Budapest vs Cape Town vs Larnaca vs Madrid

	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Larnaca 🇨🇾 Remove	Madrid 🇪🇸 Remove
Population	1,768,073	4,617,560	144,900	6,578,0179
Official language(s)	Hungarian	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Greek	Spanish
Level of English	High	Very high	High	Moderate
Main airport	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Larnaca International Airport (LCA)	Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)
Most common months to visit	March - June, September - November	March - May, September - November	March - May, October - December	March - May, September - November
Currency	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	EUR - Euro (€)	EUR - Euro (€)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted everywhere	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$1230	$1549	$1959	$2498
Rent	$499	$618	$678	$1174
Groceries	$108	$129	$157	$175
Dining out	$202	$269	$261	$313
Cafe	$29	$32	$56	$51
Coworking space	$120	$151	$209	$196
Mobile internet	$9	$27	$35	$10
Public transportation	$36	$55	$63	$78
Taxis	$27	$21	$42	$44
Shared bicycles and scooters	$13	$49	$45	$49
Sport and cultural events	$24	$19	$28	$54
Museums and sights	$7	$15	$8	$20
Nightlife	$43	$43	$110	$82
Gym	$37	$36	$107	$44
Yoga	$48	$56	$105	$142
Massage	$26	$30	$54	$64
SIM card options	Vodafone, Telenor	MTN, Vodacom	Primetel, Cytamobile-Vodafone and Epic/MTN	Orange, Movistar, Vodafone
Tipping	10 - 15% at restaurants and bars	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	10% usually added and expected at restaurants, round up at bars	Not customary or expected but small tips are appreciated.
Taxi apps	Bolt, Fotaxi	Uber, Bolt	nTaxi	Uber, Cabify, MyTaxi Free Now
Tap water	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Drinkable
Overall cuisine	Magyar cuisine makes extensive use of creams, cheeses and sauces primarily in beef, chicken and pork dishes, mixed with seasonal vegetables, fruits and rich desserts.	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.	Mediterranean style with emphasis on seafood, meats, olives, cheesed and traditional sauces. Some food with Middle Eastern influences as well..	Fresh, regional produce accentuated with garlic and olive oil and mixed with various meats and seafoods. Influenced both by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors.
Local food specialities	Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Souvlaki, sheftalia, kleftiko, stifado, halloumi, koukepia and moussaka	Paella, tapas, tortilla, gazpacho, pulpo a la gallega, callos a la madrileña, churros
Eat like a local	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Opt for smaller, outside eateries and taverns serving traditional foods. Fast food kebab shops and falafel bars offer authentic options, too.	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!
Vegetarian / vegan options	47 options on HappyCow	24 options on HappyCow	14 options on HappyCow, but non-meat Mediterranean/Middle Eastern options are always available	85 listings on Happy Cow