Bogota vs Bucharest vs Cape Town vs Chiang Mai vs Madrid vs Panama City vs Sofia

	Bogota 🇨🇴 Remove	Bucharest 🇷🇴 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Chiang Mai 🇹🇭 Remove	Madrid 🇪🇸 Remove	Panama City 🇵🇦 Remove	Sofia 🇧🇬 Remove
Population	10,978,360	1,830,000	4,617,560	1,166,978	6,578,0179	880,691	1,270,169
Official language(s)	Spanish	Romanian	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Thai	Spanish	Spanish	Bulgarian
Level of English	Low	High	Very high	Low	Moderate	Low	High
Main airport	El Dorado International Airport (BOG)	Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)	Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)	Tocumen International Airport (PTY)	Sofia International Airport (SOF)
Most common months to visit	January - March, December	April - October	March - May, September - November	November - April	March - May, September - November	December - April	April-June, September-October
Currency	COP - Colombian Peso ($)	RON - Romanian Leu (L)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	THB - Thai Baht (฿)	EUR - Euro (€)	PAB - Panamanian Balboa (B/.)	BGN - Bulgarian Lev (лв)
Credit cards	Accepted everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted sometimes. Cash preferred in many places.	Accepted everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere but not in smaller shops.	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Average monthly costs	$1097	$1351	$1549	$974	$2498	$2359	$1289
Rent	$480	$615	$618	$274	$1174	$1036	$567
Groceries	$82	$114	$129	$169	$175	$236	$10
Dining out	$174	$165	$269	$108	$313	$371	$227
Cafe	$22	$38	$32	$45	$51	$43	$27
Coworking space	$77	$133	$151	$95	$196	$157	$140
Mobile internet	$11	$7	$27	$11	$10	$21	$10
Public transportation	$23	$21	$55	$60	$78	$12	$30
Taxis	$28	$9	$21	$20	$44	$48	$12
Shared bicycles and scooters	$17	$25	$49	$10	$49	$0	$40
Sport and cultural events	$22	$29	$19	$8	$54	$35	$18
Museums and sights	$7	$29	$15	$8	$20	$9	$12
Nightlife	$46	$45	$43	$62	$82	$117	$82
Gym	$15	$30	$36	$41	$44	$37	$23
Yoga	$57	$59	$56	$55	$142	$163	$62
Massage	$37	$31	$30	$10	$64	$75	$29
SIM card options	Tigo, Movistar, Claro	Vodafone, Orange	MTN, Vodacom	AIS, DTAC	Orange, Movistar, Vodafone	Claro, Movistar	A1, Telenor, Vivacom
Tipping	10% service included in all bills, not required or expected at bars without table service	5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	10% at restaurants, not customary or expected elsewhere	Not customary or expected but small tips are appreciated.	10% in restaurants, round up elsewhere	10% in restaurants, 1-2 BGN at bars and cafés
Taxi apps	Uber, Cabify	Star Taxi, Uber	Uber, Bolt	Grab	Uber, Cabify, MyTaxi Free Now	Uber, Tu Chofer	TaxiMe, TaxiStars
Tap water	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	Latin American. Dishes with beef, pork and chicken are often mixed with flour-based foods and fruity desserts. Heavy influence from the Andes and other Colombian regions.	Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine.	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.	Combines salty, sweet, spicy and sour flavors to create bold and colorful dishes. Meals typically include a mixture of meat and seafood dishes, as well as noodles or soups recipes. Strong emphasis on local spices and vegetables.	Fresh, regional produce accentuated with garlic and olive oil and mixed with various meats and seafoods. Influenced both by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors.	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	Arepas, ajiaco santaferense, buñuelos, patacones, té de coca, changua	Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Khao soi, khan toke, sai oua, miang kham, nam prik, khanom jeen nam ngiaw, larb khua	Paella, tapas, tortilla, gazpacho, pulpo a la gallega, callos a la madrileña, churros	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	Local family restaurants and those from other regions. Menú del día. Community markets and sports bars.	Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Street food stalls, local markets, bakeries and smaller, traditional restaurants that serve fresh food	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!	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	104 options on Happy Cow	33 listings on Happy Cow	24 options on HappyCow	90 options on HappyCow	85 listings on Happy Cow	7 options on HappyCow	20 options on HappyCow