Bucharest vs Buenos Aires vs Istanbul vs Seoul vs Sofia

Bucharest 🇷🇴
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Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
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Istanbul 🇹🇷
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Seoul 🇰🇷
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Sofia 🇧🇬
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Population 1,830,000 2,900,000 15,520,000 9,963,452 1,270,169
Official language(s) Romanian Spanish Turkish Korean Bulgarian
Level of English High High Low Moderate High
Main airport Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) Istanbul Airport (IST) Incheon International Airport (ICN) Sofia International Airport (SOF)
Most common months to visit April - October September - December April - June, September and October March - May, September - November April-June, September-October
Currency RON - Romanian Leu (L) ARS - Argentine Peso ($) TRY - Turkish Lira (₺) KRW - South Korean won (₩) BGN - Bulgarian Lev (лв)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted everywhere. (ID required!) Accepted in most places Accepted everywhere Accepted everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No No
Average monthly costs $1351 $1321 $659 $2184 $1289
Rent $615 $844 $354 $797 $567
Groceries $114 $98 $44 $356 $10
Dining out $165 $121 $81 $211 $227
Cafe $38 $25 $18 $69 $27
Coworking space $133 $95 $49 $222 $140
Mobile internet $7 $11 $3 $40 $10
Public transportation $21 $9 $6 $40 $30
Taxis $9 $9 $6 $41 $12
Shared bicycles and scooters $25 $14 $2 $13 $40
Sport and cultural events $29 $24 $11 $39 $18
Museums and sights $29 $4 $15 $6 $12
Nightlife $45 $23 $22 $93 $82
Gym $30 $14 $9 $69 $23
Yoga $59 $19 $23 $112 $62
Massage $31 $10 $15 $75 $29
SIM card options Vodafone, Orange Movistar, Claro, Personal Turkcell, Turk Telekom KT, SK Telecom, LG Uplus A1, Telenor, Vivacom
Tipping 5% - 10% at restaurants, 5% - 10% tip for services is appreciated but not expected, round up for taxis 10% at restaurants and cafés is common, not common at bars Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars Not customary or expected 10% in restaurants, 1-2 BGN at bars and cafés
Taxi apps Star Taxi, Uber Uber (not official), Cabify, BA Taxi (Spanish only) BiTaksi Uber, Kakao TaxiMe, TaxiStars
Tap water Not drinkable Not drinkable Not 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. Argentinian style with an emphasis on red meats, pastries, and Italian-inspired options A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish Emphasis on rice, vegetables, spices and meats. Main dishes are coupled with diverse side dishes and desserts. Strong driking culture. 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.
Local food specialities Sarmale, mămăligă, mici, ciolan cu fasole, ciorbă de burtă, covrig, papanasi Asado, empanadas (Argentinian style), locro, milanesa napolitana, facturas and alfajores Döner, İçli Köfte, Dondurma, Karnıyarık, Turkish delight Kimchi, bulgogi, chap chae, mandu, sam gae tang, bossam Kebapche, Bulgarian musaka, lyutenitsa, shkember chorba, kyufte, kavarma, banitsa and tarator
Eat like a local Set lunch menus, cafe terraces, cofeterias Local restaurants serving asados grill-to-dish (Parrillas), markets (San Telmo, Recoleta) and local cafés for maté and facturas Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Smaller, local eateries (sikdang), street stalls and local markets Taverns, local BBQ restaurants, local markets and smaller eateries in residential and university areas.
Vegetarian / vegan options 33 listings on Happy Cow 79 options on Happy Cow 59 listings on Happy Cow 57 options on Happy Cow 20 options on HappyCow