Berlin vs Cape Town vs Istanbul vs Madrid vs Porto

	Berlin 🇩🇪 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Istanbul 🇹🇷 Remove	Madrid 🇪🇸 Remove	Porto 🇵🇹 Remove
Population	3,400,000	4,617,560	15,520,000	6,578,0179	237,559
Official language(s)	German	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Turkish	Spanish	Portuguese
Level of English	Very high	Very high	Low	Moderate	Very High
Main airport	Berlin Tegel (TXL)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Istanbul Airport (IST)	Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)	Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport (OPO)
Most common months to visit	May - September	March - May, September - November	April - June, September and October	March - May, September - November	May - September
Currency	EUR - Euro (€)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	TRY - Turkish Lira (₺)	EUR - Euro (€)	EUR - Euro (€)
Credit cards	Accepted in some places but cash often preferred	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted in most places	Accepted everywhere	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Average monthly costs	$2200	$1549	$659	$2498	$1759
Rent	$939	$618	$354	$1174	$717
Groceries	$188	$129	$44	$175	$148
Dining out	$271	$269	$81	$313	$280
Cafe	$57	$32	$18	$51	$45
Coworking space	$174	$151	$49	$196	$96
Mobile internet	$23	$27	$3	$10	$21
Public transportation	$88	$55	$6	$78	$95
Taxis	$58	$21	$6	$44	$25
Shared bicycles and scooters	$17	$49	$2	$49	$10
Sport and cultural events	$64	$19	$11	$54	$45
Museums and sights	$37	$15	$15	$20	$24
Nightlife	$63	$43	$22	$82	$66
Gym	$66	$36	$9	$44	$56
Yoga	$99	$56	$23	$142	$82
Massage	$56	$30	$15	$64	$48
SIM card options	Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone	MTN, Vodacom	Turkcell, Turk Telekom	Orange, Movistar, Vodafone	Vodafone, MEO, NOS
Tipping	Round up for restaurants, not common for bars and services	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars	Not customary or expected but small tips are appreciated.	5-10% at restaurants if happy with service, not expected at cafes or bars
Taxi apps	Mytaxi, Uber	Uber, Bolt	BiTaksi	Uber, Cabify, MyTaxi Free Now	Uber, MyTaxi, Cabify
Tap water	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Drinkable	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 fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish	Fresh, regional produce accentuated with garlic and olive oil and mixed with various meats and seafoods. Influenced both by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors.	A variety of meats often mixed with fresh legumes and vegetables. Emphasis on rich seafood dishes and creamy desserts.
Local food specialities	Currywurst, spätzle, königsberger klopse, schnitzel, eisbein, doner kebab, pretzels	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight	Paella, tapas, tortilla, gazpacho, pulpo a la gallega, callos a la madrileña, churros	Bacalhau, Alheira de Mirandela, Francesinha, queido da serra da estrela, tripas a moda do Oporto, pasteis de chaves, tarte de amendoa
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	Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee	Have some tapas and sangria at a tasca and paella at an authentic eatery. Keep an eye on the time and visit a cafeteria for a mid-afternoon merienda and some churros!	Local taverns, terraces, markets, tascas, churrascarias and local sports bars
Vegetarian / vegan options	844 listings on Happy Cow	24 options on HappyCow	59 listings on Happy Cow	85 listings on Happy Cow	46 options on Happy Cow