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Istanbul ๐น๐ท
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Lisbon ๐ต๐น
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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 | 15,520,000 | 517,000 | 259,453 | 1,270,169 | 1,108,700 |
| Official language(s) | Turkish | Portuguese | Spanish | Bulgarian | Georgian |
| Level of English | Low | Very high | Moderate | High | Low |
| Main airport | Istanbul Airport (IST) | Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) | Cancun International Airport (CUN) | Sofia International Airport (SOF) | Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) |
| Most common months to visit | April - June, September and October | March - May, September, October | January - May, October - December | April-June, September-October | March - June |
| Currency | TRY - Turkish Lira (โบ) | EUR - Euro (โฌ) | MXN - Mexican Peso ($) | BGN - Bulgarian Lev (ะปะฒ) | GEL - Georgian Lari (โพ) |
| Credit cards | Accepted in most places | Accepted almost everywhere (less for AMEX) | Accepted almost everywhere | Accepted everywhere | Accepted everywhere |
| Remote worker visa | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Average monthly costs | $659 | $1984 | $2143 | $1289 | $1462 |
| Rent | $354 | $965 | $923 | $567 | $752 |
| Groceries | $44 | $136 | $127 | $10 | $112 |
| Dining out | $81 | $271 | $207 | $227 | $169 |
| Cafe | $18 | $37 | $42 | $27 | $45 |
| Coworking space | $49 | $164 | $160 | $140 | $125 |
| Mobile internet | $3 | $24 | $21 | $10 | $4 |
| Public transportation | $6 | $63 | $17 | $30 | $8 |
| Taxis | $6 | $27 | $9 | $12 | $14 |
| Shared bicycles and scooters | $2 | $18 | $49 | $40 | $27 |
| Sport and cultural events | $11 | $29 | $97 | $18 | $21 |
| Museums and sights | $15 | $24 | $217 | $12 | $9 |
| Nightlife | $22 | $47 | $77 | $82 | $53 |
| Gym | $9 | $65 | $42 | $23 | $33 |
| Yoga | $23 | $65 | $54 | $62 | $37 |
| Massage | $15 | $50 | $101 | $29 | $53 |
| SIM card options | Turkcell, Turk Telekom | Vodafone | Telcel, Movistar | A1, Telenor, Vivacom | Magti GSM, Geocell, Beeline |
| Tipping | Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafรฉs and bars | 5-10% for restaurants, not common at 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 | BiTaksi | Uber, FreeNow | N/A | TaxiMe, TaxiStars | Yandex, Bolt |
| Tap water | Not drinkable | Drinkable | Not drinkable | Not drinkable | Not drinkable |
| Overall cuisine | A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish | Fresh seafood, meats, soup, sausages and famous pastries | 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 | Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight | Bacalhau ร bras, sardinhas, petiscos, leitรฃo, polvo ร lagareiro, pasteis de nata, bifana | 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 | Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee | Tascas, snack bars, seafood restaurants | 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 | 59 listings on Happy Cow | 401 listings on Happy Cow | 72 listings on Happy Cow | 20 options on HappyCow | 10 options on Happy Cow |