---
title: "Ayia Napa vs Kos for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ayia-napa-vs-kos
description: "Under balanced weights Kos edges it, 67 to 65, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Ayia Napa is stronger on nothing outright; Kos on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Ayia Napa vs Kos for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kos edges it, 67 to 65, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Ayia Napa is stronger on nothing outright; Kos on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Internet.** Kos leads on internet, 64 to 47, against Ayia Napa. Measured download: 11.8 Mbps vs 34.3 Mbps.
- **Climate.** Ayia Napa leads on climate, 67 to 58, against Kos. Comfortable months: 8 vs 7.

Where they are close: within five points on cost of living, quality of life, getting there & around, safety, healthcare, air quality, visa ease.

**Pick Ayia Napa if you want** no clear edge over Kos in the data.

**Pick Kos if you want** to spend about $200 less a month; faster internet (34.3 Mbps measured).

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

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Kos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 38 | 43 | Kos |
| Safety | 77 | 76 | Ayia Napa |
| Healthcare | 83 | 83 | Kos |
| Internet | 47 | 64 | Kos |
| Visa ease | 76 | 76 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 28 | 31 | Kos |
| Climate | 67 | 58 | Ayia Napa |
| Air quality | 82 | 82 | Ayia Napa |
| Quality of life | 86 | 90 | Kos |

## Cost

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Kos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,100 | $1,900 | Kos |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Kos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.96 | 0.85 | Kos |
| Political stability (0–100) | 73.3 | 70.5 | Ayia Napa |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 76 | 77 | Kos |
| Life expectancy | 82 yrs | 81.9 yrs | Ayia Napa |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Kos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 11.8 Mbps | 34.3 Mbps | Kos |
| Upload | 4.2 Mbps | 5 Mbps | Kos |

## Visa

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Kos | 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 | Kos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 91 | 74 | Ayia Napa |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Kos |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Ayia Napa | Kos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 7 | Ayia Napa |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.1 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | Ayia Napa |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Ayia Napa or Kos?

Kos is cheaper: about $1,900 per month versus $2,100 for one person.

### Is Ayia Napa or Kos 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 Kos?

Kos: a measured median of 34.3 Mbps versus 11.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Ayia Napa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ayia-napa) · [Kos](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kos). 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

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