Bucharest vs Istanbul

Bucharest ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด
Istanbul ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท
Population 1,830,000 15,520,000
Official language(s) Romanian Turkish
Level of English High Low
Main airport Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Istanbul Airport (IST)
Most common months to visit April - October April - June, September and October
Currency RON - Romanian Leu (L) TRY - Turkish Lira (โ‚บ)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted in most places
Remote worker visa No No
Average monthly costs $1351 $659
Rent $615 $354
Groceries $114 $44
Dining out $165 $81
Cafe $38 $18
Coworking space $133 $49
Mobile internet $7 $3
Public transportation $21 $6
Taxis $9 $6
Shared bicycles and scooters $25 $2
Sport and cultural events $29 $11
Museums and sights $29 $15
Nightlife $45 $22
Gym $30 $9
Yoga $59 $23
Massage $31 $15
SIM card options Vodafone, Orange Turkcell, Turk Telekom
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
Taxi apps Star Taxi, Uber BiTaksi
Tap water Not 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
Local food specialities Sarmale, mฤƒmฤƒligฤƒ, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbฤƒ de burtฤƒ, covrig, papanasi Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight
Eat like a local Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee
Vegetarian / vegan options 33 listings on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow