Berlin vs Budapest vs Hanoi vs Panama City vs Sofia

	Berlin 🇩🇪 Remove	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	Panama City 🇵🇦 Remove	Sofia 🇧🇬 Remove
Population	3,400,000	1,768,073	8,053,663	880,691	1,270,169
Official language(s)	German	Hungarian	Vietnamese	Spanish	Bulgarian
Level of English	Very high	High	Moderate	Low	High
Main airport	Berlin Tegel (TXL)	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	Tocumen International Airport (PTY)	Sofia International Airport (SOF)
Most common months to visit	May - September	March - June, September - November	January, February, October - December	December - April	April-June, September-October
Currency	EUR - Euro (€)	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	PAB - Panamanian Balboa (B/.)	BGN - Bulgarian Lev (лв)
Credit cards	Accepted in some places but cash often preferred	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted almost everywhere but not in smaller shops.	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Average monthly costs	$2200	$1230	$1167	$2359	$1289
Rent	$939	$499	$503	$1036	$567
Groceries	$188	$108	$151	$236	$10
Dining out	$271	$202	$134	$371	$227
Cafe	$57	$29	$39	$43	$27
Coworking space	$174	$120	$72	$157	$140
Mobile internet	$23	$9	$4	$21	$10
Public transportation	$88	$36	$20	$12	$30
Taxis	$58	$27	$13	$48	$12
Shared bicycles and scooters	$17	$13	$0	$0	$40
Sport and cultural events	$64	$24	$3	$35	$18
Museums and sights	$37	$7	$4	$9	$12
Nightlife	$63	$43	$89	$117	$82
Gym	$66	$37	$57	$37	$23
Yoga	$99	$48	$57	$163	$62
Massage	$56	$26	$21	$75	$29
SIM card options	Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone	Vodafone, Telenor	Viettel, Mobifone	Claro, Movistar	A1, Telenor, Vivacom
Tipping	Round up for restaurants, not common for bars and services	10 - 15% at restaurants and bars	Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%.	10% in restaurants, round up elsewhere	10% in restaurants, 1-2 BGN at bars and cafés
Taxi apps	Mytaxi, Uber	Bolt, Fotaxi	Grab, GoViet	Uber, Tu Chofer	TaxiMe, TaxiStars
Tap water	Drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	Heavy and hearty meals with plenty of meat, potatoes and bread	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.	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.	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	Currywurst, spätzle, königsberger klopse, schnitzel, eisbein, doner kebab, pretzels	Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos	Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads	Sancocho de gallina, carimanola, empanadas, tamales panameños, tostones, ropa vieja	Kebapche, Bulgarian musaka, lyutenitsa, shkember chorba, kyufte, kavarma, banitsa and tarator
Eat like a local	Brew pubs, cafes, bars, deli shops	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food	Fondas (roadside stalls), smaller local restaurants, local markets, food trucks	Taverns, local BBQ restaurants, local markets and smaller eateries in residential and university areas.
Vegetarian / vegan options	844 listings on Happy Cow	47 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	7 options on HappyCow	20 options on HappyCow