---
title: "Mérida vs Villa de Leyva for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/merida-vs-villa-de-leyva
description: "Under balanced weights Mérida edges it, 61 to 59, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Mérida is stronger on climate, visa ease; Villa de Leyva on nothing outright. 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
---

# Mérida vs Villa de Leyva for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Mérida edges it, 61 to 59, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Mérida is stronger on climate, visa ease; Villa de Leyva on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Mérida leads on climate, 58 to 42, against Villa de Leyva. Comfortable months: 7 vs 5.
- **Visa ease.** Mérida leads on visa ease, 90 to 77, against Villa de Leyva.
- **Getting there & around.** Villa de Leyva leads on getting there & around, 31 to 23, against Mérida. Non-stop airport destinations: 22 vs 110.

Where they are close: within five points on safety, air quality, internet, quality of life.

**Pick Mérida if you want** to spend about $119 less a month; a longer comfortable season (7 months against 5).

**Pick Villa de Leyva if you want** stronger healthcare; a dedicated digital-nomad visa.

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

| Metric | Mérida | Villa de Leyva | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 80 | 74 | Mérida |
| Safety | 28 | 25 | Mérida |
| Healthcare | 75 | 81 | Villa de Leyva |
| Internet | 60 | 61 | Villa de Leyva |
| Visa ease | 90 | 77 | Mérida |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 31 | Villa de Leyva |
| Climate | 58 | 42 | Mérida |
| Air quality | 79 | 80 | Villa de Leyva |
| Quality of life | 57 | 56 | Mérida |

## Cost

| Metric | Mérida | Villa de Leyva | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $881 | $1,000 | Mérida |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Mérida | Villa de Leyva | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 25.64 | 24.35 | Villa de Leyva |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55 | 48.9 | Mérida |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 79 | 82 | Villa de Leyva |
| Life expectancy | 75.3 yrs | 78.2 yrs | Villa de Leyva |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Mérida | Villa de Leyva | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 23 Mbps | 21.7 Mbps | Mérida |
| Upload | 9.1 Mbps | 13.3 Mbps | Villa de Leyva |

## Visa

| Metric | Mérida | Villa de Leyva | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | Digital nomad visitor visa (Visa V) | Villa de Leyva |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $1,605/mo | — |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 90 days | Mérida |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 90 days | Mérida |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 90 days | Mérida |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Mérida | Villa de Leyva | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 22 | 110 | Villa de Leyva |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Mérida |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Mérida | Villa de Leyva | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 5 | Mérida |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 14.6 µg/m³ | 14.2 µg/m³ | Villa de Leyva |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Mérida or Villa de Leyva?

Mérida is cheaper: about $881 per month versus $1,000 for one person.

### Is Mérida or Villa de Leyva safer?

Mérida scores higher on safety (28 vs 25), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Mérida or Villa de Leyva?

Mérida: a measured median of 23 Mbps versus 21.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Mérida](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/merida) · [Villa de Leyva](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/villa-de-leyva). 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); 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/merida-vs-villa-de-leyva