Barbados vs Berlin vs Cape Town vs New York City

	Barbados 🇧🇧 Remove	Berlin 🇩🇪 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	New York City 🇺🇸 Remove
Population	110,000	3,400,000	4,617,560	8,323,340
Official language(s)	English, Bajan Creole	German	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	English (de facto)
Level of English	Very high	Very high	Very high	Very high
Main airport	Bridgetown/Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)	Berlin Tegel (TXL)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Most common months to visit	November - May	May - September	March - May, September - November	April - June, September - November
Currency	BBD - Barbadian dollar ($)	EUR - Euro (€)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	USD - US Dollar ($)
Credit cards	Accepted in some places, cash also needed for smaller businesses	Accepted in some places but cash often preferred	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	Yes	Yes	No	No
Average monthly costs	$2702	$2200	$1549	$5431
Rent	$1054	$939	$618	$2891
Groceries	$234	$188	$129	$383
Dining out	$345	$271	$269	$656
Cafe	$75	$57	$32	$72
Coworking space	$321	$174	$151	$326
Mobile internet	$49	$23	$27	$45
Public transportation	$35	$88	$55	$220
Taxis	$106	$58	$21	$78
Shared bicycles and scooters	$0	$17	$49	$30
Sport and cultural events	$37	$64	$19	$100
Museums and sights	$36	$37	$15	$74
Nightlife	$96	$63	$43	$195
Gym	$86	$66	$36	$55
Yoga	$130	$99	$56	$197
Massage	$99	$56	$30	$109
SIM card options	Digicel	Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone	MTN, Vodacom	AT&T, Verizon
Tipping	10 - 15% usually included in restaurants, add 10 - 15% at bars	Round up for restaurants, not common for bars and services	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars
Taxi apps	None available	Mytaxi, Uber	Uber, Bolt	Uber, Lyft
Tap water	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	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.	Heavy and hearty meals with plenty of meat, potatoes and bread	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.	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	Cou-cou and flying fish, fish cakes, cutters, pudding and souse, macaroni pie, conkies, Bajan black cake, sea eggs	Currywurst, spätzle, königsberger klopse, schnitzel, eisbein, doner kebab, pretzels	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Pizza, clam chowder, bagels, corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, hot dogs, and hundred of other international food options.
Eat like a local	Food trucks, pubs, seaside street food, roadside carts, local seafood restaurants, smaller traditional restaurants and rum shops	Brew pubs, cafes, bars, deli shops	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Delis, local pizza shops, street food stalls and food trucks, food markets, local bakeries and smaller, authentic international cuisine restaurants
Vegetarian / vegan options	14 options on HappyCow	844 listings on Happy Cow	24 options on HappyCow	309 options on HappyCow