---
title: "Mersin vs Van for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/mersin-vs-van
description: "Under balanced weights Mersin edges it, 56 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. 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
---

# Mersin vs Van for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Mersin edges it, 56 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Air quality.** Mersin leads on air quality, 60 to 54, against Van. PM2.5: 22.8 µg/m³ vs 25.9 µg/m³.
- **Internet.** Van leads on internet, 45 to 40, against Mersin. Measured download: 8 Mbps vs 9.4 Mbps.

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

**Pick Mersin if you want** no clear edge over Van in the data.

**Pick Van if you want** faster internet (9.4 Mbps measured).

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

| Metric | Mersin | Van | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 82 | 82 | tie |
| Safety | 53 | 53 | tie |
| Healthcare | 75 | 75 | tie |
| Internet | 40 | 45 | Van |
| Visa ease | 73 | 73 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 19 | 16 | Mersin |
| Climate | 33 | 33 | tie |
| Air quality | 60 | 54 | Mersin |
| Quality of life | 65 | 65 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Mersin | Van | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $850 | $850 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Mersin | Van | 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 | 76.2 yrs | 76.2 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Mersin | Van | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 8 Mbps | 9.4 Mbps | Van |
| Upload | 2.6 Mbps | 5.3 Mbps | Van |

## Visa

| Metric | Mersin | Van | 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 | Mersin | Van | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 31 | 7 | Mersin |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Mersin | Van | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 22.8 µg/m³ | 25.9 µg/m³ | Mersin |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Mersin or Van?

Mersin and Van cost about the same: roughly $850 per month for one person.

### Is Mersin or Van safer?

Mersin and Van score the same on safety (53), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Mersin or Van?

Van: a measured median of 9.4 Mbps versus 8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Mersin](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/mersin) · [Van](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/van). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/mersin-vs-van