Cape Town vs Chiang Mai vs Larnaca vs Madrid vs Playa del Carmen vs Prague vs Ubud

	Cape Town 🇿🇦 Remove	Chiang Mai 🇹🇭 Remove	Larnaca 🇨🇾 Remove	Madrid 🇪🇸 Remove	Playa del Carmen 🇲🇽 Remove	Prague 🇨🇿 Remove	Ubud 🇮🇩 Remove
Population	4,617,560	1,166,978	144,900	6,578,0179	259,453	1,305,737	112,490
Official language(s)	Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Thai	Greek	Spanish	Spanish	Czech	Indonesian and Balinese
Level of English	Very high	Low	High	Moderate	Moderate	High	Low
Main airport	Cape Town International Airport (CPT)	Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)	Larnaca International Airport (LCA)	Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)	Cancun International Airport (CUN)	Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)	Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPA)
Most common months to visit	March - May, September - November	November - April	March - May, October - December	March - May, September - November	January - May, October - December	June - October	May - October
Currency	ZAR - South African Rand (R)	THB - Thai Baht (฿)	EUR - Euro (€)	EUR - Euro (€)	MXN - Mexican Peso ($)	CZK - Czech Koruna (Kč)	IDR - Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)
Credit cards	Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops	Accepted sometimes. Cash preferred in many places.	Accepted everywhere	Accepted everywhere	Accepted almost everywhere	Accepted most places (some places are cash only)	Accepted in some places
Remote worker visa	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Average monthly costs	$1549	$974	$1959	$2498	$2143	$1806	$1363
Rent	$618	$274	$678	$1174	$923	$780	$658
Groceries	$129	$169	$157	$175	$127	$158	$150
Dining out	$269	$108	$261	$313	$207	$240	$10
Cafe	$32	$45	$56	$51	$42	$53	$28
Coworking space	$151	$95	$209	$196	$160	$175	$106
Mobile internet	$27	$11	$35	$10	$21	$24	$3
Public transportation	$55	$60	$63	$78	$17	$61	$53
Taxis	$21	$20	$42	$44	$9	$33	$13
Shared bicycles and scooters	$49	$10	$45	$49	$49	$19	$33
Sport and cultural events	$19	$8	$28	$54	$97	$19	$14
Museums and sights	$15	$8	$8	$20	$217	$35	$9
Nightlife	$43	$62	$110	$82	$77	$50	$118
Gym	$36	$41	$107	$44	$42	$56	$72
Yoga	$56	$55	$105	$142	$54	$66	$87
Massage	$30	$10	$54	$64	$101	$37	$10
SIM card options	MTN, Vodacom	AIS, DTAC	Primetel, Cytamobile-Vodafone and Epic/MTN	Orange, Movistar, Vodafone	Telcel, Movistar	Vodafone, T-Mobile	Telkomsel, XL Axiata
Tipping	10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere	10% at restaurants, not customary or expected elsewhere	10% usually added and expected at restaurants, round up at bars	Not customary or expected but small tips are appreciated.	10-15% for restaurants	10% at restaurants and bars, round up elsewhere	Tip 5 - 10% in restaurants if service charge is not included in the bill
Taxi apps	Uber, Bolt	Grab	nTaxi	Uber, Cabify, MyTaxi Free Now	N/A	Uber, Liftago	Grab, GoJek
Tap water	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable	Drinkable	Not drinkable
Overall cuisine	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.	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.	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.	Staple dishes from maize, beans, sweet potato and avocado along with meat, chili peppers and other spices	Thick soups are often combined with stewed vegetables and baked meats to produce rich dishes. Gravies and creams are popular in Czech cuisine, as is beer!	Balinese foods revolve on the complex flavors from certain ingredients like fresh vegetables, meat, coconut milk, and time-tested spices mixture.
Local food specialities	Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow	Khao soi, khan toke, sai oua, miang kham, nam prik, khanom jeen nam ngiaw, larb khua	Souvlaki, sheftalia, kleftiko, stifado, halloumi, koukepia and moussaka	Paella, tapas, tortilla, gazpacho, pulpo a la gallega, callos a la madrileña, churros	Chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, chile rellenos, cochinita pibil, tostadas, pozole	Vepřo knedlo zelo, Česnečka, Guláš, Svíčková na smetaně, Ovocné Knedlíky.	Satay, nasi goreng, gado-gado, martabak, bubur sumsum
Eat like a local	Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets	Street food stalls, local markets, bakeries and smaller, traditional restaurants that serve fresh food	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!	Taco stands, esquite stalls, El Fogon, El Pirata, Dona Mary's	Pubs and taverns, street food stalls, local cafés	Warung for authentic babi guling and bebek betutu, cafes for kopi luwak, street stalls for pisang goreng, nasi campur, and sate lilit
Vegetarian / vegan options	24 options on HappyCow	90 options on HappyCow	14 options on HappyCow, but non-meat Mediterranean/Middle Eastern options are always available	85 listings on Happy Cow	72 listings on Happy Cow	112 options on HappyCow	255 listings on Happy Cow