Bucharest vs Istanbul vs Lisbon vs New York City vs Playa del Carmen

Bucharest ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด
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Istanbul ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท
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Lisbon ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น
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New York City ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
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Playa del Carmen ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ
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Population 1,830,000 15,520,000 517,000 8,323,340 259,453
Official language(s) Romanian Turkish Portuguese English (de facto) Spanish
Level of English High Low Very high Very high Moderate
Main airport Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Istanbul Airport (IST) Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Most common months to visit April - October April - June, September and October March - May, September, October April - June, September - November January - May, October - December
Currency RON - Romanian Leu (L) TRY - Turkish Lira (โ‚บ) EUR - Euro (โ‚ฌ) USD - US Dollar ($) MXN - Mexican Peso ($)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX) Accepted everywhere Accepted almost everywhere
Remote worker visa No No Yes No Yes
Average monthly costs $1351 $659 $1984 $5431 $2143
Rent $615 $354 $965 $2891 $923
Groceries $114 $44 $136 $383 $127
Dining out $165 $81 $271 $656 $207
Cafe $38 $18 $37 $72 $42
Coworking space $133 $49 $164 $326 $160
Mobile internet $7 $3 $24 $45 $21
Public transportation $21 $6 $63 $220 $17
Taxis $9 $6 $27 $78 $9
Shared bicycles and scooters $25 $2 $18 $30 $49
Sport and cultural events $29 $11 $29 $100 $97
Museums and sights $29 $15 $24 $74 $217
Nightlife $45 $22 $47 $195 $77
Gym $30 $9 $65 $55 $42
Yoga $59 $23 $65 $197 $54
Massage $31 $15 $50 $109 $101
SIM card options Vodafone, Orange Turkcell, Turk Telekom Vodafone AT&T, Verizon Telcel, Movistar
Tipping 5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafรฉs and bars 5-10% for restaurants, not common at bars 15-20% at restaurants, 1 USD per drink at bars 10-15% for restaurants
Taxi apps Star Taxi, Uber BiTaksi Uber, FreeNow Uber, Lyft N/A
Tap water Not drinkable Not drinkable Drinkable Drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine Wide range of meat and fish dishes, soups, salads and cheeses influenced by German, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Ukrainian cuisine. A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish Fresh seafood, meats, soup, sausages and famous pastries American. Emphasis on comfort and fast food, with some good seafood dishes. Influence from other regions of the US, North America and the world make NYC a cosmopolitan and international cuisine hub that is incredibly diverse. Staple dishes from maize, beans, sweet potato and avocado along with meat, chili peppers and other spices
Local food specialities Sarmale, mฤƒmฤƒligฤƒ, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbฤƒ de burtฤƒ, covrig, papanasi Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight Bacalhau ร  bras, sardinhas, petiscos, leitรฃo, polvo ร  lagareiro, pasteis de nata, bifana Pizza, clam chowder, bagels, corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, hot dogs, and hundred of other international food options. Chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, chile rellenos, cochinita pibil, tostadas, pozole
Eat like a local Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants Delis, local pizza shops, street food stalls and food trucks, food markets, local bakeries and smaller, authentic international cuisine restaurants Taco stands, esquite stalls, El Fogon, El Pirata, Dona Mary's
Vegetarian / vegan options 33 listings on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 401 listings on Happy Cow 309 options on HappyCow 72 listings on Happy Cow