Berlin vs Bucharest vs Cape Town vs Madrid vs Medellin

	Berlin 🇩🇪 Remove	Bucharest 🇷🇴 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Madrid 🇪🇸 Remove	Medellin 🇨🇴 Remove
Population	3,400,000	1,830,000	4,617,560	6,578,0179	2,427,000
Official language(s)	German	Romanian	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Spanish	Spanish
Level of English	Very high	High	Very high	Moderate	Low
Main airport	Berlin Tegel (TXL)	Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)	José María Córdova International Airport (MDE)
Most common months to visit	May - September	April - October	March - May, September - November	March - May, September - November	January - April, December
Currency	EUR - Euro (€)	RON - Romanian Leu (L)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	EUR - Euro (€)	COP - Colombian Peso ($)
Credit cards	Accepted in some places but cash often preferred	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted everywhere	Accepted in some places
Remote worker visa	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Average monthly costs	$2200	$1351	$1549	$2498	$1293
Rent	$939	$615	$618	$1174	$732
Groceries	$188	$114	$129	$175	$87
Dining out	$271	$165	$269	$313	$131
Cafe	$57	$38	$32	$51	$18
Coworking space	$174	$133	$151	$196	$96
Mobile internet	$23	$7	$27	$10	$16
Public transportation	$88	$21	$55	$78	$21
Taxis	$58	$9	$21	$44	$14
Shared bicycles and scooters	$17	$25	$49	$49	$0
Sport and cultural events	$64	$29	$19	$54	$8
Museums and sights	$37	$29	$15	$20	$9
Nightlife	$63	$45	$43	$82	$73
Gym	$66	$30	$36	$44	$15
Yoga	$99	$59	$56	$142	$54
Massage	$56	$31	$30	$64	$20
SIM card options	Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone	Vodafone, Orange	MTN, Vodacom	Orange, Movistar, Vodafone	Claro, Tigo
Tipping	Round up for restaurants, not common for bars and services	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	Not customary or expected but small tips are appreciated.	Tip 10% in restaurants
Taxi apps	Mytaxi, Uber	Star Taxi, Uber	Uber, Bolt	Uber, Cabify, MyTaxi Free Now	EasyTaxi
Tap water	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	Heavy and hearty meals with plenty of meat, potatoes and bread	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.	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 blend of indigenous and European traditions with rice, maize, cassava, assorted legumes, and meats
Local food specialities	Currywurst, spätzle, königsberger klopse, schnitzel, eisbein, doner kebab, pretzels	Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Paella, tapas, tortilla, gazpacho, pulpo a la gallega, callos a la madrileña, churros	Bandeja paisa, ajiaco, mondongo, empanada, and arepa
Eat like a local	Brew pubs, cafes, bars, deli shops	Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	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!	Street stalls for empanada and arepa with cheese, restaurants for traditional Colombian food
Vegetarian / vegan options	844 listings on Happy Cow	33 listings on Happy Cow	24 options on HappyCow	85 listings on Happy Cow	153 listings on Happy Cow