Budapest vs Chiang Mai vs Hanoi vs Sofia vs Tbilisi

	Budapest 🇭🇺 Remove	Chiang Mai 🇹🇭 Remove	Hanoi 🇻🇳 Remove	Sofia 🇧🇬 Remove	Tbilisi 🇬🇪 Remove
Population	1,768,073	1,166,978	8,053,663	1,270,169	1,108,700
Official language(s)	Hungarian	Thai	Vietnamese	Bulgarian	Georgian
Level of English	High	Low	Moderate	High	Low
Main airport	Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD)	Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)	Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)	Sofia International Airport (SOF)	Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
Most common months to visit	March - June, September - November	November - April	January, February, October - December	April-June, September-October	March - June
Currency	HUF - Hungarian Forint (Ft)	THB - Thai Baht (฿)	VND - Vietnamese Dong (₫)	BGN - Bulgarian Lev (лв)	GEL - Georgian Lari (₾)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere, cash needed for small shops	Accepted sometimes. Cash preferred in many places.	Accepted in some places. Cash often preferred.	Accepted everywhere	Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa	No	No	No	No	Yes
Average monthly costs	$1230	$974	$1167	$1289	$1462
Rent	$499	$274	$503	$567	$752
Groceries	$108	$169	$151	$10	$112
Dining out	$202	$108	$134	$227	$169
Cafe	$29	$45	$39	$27	$45
Coworking space	$120	$95	$72	$140	$125
Mobile internet	$9	$11	$4	$10	$4
Public transportation	$36	$60	$20	$30	$8
Taxis	$27	$20	$13	$12	$14
Shared bicycles and scooters	$13	$10	$0	$40	$27
Sport and cultural events	$24	$8	$3	$18	$21
Museums and sights	$7	$8	$4	$12	$9
Nightlife	$43	$62	$89	$82	$53
Gym	$37	$41	$57	$23	$33
Yoga	$48	$55	$57	$62	$37
Massage	$26	$10	$21	$29	$53
SIM card options	Vodafone, Telenor	AIS, DTAC	Viettel, Mobifone	A1, Telenor, Vivacom	Magti GSM, Geocell, Beeline
Tipping	10 - 15% at restaurants and bars	10% at restaurants, not customary or expected elsewhere	Not required but appreciated, especially in taxis, restaurants and bars. Round up or add 10%.	10% in restaurants, 1-2 BGN at bars and cafés	10% usually included in bill, not expected at bars or cafés.
Taxi apps	Bolt, Fotaxi	Grab	Grab, GoViet	TaxiMe, TaxiStars	Yandex, Bolt
Tap water	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not 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.	Combines salty, sweet, spicy and sour flavors to create bold and colorful dishes. Meals typically include a mixture of meat and seafood dishes, as well as noodles or soups recipes. Strong emphasis on local spices and vegetables.	A mix of French, Southeast Asian and Chinese with lots of fresh herbs and spices. Northern Vietnam cuisine includes a lot of fish and noodles.	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	Goulash, Fisherman's soup, Főzelék, Somloi Galuska, Pörkölt and Paprikás, Kürtös Kalács, Hungarian Lecsó, Lángos	Khao soi, khan toke, sai oua, miang kham, nam prik, khanom jeen nam ngiaw, larb khua	Pho, cha ca, Vietnamese coffee, pastries and breads	Kebapche, Bulgarian musaka, lyutenitsa, shkember chorba, kyufte, kavarma, banitsa and tarator	Kachapuri, kuchmachi, khinkali, chikhirtma, kharcho with gomi, jonjoli
Eat like a local	Local markets, cafés, taverns, street food, traditional restaurants	Street food stalls, local markets, bakeries and smaller, traditional restaurants that serve fresh food	Noodle Houses, Bakeries, Coffee and Tea Houses, street food	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	47 options on HappyCow	90 options on HappyCow	104 listings on Happy Cow	20 options on HappyCow	10 options on Happy Cow