Barbados vs Hanoi vs Istanbul vs Medellin vs Panama City

	Barbados 🇧🇧 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	Istanbul 🇹🇷 Remove	Medellin 🇨🇴 Remove	Panama City 🇵🇦 Remove
Population	110,000	8,053,663	15,520,000	2,427,000	880,691
Official language(s)	English, Bajan Creole	Vietnamese	Turkish	Spanish	Spanish
Level of English	Very high	Moderate	Low	Low	Low
Main airport	Bridgetown/Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	Istanbul Airport (IST)	José María Córdova International Airport (MDE)	Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
Most common months to visit	November - May	January, February, October - December	April - June, September and October	January - April, December	December - April
Currency	BBD - Barbadian dollar ($)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	TRY - Turkish Lira (₺)	COP - Colombian Peso ($)	PAB - Panamanian Balboa (B/.)
Credit cards	Accepted in some places, cash also needed for smaller businesses	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted in most places	Accepted in some places	Accepted almost everywhere but not in smaller shops.
Remote worker visa	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$2702	$1167	$659	$1293	$2359
Rent	$1054	$503	$354	$732	$1036
Groceries	$234	$151	$44	$87	$236
Dining out	$345	$134	$81	$131	$371
Cafe	$75	$39	$18	$18	$43
Coworking space	$321	$72	$49	$96	$157
Mobile internet	$49	$4	$3	$16	$21
Public transportation	$35	$20	$6	$21	$12
Taxis	$106	$13	$6	$14	$48
Shared bicycles and scooters	$0	$0	$2	$0	$0
Sport and cultural events	$37	$3	$11	$8	$35
Museums and sights	$36	$4	$15	$9	$9
Nightlife	$96	$89	$22	$73	$117
Gym	$86	$57	$9	$15	$37
Yoga	$130	$57	$23	$54	$163
Massage	$99	$21	$15	$20	$75
SIM card options	Digicel	Viettel, Mobifone	Turkcell, Turk Telekom	Claro, Tigo	Claro, Movistar
Tipping	10 - 15% usually included in restaurants, add 10 - 15% at bars	Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%.	Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars	Tip 10% in restaurants	10% in restaurants, round up elsewhere
Taxi apps	None available	Grab, GoViet	BiTaksi	EasyTaxi	Uber, Tu Chofer
Tap water	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.	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	A blend of indigenous and European traditions with rice, maize, cassava, assorted legumes, and meats	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	Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads	Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight	Bandeja paisa, ajiaco, mondongo, empanada, and arepa	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	Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food	Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee	Street stalls for empanada and arepa with cheese, restaurants for traditional Colombian food	Fondas (roadside stalls), smaller local restaurants, local markets, food trucks
Vegetarian / vegan options	14 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	59 listings on Happy Cow	153 listings on Happy Cow	7 options on HappyCow