$117
Gym	$86	$81	$30	$41	$57	$9	$37
Yoga	$130	$93	$59	$55	$57	$23	$163
Massage	$99	$59	$31	$10	$21	$15	$75
SIM card options	Digicel	Vodafone, Movistar	Vodafone, Orange	AIS, DTAC	Viettel, Mobifone	Turkcell, Turk Telekom	Claro, Movistar
Tipping	10 - 15% usually included in restaurants, add 10 - 15% at bars	5-10% in restaurants if service is exceptional, not expected elsewhere	5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis	10% at restaurants, not customary or expected elsewhere	Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%.	Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars	10% in restaurants, round up elsewhere
Taxi apps	None available	Cabify, FreeNow	Star Taxi, Uber	Grab	Grab, GoViet	BiTaksi	Uber, Tu Chofer
Tap water	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	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.	Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine.	Combines salty, sweet, spicy and sour flavors to create bold and colorful dishes. Meals typically include a mixture of meat and seafood dishes, as well as noodles or soups recipes. Strong emphasis on local spices and vegetables.	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	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	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	Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi	Khao soi, khan toke, sai oua, miang kham, nam prik, khanom jeen nam ngiaw, larb khua	Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads	Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight	Sancocho de gallina, carimanola, empanadas, tamales panameños, tostones, ropa vieja
Eat like a local	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	Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias	Street food stalls, local markets, bakeries and smaller, traditional restaurants that serve fresh food	Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food	Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee	Fondas (roadside stalls), smaller local restaurants, local markets, food trucks
Vegetarian / vegan options	14 options on HappyCow	98 options on HappyCow	33 listings on Happy Cow	90 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	59 listings on Happy Cow	7 options on HappyCow