---
title: "Bursa vs Istanbul for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/bursa-vs-istanbul
description: "Under balanced weights Bursa edges it, 58 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Bursa is stronger on air quality, cost of living; Istanbul on nothing outright. 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
---

# Bursa vs Istanbul for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Bursa edges it, 58 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Bursa is stronger on air quality, cost of living; Istanbul on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Bursa | Istanbul | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 66 | 47 | Bursa |
| Safety | 53 | 53 | tie |
| Healthcare | 73 | 73 | tie |
| Internet | 53 | 57 | Istanbul |
| Visa ease | 73 | 73 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 78 | 84 | Istanbul |
| Climate | 42 | 50 | Istanbul |
| Air quality | 27 | 0 | Bursa |
| Quality of life | 57 | 57 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Bursa | Istanbul | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $850 | $1,391 | Bursa |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,280 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Bursa | Istanbul | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.41 | 2.41 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 50.2 | 50.2 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 77 | 77 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 75.3 yrs | 75.3 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Bursa | Istanbul | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 15.5 Mbps | 19.8 Mbps | Istanbul |
| Upload | 5.5 Mbps | 6.8 Mbps | Istanbul |

## Visa

| Metric | Bursa | Istanbul | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa | Digital nomad visa | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $3,000/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Bursa | Istanbul | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 352 | 370 | Istanbul |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Istanbul |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Bursa | Istanbul | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 | Istanbul |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37.9 µg/m³ | 50.5 µg/m³ | Bursa |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Bursa or Istanbul?

Bursa is cheaper: about $850 per month versus $1,391 for one person.

### Is Bursa or Istanbul safer?

Bursa scores higher on safety (53 vs 53), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Bursa or Istanbul?

Istanbul: a measured median of 19.8 Mbps versus 15.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Bursa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/bursa) · [Istanbul](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/istanbul). 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); 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/bursa-vs-istanbul