---
title: "Ayia Napa vs Heraklion (Crete) for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ayia-napa-vs-heraklion
description: "Under balanced weights Heraklion (Crete) edges it, 70 to 68, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Ayia Napa is stronger on nothing outright; Heraklion (Crete) on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Ayia Napa vs Heraklion (Crete) for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Heraklion (Crete) edges it, 70 to 68, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Ayia Napa is stronger on nothing outright; Heraklion (Crete) on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Heraklion (Crete) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 31 | 34 | Heraklion (Crete) |
| Safety | 77 | 76 | Ayia Napa |
| Healthcare | 82 | 79 | Ayia Napa |
| Internet | 48 | 64 | Heraklion (Crete) |
| Visa ease | 76 | 76 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 60 | 67 | Heraklion (Crete) |
| Climate | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Air quality | 82 | 80 | Ayia Napa |
| Quality of life | 86 | 89 | Heraklion (Crete) |

## Cost

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Heraklion (Crete) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,100 | $1,947 | Heraklion (Crete) |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Heraklion (Crete) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.96 | 0.85 | Heraklion (Crete) |
| Political stability (0–100) | 73.3 | 70.5 | Ayia Napa |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 76 | 77 | Heraklion (Crete) |
| Life expectancy | 81.9 yrs | 79.6 yrs | Ayia Napa |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Heraklion (Crete) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 11.8 Mbps | 34.1 Mbps | Heraklion (Crete) |
| Upload | 4.2 Mbps | 5.4 Mbps | Heraklion (Crete) |

## Visa

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Heraklion (Crete) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa | Digital Nomad Visa (Z.1) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,929/mo | $3,929/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Heraklion (Crete) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 90 | 116 | Heraklion (Crete) |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Heraklion (Crete) |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Heraklion (Crete) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 8 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.1 µg/m³ | 13.8 µg/m³ | Ayia Napa |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Ayia Napa or Heraklion (Crete)?

Heraklion (Crete) is cheaper: about $1,947 per month versus $2,100 for one person.

### Is Ayia Napa or Heraklion (Crete) safer?

Ayia Napa scores higher on safety (77 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Ayia Napa or Heraklion (Crete)?

Heraklion (Crete): a measured median of 34.1 Mbps versus 11.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Ayia Napa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ayia-napa) · [Heraklion (Crete)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/heraklion). 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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ayia-napa-vs-heraklion