Berlin vs Cape Town vs Hanoi vs Istanbul vs Panama City

	Berlin 🇩🇪 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	Istanbul 🇹🇷 Remove	Panama City 🇵🇦 Remove
Population	3,400,000	4,617,560	8,053,663	15,520,000	880,691
Official language(s)	German	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Vietnamese	Turkish	Spanish
Level of English	Very high	Very high	Moderate	Low	Low
Main airport	Berlin Tegel (TXL)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	Istanbul Airport (IST)	Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
Most common months to visit	May - September	March - May, September - November	January, February, October - December	April - June, September and October	December - April
Currency	EUR - Euro (€)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	TRY - Turkish Lira (₺)	PAB - Panamanian Balboa (B/.)
Credit cards	Accepted in some places but cash often preferred	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted in most places	Accepted almost everywhere but not in smaller shops.
Remote worker visa	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$2200	$1549	$1167	$659	$2359
Rent	$939	$618	$503	$354	$1036
Groceries	$188	$129	$151	$44	$236
Dining out	$271	$269	$134	$81	$371
Cafe	$57	$32	$39	$18	$43
Coworking space	$174	$151	$72	$49	$157
Mobile internet	$23	$27	$4	$3	$21
Public transportation	$88	$55	$20	$6	$12
Taxis	$58	$21	$13	$6	$48
Shared bicycles and scooters	$17	$49	$0	$2	$0
Sport and cultural events	$64	$19	$3	$11	$35
Museums and sights	$37	$15	$4	$15	$9
Nightlife	$63	$43	$89	$22	$117
Gym	$66	$36	$57	$9	$37
Yoga	$99	$56	$57	$23	$163
Massage	$56	$30	$21	$15	$75
SIM card options	Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone	MTN, Vodacom	Viettel, Mobifone	Turkcell, Turk Telekom	Claro, Movistar
Tipping	Round up for restaurants, not common for bars and services	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up 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	Mytaxi, Uber	Uber, Bolt	Grab, GoViet	BiTaksi	Uber, Tu Chofer
Tap water	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	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.	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	Currywurst, spätzle, königsberger klopse, schnitzel, eisbein, doner kebab, pretzels	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	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	Brew pubs, cafes, bars, deli shops	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	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	844 listings on Happy Cow	24 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	59 listings on Happy Cow	7 options on HappyCow