Antakya vs Şanlıurfa
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Antakya edges it, 57 to 56, winning 1 of the 9 factors. Antakya is stronger on climate; Şanlıurfa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Ancient Antioch, rebuilding after the 2023 earthquakes
Full Antakya profile →Plan a trip to Antakya →Ancient pilgrimage city near the temples of Göbekli Tepe
Full Şanlıurfa profile →Plan a trip to Şanlıurfa →Where they differ
- Climate. Antakya leads on climate, 58 to 42, against Şanlıurfa. Comfortable months: 7 vs 5.
- Internet. Şanlıurfa leads on internet, 45 to 38, against Antakya. Measured download: 6 Mbps vs 9.4 Mbps.
- Getting there & around. Şanlıurfa leads on getting there & around, 16 to 11, against Antakya. Non-stop airport destinations: 5 vs 5.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, air quality, quality of life.
Pick Antakya if you want
- a longer comfortable season (7 months against 5)
Pick Şanlıurfa if you want
- faster internet (9.4 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Antakya | Şanlıurfa |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 82 | 82 |
| Safety | 53 | 53 |
| Healthcare | 75 | 75 |
| Internet | 38 | 45 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 73 | 73 |
| Getting there & around | 11 | 16 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 ✓ | 42 |
| Air quality | 56 | 56 |
| Quality of life | 65 | 65 |
Cost
| Metric | Antakya | Şanlıurfa |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $850 | $850 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Antakya | Şanlıurfa |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.41 | 2.41 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 50.2 | 50.2 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 77 | 77 |
| Life expectancy | 76.2 yrs | 76.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Antakya | Şanlıurfa |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 6 Mbps | 9.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 4.7 Mbps | 5 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Antakya | Şanlıurfa |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa | Digital nomad visa |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $3,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Antakya | Şanlıurfa |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 5 | 5 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Antakya | Şanlıurfa |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 ✓ | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 25 µg/m³ | 25 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Antakya or Şanlıurfa?
- Antakya and Şanlıurfa cost about the same: roughly $850 per month for one person.
- Is Antakya or Şanlıurfa safer?
- Antakya and Şanlıurfa score the same on safety (53), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Antakya or Şanlıurfa?
- Şanlıurfa: a measured median of 9.4 Mbps versus 6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.