Bucharest ๐ท๐ด
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Istanbul ๐น๐ท
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Playa del Carmen ๐ฒ๐ฝ
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Sofia ๐ง๐ฌ
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Tbilisi ๐ฌ๐ช
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Population | 1,830,000 | 15,520,000 | 259,453 | 1,270,169 | 1,108,700 |
Official language(s) | Romanian | Turkish | Spanish | Bulgarian | Georgian |
Level of English | High | Low | Moderate | High | Low |
Main airport | Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) | Istanbul Airport (IST) | Cancun International Airport (CUN) | Sofia International Airport (SOF) | Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) |
Most common months to visit | April - October | April - June, September and October | January - May, October - December | April-June, September-October | March - June |
Currency | RON - Romanian Leu (L) | TRY - Turkish Lira (โบ) | MXN - Mexican Peso ($) | BGN - Bulgarian Lev (ะปะฒ) | GEL - Georgian Lari (โพ) |
Credit cards | Accepted almost everywhere | Accepted in most places | Accepted almost everywhere | Accepted everywhere | Accepted everywhere |
Remote worker visa | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Average monthly costs | $1351 | $659 | $2143 | $1289 | $1462 |
Rent | $615 | $354 | $923 | $567 | $752 |
Groceries | $114 | $44 | $127 | $10 | $112 |
Dining out | $165 | $81 | $207 | $227 | $169 |
Cafe | $38 | $18 | $42 | $27 | $45 |
Coworking space | $133 | $49 | $160 | $140 | $125 |
Mobile internet | $7 | $3 | $21 | $10 | $4 |
Public transportation | $21 | $6 | $17 | $30 | $8 |
Taxis | $9 | $6 | $9 | $12 | $14 |
Shared bicycles and scooters | $25 | $2 | $49 | $40 | $27 |
Sport and cultural events | $29 | $11 | $97 | $18 | $21 |
Museums and sights | $29 | $15 | $217 | $12 | $9 |
Nightlife | $45 | $22 | $77 | $82 | $53 |
Gym | $30 | $9 | $42 | $23 | $33 |
Yoga | $59 | $23 | $54 | $62 | $37 |
Massage | $31 | $15 | $101 | $29 | $53 |
SIM card options | Vodafone, Orange | Turkcell, Turk Telekom | Telcel, Movistar | A1, Telenor, Vivacom | Magti GSM, Geocell, Beeline |
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 | 10-15% for restaurants | 10% in restaurants, 1-2 BGN at bars and cafรฉs | 10% usually included in bill, not expected at bars or cafรฉs. |
Taxi apps | Star Taxi, Uber | BiTaksi | N/A | TaxiMe, TaxiStars | Yandex, Bolt |
Tap water | Not drinkable | Not drinkable | Not drinkable | 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 | Staple dishes from maize, beans, sweet potato and avocado along with meat, chili peppers and other spices | 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. | Cuisine of the Caucasus meets regional diversity in Georgia. Emphasis on spices and meats (poultry, beef, pork and mutton) as well as soups and creams. |
Local food specialities | Sarmale, mฤmฤligฤ, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbฤ de burtฤ, covrig, papanasi | Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight | Chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, chile rellenos, cochinita pibil, tostadas, pozole | Kebapche, Bulgarian musaka, lyutenitsa, shkember chorba, kyufte, kavarma, banitsa and tarator | Kachapuri, kuchmachi, khinkali, chikhirtma, kharcho with gomi, jonjoli |
Eat like a local | Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias | Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee | Taco stands, esquite stalls, El Fogon, El Pirata, Dona Mary's | Taverns, local BBQ restaurants, local markets and smaller eateries in residential and university areas. | Small local restaurants, open bars, terraces and wine bars |
Vegetarian / vegan options | 33 listings on Happy Cow | 59 listings on Happy Cow | 72 listings on Happy Cow | 20 options on HappyCow | 10 options on Happy Cow |