CITY / CITYVerified city comparison
AntalyavsHeraklion.
Heraklion is stronger on 5 of 8 headline facts; Antalya on 3. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Antalya $450/mo, Heraklion $766/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Antalya 4.4%, Heraklion 30.9%. Climate comfort: Antalya 6/12 mo, Heraklion 10/12 mo.
VerifiedUpdated
14 compared criteria · 28 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited
tr / gr · SettleMetric
01
The key differences
The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.
Headline result
Heraklion leads on 5 of 8
Antalya
3
Heraklion
5
01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Antalyastronger
$450/mo
TÜİK — Household Consumption Expenditure 2024 (per-capita COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- TÜİK 2024 average household consumption 45,344 TRY/mo ÷ 3.1 persons = 14,627 TRY/capita (2024). Housing (26.0%) split ~70% rent (excluded) / ~30% utilities (kept), matching the peer basis. Excl-rent per-capita uplifted to mid-2026 by TÜİK CPI ×1.7534 and converted at 46.65 TRY/USD (TCMB 2026-07-02) → ≈$450.
- Notes
- WARNING — lira volatility: with ~32% annual inflation and a constantly repricing FX rate, this USD figure carries a ±15–20% band and shifts month to month; the TRY has appreciated in real terms since 2024, so Türkiye's USD cost of living has been RISING even as it stays below EU peers. All-household per-capita basis; Istanbul/İzmir run above the national figure.
Heraklion
$766/mo
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- ELSTAT HBS 2023: average annual expenditure per person = €8,358.24 = €696.52/month (monetary purchases, excludes imputed owner rent). Subtracted the actual-rent component (~€24.6/person) → €671.9/person excl. rent × 1.1399 = $766. Same low-reading per-capita HBS basis as peers.
- Notes
- Greek monetary household consumption is genuinely depressed (ELSTAT reports it ~20.5% below 2008), so the per-capita figure lands near Czechia despite Greece feeling pricier in tourist zones. Rent shown separately.
02Freelancer tax burden
Antalyastronger
4.4%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 (~3,193,644 TL) for an IT freelancer serving FOREIGN clients (scheme tr-freelancer-export): the 100% service-export income deduction (raised from 80% for 2026) zeroes the income tax; only the fixed minimum Bağ-Kur social premium (11,808.23 TL/month = 141,699/yr) is due. Burden = 141,699 / 3,193,644 = 4.4%. Serving Turkish clients instead (no export deduction) runs ~31–33% (progressive + Bağ-Kur).
Heraklion
30.9%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Law 5246/2025 income-tax scale + e-EFKA Class 1)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Standard freelancer scheme at €60,000, single (scheme gr-freelancer-standard): EFKA Class 1 = 3,006/yr (deductible); income tax on 56,994 via the 2026 scale (9/20/26/34/39%) = 15,528. Levies 18,534 → 30.9%. NOTE: a relocating new tax resident gets the 50% income-tax exemption (Article 5C, scheme gr-freelancer-newresident-50) for 7 years, cutting this to ≈13.5% — but the 30.9% standard figure is the unconditional, steady-state burden shown as the headline.
03Homicide rate
Antalya
3.23/100k
World Bank / UNODC — intentional homicides per 100,000 (Türkiye, 2023)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- UNODC series via the World Bank: 3.23 per 100,000 in 2023 (up from 2.62 in 2022; the series has gaps and swings). 2024/2025 not yet published. Türkiye is not covered by Eurostat, so cross-country comparison relies on the UNODC series. Moderate-to-higher than the European peers in the set.
Heraklionstronger
0.78/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=EL)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.78). Very low by global standards (world average ~5.8) and down over the series (1.29 in 2008 to 0.68–0.88 recently). One of the safer countries in the set.
04Climate comfort
Antalya
6/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Antalya Airport WMO 17300)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: Feb (16.0), Mar (18.5), Apr (21.8), May (26.4), Oct (27.3), Nov (21.6, 147.6 mm) = 6. Jun–Sep (31.6–34.9°C) exceed the 28°C heat ceiling; Jan (214 mm) and Dec (275 mm) clear the temperature test but fail the 150 mm rain cap. The comfortable season is the warm, drier shoulder months.
Heraklionstronger
10/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA GSOD 1991–2020, Heraklion Airport)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C AND whose monthly precipitation is under 150 mm: Jan (15.3), Feb (15.6), Mar (17.4), Apr (20.3), May (23.9), Jun (27.5), Sep (27.3), Oct (24.2), Nov (20.4), Dec (16.9) = 10. Only July and August are excluded, both at 29.4 °C. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is January at 90.2 mm.
- Notes
- Ten sits at the top of this dataset’s range: Lisbon and Los Angeles also reach ten, and only Bogotá, Las Palmas, Mexico City and Funchal reach twelve. The count rewards a winter that never gets cold rather than a gentle summer — January and February qualify here purely because their daily maxima sit just above the 15 °C floor.
05Internet speed
Antalya
12 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Türkiye (Asia grouping)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for TR in 2023 = 12.09 Mbps (402,083 download tests; Türkiye is filed under M-Lab's Asia (AS) continent grouping, not EU). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below marketed figures — Turkish fibre commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- The single-stream M-Lab median is low (and the lowest in the set) but reflects a consistent cross-country method, not real fibre-line speeds; Turkish fixed broadband is much faster in practice.
Heraklionstronger
37 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Greece
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for GR in 2023 = 37.3 Mbps (268,076 download tests; daily medians ranged 21.3–47.3). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads below Ookla-style tests — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- Greece's fixed broadband is improving as fibre rolls out; the single-stream M-Lab median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
06English proficiency
Antalya
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Türkiye (rank 71/123, score 488, Low band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Türkiye rank 71/123, score 488 (Low band, cutoff 450–499), a 9-point decline from the prior edition. English is workable in Istanbul/tourism and parts of the tech sector but thin in public offices and smaller cities; Turkish is the sole official language. The lowest English band in the set.
Heraklionstronger
High
EF EPI 2025 — Greece (score 592, rank 20/123, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Greece scores 592, rank 20/123 — top of the 'High' band, just below the 'Very High' threshold (~600); global average 488. English is widely functional in tourism, services and among younger Greeks, though the score slipped 10 points from the prior edition.
07Private healthcare cost
Antalyastronger
$860/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive standalone private health insurance (outpatient + inpatient private-hospital cover) for a healthy 35-year-old runs ~25,000–100,000 TRY/yr depending on the contracted hospital network; a mid-tier plan sits near ~40,000 TRY/yr ≈ $860 at 46.65 TRY/USD. Band ≈ $540–$2,140.
- Notes
- Two-tier context: residents with a work/residence basis are covered by mandatory public insurance (SGK); on top, Turks commonly buy complementary insurance (~5,000–20,000 TRY/yr) working with SGK at private hospitals, or full standalone private cover (this figure). The cheap mandatory foreigner residence-permit policy (~$32–130/yr) is minimal cover, not comparable. Private cover is cheap in USD because of the weak lira; TRY premiums rise 50–80%/yr, so this is a volatile curated midpoint.
Heraklion
$1,368/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of local comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) annual premiums for a healthy 35-year-old, €600–1,800 from major Greek insurers (mid-range €100–180/month) → ~€1,200/yr × 1.1399 = $1,368.
- Notes
- Public cover exists via EOPYY (funded through EFKA contributions), but waiting lists and gaps drive a large private market. Local plans run cheaper than international/expat plans ($2,000–4,000+/yr). Greek insurers raised premiums ~14% in 2025 — a rising curated midpoint, not a firm quote.
08Air quality (PM2.5)
Antalya
17.9 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Aug 28, 2026
- Method
- Row Antalya/TUR, year 2023, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 17.89 µg/m³ at 94% temporal coverage over 1 station (a single urban traffic station), reference "European Environmental Agency". Reference year 2023: the database has later rows for this city but none of them carries a PM2.5 value. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 2.8 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
- Notes
- The reference year is 2023, not 2024: the database has Antalya rows for 2024 and 2025 but neither carries a PM2.5 value. It rests on a single urban traffic station, which measures roadside exposure rather than general urban background and should be expected to read high; there is no background station in the row to balance it. The only other year with a value is 2019, at 7% coverage, which is too thin to use even as a trend. Preceding years in the same series: 2019 32.53, but at 7% coverage — the only other year with a value.
Heraklionstronger
11.7 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Row Irakleio/GRC, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026): pm25_concentration = 11.66 µg/m³ at 99% temporal coverage over 1 station, reference "European Environmental Agency". Cross-checked against the EEA statistic it is built from, queried directly on 2026-09-20: station GR0433A HERAKLION-2, urban traffic, annual mean 11.663023 µg/m³, data coverage 98.95%, verification flag 1 (validated). The row’s station sits at 35.3328°N 25.1382°E, 0.9 km from this city’s recorded coordinates. Reference year 2024 is the latest year with a full-year figure and the year already used by the other European cities here; the database also carries 2025 at 10.97 µg/m³, but on 56% coverage, far below the EU’s 90% data-quality objective, so it is reported here rather than used.
- Notes
- ONE station, and an urban traffic one, so this reads high relative to where people actually live — Heraklion has no urban background PM2.5 monitor. For scale, the nearest background site, Finokalia on the coast 48 km east, measured 7.08 µg/m³ in the same year, and the whole Greek network reported between 7.08 and 24.51. Preceding year in the same series: 2023, 13.30 µg/m³ at 88% coverage. Even on the traffic station the figure is well under the EU limit value of 25 and the lowest of the three Greek cities here — Athens 14.2 (a five-station average) and Thessaloniki 16.11 (six stations, four of them traffic) for the same year.
02
Which city fits your plan?
Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.
Remote IT / freelancer
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
A close call for this plan
01Freelancer tax burden
Antalyastronger
4.4%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 (~3,193,644 TL) for an IT freelancer serving FOREIGN clients (scheme tr-freelancer-export): the 100% service-export income deduction (raised from 80% for 2026) zeroes the income tax; only the fixed minimum Bağ-Kur social premium (11,808.23 TL/month = 141,699/yr) is due. Burden = 141,699 / 3,193,644 = 4.4%. Serving Turkish clients instead (no export deduction) runs ~31–33% (progressive + Bağ-Kur).
Heraklion
30.9%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Law 5246/2025 income-tax scale + e-EFKA Class 1)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Standard freelancer scheme at €60,000, single (scheme gr-freelancer-standard): EFKA Class 1 = 3,006/yr (deductible); income tax on 56,994 via the 2026 scale (9/20/26/34/39%) = 15,528. Levies 18,534 → 30.9%. NOTE: a relocating new tax resident gets the 50% income-tax exemption (Article 5C, scheme gr-freelancer-newresident-50) for 7 years, cutting this to ≈13.5% — but the 30.9% standard figure is the unconditional, steady-state burden shown as the headline.
02Internet speed
Antalya
12 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Türkiye (Asia grouping)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for TR in 2023 = 12.09 Mbps (402,083 download tests; Türkiye is filed under M-Lab's Asia (AS) continent grouping, not EU). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below marketed figures — Turkish fibre commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- The single-stream M-Lab median is low (and the lowest in the set) but reflects a consistent cross-country method, not real fibre-line speeds; Turkish fixed broadband is much faster in practice.
Heraklionstronger
37 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Greece
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for GR in 2023 = 37.3 Mbps (268,076 download tests; daily medians ranged 21.3–47.3). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads below Ookla-style tests — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- Greece's fixed broadband is improving as fibre rolls out; the single-stream M-Lab median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
03English proficiency
Antalya
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Türkiye (rank 71/123, score 488, Low band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Türkiye rank 71/123, score 488 (Low band, cutoff 450–499), a 9-point decline from the prior edition. English is workable in Istanbul/tourism and parts of the tech sector but thin in public offices and smaller cities; Turkish is the sole official language. The lowest English band in the set.
Heraklionstronger
High
EF EPI 2025 — Greece (score 592, rank 20/123, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Greece scores 592, rank 20/123 — top of the 'High' band, just below the 'Very High' threshold (~600); global average 488. English is widely functional in tourism, services and among younger Greeks, though the score slipped 10 points from the prior edition.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Antalyastronger
$450/mo
TÜİK — Household Consumption Expenditure 2024 (per-capita COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- TÜİK 2024 average household consumption 45,344 TRY/mo ÷ 3.1 persons = 14,627 TRY/capita (2024). Housing (26.0%) split ~70% rent (excluded) / ~30% utilities (kept), matching the peer basis. Excl-rent per-capita uplifted to mid-2026 by TÜİK CPI ×1.7534 and converted at 46.65 TRY/USD (TCMB 2026-07-02) → ≈$450.
- Notes
- WARNING — lira volatility: with ~32% annual inflation and a constantly repricing FX rate, this USD figure carries a ±15–20% band and shifts month to month; the TRY has appreciated in real terms since 2024, so Türkiye's USD cost of living has been RISING even as it stays below EU peers. All-household per-capita basis; Istanbul/İzmir run above the national figure.
Heraklion
$766/mo
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- ELSTAT HBS 2023: average annual expenditure per person = €8,358.24 = €696.52/month (monetary purchases, excludes imputed owner rent). Subtracted the actual-rent component (~€24.6/person) → €671.9/person excl. rent × 1.1399 = $766. Same low-reading per-capita HBS basis as peers.
- Notes
- Greek monetary household consumption is genuinely depressed (ELSTAT reports it ~20.5% below 2008), so the per-capita figure lands near Czechia despite Greece feeling pricier in tourist zones. Rent shown separately.
05Domestic delivery quality
Antalya
Good
Turkish carrier ecosystem — PTT + Yurtiçi/Aras/MNG/Sürat/Sendeo/HepsiJET/Trendyol Express
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Dense, competitive domestic courier market on the back of a huge e-commerce sector (Trendyol, Hepsiburada): PTT Kargo plus Yurtiçi, Aras, MNG, Sürat, Sendeo, HepsiJET and Trendyol Express give nationwide next-day/2-day coverage; same/next-day is normal in the big metros. Cash-on-delivery ('kapıda ödeme') is ubiquitous. Parcel-locker density is growing but below the locker-saturated benchmark, so rated 'good' rather than 'excellent'.
Heraklion
Good
Greek carrier networks (ELTA, ACS, BoxNow) — composite
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Dense mainland-city coverage: national couriers (ELTA post, ACS, Geniki Taxydromiki, Speedex) plus one of SE Europe's largest parcel-locker networks (BoxNow) and Skroutz Last Mile; cash-on-delivery ('αντικαταβολή') is mainstream. Athens/Thessaloniki are excellent, but ELTA's financial troubles and ferry-dependent island last-mile keep the national rating at 'good' rather than 'excellent'.
Family
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
Heraklion fits better — 3 of 5
01International schools
Antalyastronger
2
IB (ibo.org) Find an IB World School registry — per-school verification for Antalya
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Verified floor of 2 IB World Schools in Antalya: (1) Antalya Toplum Koleji / ICCA — IB (ibo.org 061620), also Cambridge International; (2) İSTEK Antalya Lara School — IB (ibo.org 061882), in Lara, Muratpaşa.
- Notes
- Conservative IB-only FLOOR. A probable third (TED College Antalya) advertises IBO/CIS/ECIS membership but its authorization could not be confirmed from the primary registries this pass; QSI has no Antalya school. Counting confirmed Cambridge/other schools would raise the total to ~3–4. Far fewer international schools than Istanbul.
Heraklion
1
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 20, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Accreditor-verified: the School of European Education – Heraklion (A. Nioti and Savathianon 8, seeh.eu) is listed on the European Schools registry as accredited to teach the European Schools curriculum from nursery to the European Baccalaureate, English and Greek language sections, first Baccalaureate session 2015. It is the only Accredited European School in Greece, one of the 24 locations on that registry, and was set up around the EU agency ENISA, which the registry names as its linked agency.
- Notes
- VERIFIED FLOOR. The IB World Schools directory (ibo.org) has refused our requests since the Polish work in August 2026 and the Internet Archive holds no snapshot of its country listings, so any IB-authorised school in Heraklion could not be counted or ruled out — the same blocked check that leaves thirteen other published cities in this dataset without a count. Heraklion is unusual in that one accredited school could be confirmed at a different registry, so it carries a number rather than a gap; treat it as "at least one", not as a complete count.
02Homicide rate
Antalya
3.23/100k
World Bank / UNODC — intentional homicides per 100,000 (Türkiye, 2023)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- UNODC series via the World Bank: 3.23 per 100,000 in 2023 (up from 2.62 in 2022; the series has gaps and swings). 2024/2025 not yet published. Türkiye is not covered by Eurostat, so cross-country comparison relies on the UNODC series. Moderate-to-higher than the European peers in the set.
Heraklionstronger
0.78/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=EL)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.78). Very low by global standards (world average ~5.8) and down over the series (1.29 in 2008 to 0.68–0.88 recently). One of the safer countries in the set.
03Private healthcare cost
Antalyastronger
$860/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive standalone private health insurance (outpatient + inpatient private-hospital cover) for a healthy 35-year-old runs ~25,000–100,000 TRY/yr depending on the contracted hospital network; a mid-tier plan sits near ~40,000 TRY/yr ≈ $860 at 46.65 TRY/USD. Band ≈ $540–$2,140.
- Notes
- Two-tier context: residents with a work/residence basis are covered by mandatory public insurance (SGK); on top, Turks commonly buy complementary insurance (~5,000–20,000 TRY/yr) working with SGK at private hospitals, or full standalone private cover (this figure). The cheap mandatory foreigner residence-permit policy (~$32–130/yr) is minimal cover, not comparable. Private cover is cheap in USD because of the weak lira; TRY premiums rise 50–80%/yr, so this is a volatile curated midpoint.
Heraklion
$1,368/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of local comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) annual premiums for a healthy 35-year-old, €600–1,800 from major Greek insurers (mid-range €100–180/month) → ~€1,200/yr × 1.1399 = $1,368.
- Notes
- Public cover exists via EOPYY (funded through EFKA contributions), but waiting lists and gaps drive a large private market. Local plans run cheaper than international/expat plans ($2,000–4,000+/yr). Greek insurers raised premiums ~14% in 2025 — a rising curated midpoint, not a firm quote.
04Air quality (PM2.5)
Antalya
17.9 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Aug 28, 2026
- Method
- Row Antalya/TUR, year 2023, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 17.89 µg/m³ at 94% temporal coverage over 1 station (a single urban traffic station), reference "European Environmental Agency". Reference year 2023: the database has later rows for this city but none of them carries a PM2.5 value. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 2.8 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
- Notes
- The reference year is 2023, not 2024: the database has Antalya rows for 2024 and 2025 but neither carries a PM2.5 value. It rests on a single urban traffic station, which measures roadside exposure rather than general urban background and should be expected to read high; there is no background station in the row to balance it. The only other year with a value is 2019, at 7% coverage, which is too thin to use even as a trend. Preceding years in the same series: 2019 32.53, but at 7% coverage — the only other year with a value.
Heraklionstronger
11.7 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Row Irakleio/GRC, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026): pm25_concentration = 11.66 µg/m³ at 99% temporal coverage over 1 station, reference "European Environmental Agency". Cross-checked against the EEA statistic it is built from, queried directly on 2026-09-20: station GR0433A HERAKLION-2, urban traffic, annual mean 11.663023 µg/m³, data coverage 98.95%, verification flag 1 (validated). The row’s station sits at 35.3328°N 25.1382°E, 0.9 km from this city’s recorded coordinates. Reference year 2024 is the latest year with a full-year figure and the year already used by the other European cities here; the database also carries 2025 at 10.97 µg/m³, but on 56% coverage, far below the EU’s 90% data-quality objective, so it is reported here rather than used.
- Notes
- ONE station, and an urban traffic one, so this reads high relative to where people actually live — Heraklion has no urban background PM2.5 monitor. For scale, the nearest background site, Finokalia on the coast 48 km east, measured 7.08 µg/m³ in the same year, and the whole Greek network reported between 7.08 and 24.51. Preceding year in the same series: 2023, 13.30 µg/m³ at 88% coverage. Even on the traffic station the figure is well under the EU limit value of 25 and the lowest of the three Greek cities here — Athens 14.2 (a five-station average) and Thessaloniki 16.11 (six stations, four of them traffic) for the same year.
05English proficiency
Antalya
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Türkiye (rank 71/123, score 488, Low band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Türkiye rank 71/123, score 488 (Low band, cutoff 450–499), a 9-point decline from the prior edition. English is workable in Istanbul/tourism and parts of the tech sector but thin in public offices and smaller cities; Turkish is the sole official language. The lowest English band in the set.
Heraklionstronger
High
EF EPI 2025 — Greece (score 592, rank 20/123, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Greece scores 592, rank 20/123 — top of the 'High' band, just below the 'Very High' threshold (~600); global average 488. English is widely functional in tourism, services and among younger Greeks, though the score slipped 10 points from the prior edition.
Money & crypto
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
Antalya fits better — 1 of 3
01Crypto regulation
Antalya
Legal regulated
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 2, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Trading, holding and exchanging crypto are legal and very popular, but PAYING with crypto is BANNED (CBRT regulation in force 30 April 2021). Law No. 7518 (in force from 2 July 2024) put crypto-asset service providers under the Capital Markets Board (SPK): mandatory licensing, custody duties and minimum capital; offshore platforms targeting residents and crypto ATMs had to wind down. Classified 'legal-regulated' — trading legal and now formally supervised, payments prohibited.
Heraklion
Legal regulated
Official source
- Data as of
- Apr 10, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- EU MiCA applies and was transposed by Law 5193/2025 (10 April 2025), with CASP licensing and EU passporting, supervised by HCMC and the Bank of Greece. Individual crypto capital gains are taxed at a flat 15% (from 1 Jan 2025), with a €500 annual tax-free threshold and 5-year loss carry-forward. Fully legal and now clearly regulated/taxed rather than a grey area.
02Financial control level
Antalya
Moderate
Revenue Administration (GİB) — cash-payment documentation (tevsik) limit; CBRT crypto-payment ban
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Composite: the lira is freely convertible and residents may hold foreign-currency deposits/accounts and move money abroad — no hard individual capital controls. But the state exerts more control than EU peers: payments above 30,000 TRY (~$640) must be routed through banks/cards (tevsik rule); crypto payments are banned; the authorities intervene actively in the FX market and use reserve/macroprudential measures; and import de-minimis is low with high duties. Freely convertible but with a low cash-through-bank threshold and several controls → 'moderate' (stricter end).
- Notes
- High inflation erodes money in practice but is not a legal control. Day-to-day banking, FX purchase and transfers are unrestricted for an individual; the frictions are the low cash-routing threshold, the crypto-payment ban and occasional FX intervention.
Heraklion
Moderate
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Composite: EUR (eurozone), full EU free movement of capital; the 2015 crisis-era capital controls were fully lifted on 1 September 2019, so funds move abroad without restriction. Offsetting this: Greece has the STRICTEST cash-payment cap in the EU (€500 for consumer transactions; breaches fined at double the amount) plus routine AML/CASP reporting. The open capital account alone reads 'low', but the €500 everyday-cash restriction pulls the composite up to 'moderate'.
- Notes
- A 2025–26 proposal to cut the cap to €200 was withdrawn; the €500 limit remains.
03Freelancer tax burden
Antalyastronger
4.4%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 (~3,193,644 TL) for an IT freelancer serving FOREIGN clients (scheme tr-freelancer-export): the 100% service-export income deduction (raised from 80% for 2026) zeroes the income tax; only the fixed minimum Bağ-Kur social premium (11,808.23 TL/month = 141,699/yr) is due. Burden = 141,699 / 3,193,644 = 4.4%. Serving Turkish clients instead (no export deduction) runs ~31–33% (progressive + Bağ-Kur).
Heraklion
30.9%
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Law 5246/2025 income-tax scale + e-EFKA Class 1)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Standard freelancer scheme at €60,000, single (scheme gr-freelancer-standard): EFKA Class 1 = 3,006/yr (deductible); income tax on 56,994 via the 2026 scale (9/20/26/34/39%) = 15,528. Levies 18,534 → 30.9%. NOTE: a relocating new tax resident gets the 50% income-tax exemption (Article 5C, scheme gr-freelancer-newresident-50) for 7 years, cutting this to ≈13.5% — but the 30.9% standard figure is the unconditional, steady-state burden shown as the headline.
Calm lifestyle
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Heraklion fits better — 3 of 4
01Homicide rate
Antalya
3.23/100k
World Bank / UNODC — intentional homicides per 100,000 (Türkiye, 2023)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- UNODC series via the World Bank: 3.23 per 100,000 in 2023 (up from 2.62 in 2022; the series has gaps and swings). 2024/2025 not yet published. Türkiye is not covered by Eurostat, so cross-country comparison relies on the UNODC series. Moderate-to-higher than the European peers in the set.
Heraklionstronger
0.78/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=EL)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.78). Very low by global standards (world average ~5.8) and down over the series (1.29 in 2008 to 0.68–0.88 recently). One of the safer countries in the set.
02Air quality (PM2.5)
Antalya
17.9 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Aug 28, 2026
- Method
- Row Antalya/TUR, year 2023, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 17.89 µg/m³ at 94% temporal coverage over 1 station (a single urban traffic station), reference "European Environmental Agency". Reference year 2023: the database has later rows for this city but none of them carries a PM2.5 value. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 2.8 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
- Notes
- The reference year is 2023, not 2024: the database has Antalya rows for 2024 and 2025 but neither carries a PM2.5 value. It rests on a single urban traffic station, which measures roadside exposure rather than general urban background and should be expected to read high; there is no background station in the row to balance it. The only other year with a value is 2019, at 7% coverage, which is too thin to use even as a trend. Preceding years in the same series: 2019 32.53, but at 7% coverage — the only other year with a value.
Heraklionstronger
11.7 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Row Irakleio/GRC, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026): pm25_concentration = 11.66 µg/m³ at 99% temporal coverage over 1 station, reference "European Environmental Agency". Cross-checked against the EEA statistic it is built from, queried directly on 2026-09-20: station GR0433A HERAKLION-2, urban traffic, annual mean 11.663023 µg/m³, data coverage 98.95%, verification flag 1 (validated). The row’s station sits at 35.3328°N 25.1382°E, 0.9 km from this city’s recorded coordinates. Reference year 2024 is the latest year with a full-year figure and the year already used by the other European cities here; the database also carries 2025 at 10.97 µg/m³, but on 56% coverage, far below the EU’s 90% data-quality objective, so it is reported here rather than used.
- Notes
- ONE station, and an urban traffic one, so this reads high relative to where people actually live — Heraklion has no urban background PM2.5 monitor. For scale, the nearest background site, Finokalia on the coast 48 km east, measured 7.08 µg/m³ in the same year, and the whole Greek network reported between 7.08 and 24.51. Preceding year in the same series: 2023, 13.30 µg/m³ at 88% coverage. Even on the traffic station the figure is well under the EU limit value of 25 and the lowest of the three Greek cities here — Athens 14.2 (a five-station average) and Thessaloniki 16.11 (six stations, four of them traffic) for the same year.
03Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Antalyastronger
$450/mo
TÜİK — Household Consumption Expenditure 2024 (per-capita COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- TÜİK 2024 average household consumption 45,344 TRY/mo ÷ 3.1 persons = 14,627 TRY/capita (2024). Housing (26.0%) split ~70% rent (excluded) / ~30% utilities (kept), matching the peer basis. Excl-rent per-capita uplifted to mid-2026 by TÜİK CPI ×1.7534 and converted at 46.65 TRY/USD (TCMB 2026-07-02) → ≈$450.
- Notes
- WARNING — lira volatility: with ~32% annual inflation and a constantly repricing FX rate, this USD figure carries a ±15–20% band and shifts month to month; the TRY has appreciated in real terms since 2024, so Türkiye's USD cost of living has been RISING even as it stays below EU peers. All-household per-capita basis; Istanbul/İzmir run above the national figure.
Heraklion
$766/mo
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- ELSTAT HBS 2023: average annual expenditure per person = €8,358.24 = €696.52/month (monetary purchases, excludes imputed owner rent). Subtracted the actual-rent component (~€24.6/person) → €671.9/person excl. rent × 1.1399 = $766. Same low-reading per-capita HBS basis as peers.
- Notes
- Greek monetary household consumption is genuinely depressed (ELSTAT reports it ~20.5% below 2008), so the per-capita figure lands near Czechia despite Greece feeling pricier in tourist zones. Rent shown separately.
04Climate comfort
Antalya
6/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Antalya Airport WMO 17300)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: Feb (16.0), Mar (18.5), Apr (21.8), May (26.4), Oct (27.3), Nov (21.6, 147.6 mm) = 6. Jun–Sep (31.6–34.9°C) exceed the 28°C heat ceiling; Jan (214 mm) and Dec (275 mm) clear the temperature test but fail the 150 mm rain cap. The comfortable season is the warm, drier shoulder months.
Heraklionstronger
10/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA GSOD 1991–2020, Heraklion Airport)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C AND whose monthly precipitation is under 150 mm: Jan (15.3), Feb (15.6), Mar (17.4), Apr (20.3), May (23.9), Jun (27.5), Sep (27.3), Oct (24.2), Nov (20.4), Dec (16.9) = 10. Only July and August are excluded, both at 29.4 °C. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is January at 90.2 mm.
- Notes
- Ten sits at the top of this dataset’s range: Lisbon and Los Angeles also reach ten, and only Bogotá, Las Palmas, Mexico City and Funchal reach twelve. The count rewards a winter that never gets cold rather than a gentle summer — January and February qualify here purely because their daily maxima sit just above the 15 °C floor.
03
The full comparison
Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.
01
Taxes
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileAntalyastronger4.4Heraklion30.9
What this measures
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days
Antalya
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 (~3,193,644 TL) for an IT freelancer serving FOREIGN clients (scheme tr-freelancer-export): the 100% service-export income deduction (raised from 80% for 2026) zeroes the income tax; only the fixed minimum Bağ-Kur social premium (11,808.23 TL/month = 141,699/yr) is due. Burden = 141,699 / 3,193,644 = 4.4%. Serving Turkish clients instead (no export deduction) runs ~31–33% (progressive + Bağ-Kur).
Heraklion
SettleMetric tax engine over official 2026 rules (Law 5246/2025 income-tax scale + e-EFKA Class 1)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Standard freelancer scheme at €60,000, single (scheme gr-freelancer-standard): EFKA Class 1 = 3,006/yr (deductible); income tax on 56,994 via the 2026 scale (9/20/26/34/39%) = 15,528. Levies 18,534 → 30.9%. NOTE: a relocating new tax resident gets the 50% income-tax exemption (Article 5C, scheme gr-freelancer-newresident-50) for 7 years, cutting this to ≈13.5% — but the 30.9% standard figure is the unconditional, steady-state burden shown as the headline.
02
Legalization
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−Remote-work legalization easeAntalyaDedicated nomad visaHeraklionDedicated nomad visa
What this measures
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
Antalya
GoTürkiye (official) — Digital Nomad Visa program
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Türkiye runs a dedicated digital-nomad route on the government GoTürkiye platform (Digital Nomad Identification Certificate → visa → short-term residence), for degree-holding remote workers aged 21–55 earning ≥ $3,000/month from abroad. A short-term residence permit (ikamet) is the general fallback. Combined with the 100% service-export tax deduction it is a strong, low-tax remote-work base.
Heraklion
Hellenic Republic MFA — Digital Nomad Visa (Law 4825/2021)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Greece runs a dedicated digital-nomad visa (Law 4825/2021): a 12-month visa then a 2-year residence permit for non-EU remote workers earning ≥ €3,500/month net from abroad. Paired with the 50% new-resident income-tax exemption it is one of the EU's most marketed relocation deals for mid-income freelancers, though the income bar is higher than in Albania or Bulgaria. EU citizens simply register.
03
Cost of living
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentAntalyastronger450Heraklion766
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days
Antalya
TÜİK — Household Consumption Expenditure 2024 (per-capita COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- TÜİK 2024 average household consumption 45,344 TRY/mo ÷ 3.1 persons = 14,627 TRY/capita (2024). Housing (26.0%) split ~70% rent (excluded) / ~30% utilities (kept), matching the peer basis. Excl-rent per-capita uplifted to mid-2026 by TÜİK CPI ×1.7534 and converted at 46.65 TRY/USD (TCMB 2026-07-02) → ≈$450.
- Notes
- WARNING — lira volatility: with ~32% annual inflation and a constantly repricing FX rate, this USD figure carries a ±15–20% band and shifts month to month; the TRY has appreciated in real terms since 2024, so Türkiye's USD cost of living has been RISING even as it stays below EU peers. All-household per-capita basis; Istanbul/İzmir run above the national figure.
Heraklion
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- ELSTAT HBS 2023: average annual expenditure per person = €8,358.24 = €696.52/month (monetary purchases, excludes imputed owner rent). Subtracted the actual-rent component (~€24.6/person) → €671.9/person excl. rent × 1.1399 = $766. Same low-reading per-capita HBS basis as peers.
- Notes
- Greek monetary household consumption is genuinely depressed (ELSTAT reports it ~20.5% below 2008), so the per-capita figure lands near Czechia despite Greece feeling pricier in tourist zones. Rent shown separately.
Monthly spending by category (excl. rent)
Antalya
Heraklion
TÜİK Household Consumption Expenditure 2024 (per-capita COICOP), CPI-uplifted
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- TÜİK 2024 per-capita monthly spend by COICOP division ÷ 3.1 per capita, ×1.7534 CPI uplift to mid-2026, ÷46.65 TRY/USD; housing shown as utilities only (~30% of the housing division, rent excluded). Sums to ≈$450. Türkiye has an unusually high transport share (21.6%), driven by fuel and vehicle costs.
ELSTAT — Household Budget Survey 2023, Table 1 (COICOP shares)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- ELSTAT HBS 2023 Table 1 per-household monthly amounts, with €59.5 rent removed from the Housing line, each divided by household size 2.42 and converted at 1.1399. Items sum to ≈$766. Housing here is utilities/energy/water/maintenance only (rent excluded); Greek energy costs are relatively high, keeping that line large.
01Food & non-alcoholic beverages
Antalyacheaper
$99
Heraklion
$164
02Transport
Antalya
$119
Heraklioncheaper
$104
03Restaurants, cafes & hotels
Antalya
—
Heraklion
$90
04Utilities, energy, water & home upkeep (excl. rent)
Antalya
—
Heraklion
$84
05Health (out-of-pocket)
Antalyacheaper
$13
Heraklion
$61
06Miscellaneous goods & services
Antalya
—
Heraklion
$67
07Clothing & footwear
Antalyacheaper
$28
Heraklion
$37
08Housing utilities (energy, water, maintenance) excl. rent
Antalya
$43
Heraklion
—
09Alcohol & tobacco
Antalyacheaper
$14
Heraklion
$27
10Restaurants & accommodation
Antalya
$36
Heraklion
—
11Household durables & equipment
Antalya
—
Heraklion
$35
12Recreation & culture
Antalya
—
Heraklion
$35
13Communications
Antalya
—
Heraklion
$34
14Furnishings & household equipment
Antalya
$32
Heraklion
—
15Education
Antalya
—
Heraklion
$27
16Personal care & miscellaneous goods/services
Antalya
$21
Heraklion
—
17Information & communication
Antalya
$20
Heraklion
—
18Recreation, sport & culture
Antalya
$13
Heraklion
—
19Education services
Antalya
$9
Heraklion
—
20Insurance & financial services
Antalya
$4
Heraklion
—
Total (excl. rent)
Antalya$451/mo
Heraklion$765/mo
04
Housing
Rent by apartment type
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
Antalya
Heraklion
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Aug 31, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 8, 2026
- Method
- Asking TRY/m²/month for all 18 Antalya districts, August 2026, read from the published table (range 155 TRY/m² in Korkuteli to 406 in Konyaaltı; the source's own all-Antalya mean is 302). Center anchor = mean of the two expat-favoured central coastal districts this page has always named — Konyaaltı 406 and Muratpaşa 317 = 361.5 → 362 TRY/m². Outside anchor = mean of the two large outer urban districts, Döşemealtı 288 and Kepez 261 = 274.5 → 274 TRY/m². Aksu was named in the previous method and is deliberately dropped from the outer set: at 382 TRY/m² it now prices above Muratpaşa, so counting it as cheaper peripheral housing would misdescribe it. Cells = TRY/m² × assumed floor areas (studio 30, 1BR 40, 2BR 60, 3BR 85 m²) ÷ 47.7748 TRY/USD, the rate implied by data/fx-rates.json of 2026-08-13 (EUR 55.1035 TRY, EUR 1.1534 USD).
- Notes
- FLAG — lira volatility: Antalya asking rents rose 24.1% in TRY over the twelve months to August 2026. Restated on 2026-09-08 from the June 2026 figures, and MOST OF THE 25% RISE IS THE SOURCE, NOT THE MARKET: two months at 24%/yr is worth about 4%, so the previous figure was materially low. It rested on secondary reporting of Endeksa's indices rather than a table anyone could open, and the clearest sign is Konyaaltı — quoted at 287 TRY/m² then, published at 406 now. DERIVED matrix; small units are understated. The post-2022 Russian and Ukrainian inflow is still visible in the shape of the table: the coastal districts lead it and Aksu, on the eastern beach strip by the airport, has overtaken the city-centre district.
RE/MAX Ελλάς — nationwide residential rent survey 2026 (rents agreed through the network), Heraklion
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Sep 3, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- DERIVED (€/m² × standardized size). RE/MAX Ελλάς, "Πανελλαδική αύξηση 3,8% στα ενοίκια των κατοικιών το 2026" (published 2026-09-03), price table "Υπόλοιπη Ελλάδα": Ηράκλειο €8.5/m²/month. Standardized sizes studio 30, 1br 40, 2br 60, 3br 85 m², converted at the ECB rate in data/fx-rates.json (EUR 1 = USD 1.1534). E.g. 1br = 8.5 × 40 = €340 × 1.1534 = $392. The table lists a second "Ηράκλειο" at €9.0 under Δυτικά Προάστια — that is the Attica municipality of the same name, not this city.
- Notes
- FLAT BY LOCATION and on a different basis from the other two Greek cities. RE/MAX publishes one figure for Heraklion with no central/suburban split, so both columns carry the same number; the real spread within the city is not published anywhere readable. The figures are rents actually agreed through the network (93 offices, 1,200+ agents, 124 areas), not asking prices, while Athens and Thessaloniki here are Spitogatos asking prices — see the same survey for the size of the gap: it puts central Athens at €9.8/m² against Spitogatos’ €11.5, and the Municipality of Thessaloniki at €9.6 against €10.4, so agreed rents run 8–15% under asking. An asking-basis Heraklion would therefore be roughly €9.2–10.0/m², or $425–460 for the 1-bedroom cell. The ordering is not affected: on the one basis that covers all three, Heraklion (8.5) is below Thessaloniki (9.6) and Athens (9.8), exactly as the stored numbers show.
01Studio
Antalyacheaper
$227$172 outside
Heraklion
$294$294 outside
021-bedroom
Antalyacheaper
$303$229 outside
Heraklion
$392$392 outside
032-bedroom
Antalyacheaper
$455$344 outside
Heraklion
$588$588 outside
043-bedroom
Antalyacheaper
$644$487 outside
Heraklion
$833$833 outside
05
Safety
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearAntalya3.2Heraklionstronger0.8
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days
Antalya
World Bank / UNODC — intentional homicides per 100,000 (Türkiye, 2023)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- UNODC series via the World Bank: 3.23 per 100,000 in 2023 (up from 2.62 in 2022; the series has gaps and swings). 2024/2025 not yet published. Türkiye is not covered by Eurostat, so cross-country comparison relies on the UNODC series. Moderate-to-higher than the European peers in the set.
Heraklion
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=EL)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (0.78). Very low by global standards (world average ~5.8) and down over the series (1.29 in 2008 to 0.68–0.88 recently). One of the safer countries in the set.
06
Climate
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearAntalya6Heraklionstronger10
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Higher is better· pleasant months/year· re-verified every 3650 days
Antalya
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Antalya Airport WMO 17300)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: Feb (16.0), Mar (18.5), Apr (21.8), May (26.4), Oct (27.3), Nov (21.6, 147.6 mm) = 6. Jun–Sep (31.6–34.9°C) exceed the 28°C heat ceiling; Jan (214 mm) and Dec (275 mm) clear the temperature test but fail the 150 mm rain cap. The comfortable season is the warm, drier shoulder months.
Heraklion
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (NOAA GSOD 1991–2020, Heraklion Airport)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C AND whose monthly precipitation is under 150 mm: Jan (15.3), Feb (15.6), Mar (17.4), Apr (20.3), May (23.9), Jun (27.5), Sep (27.3), Oct (24.2), Nov (20.4), Dec (16.9) = 10. Only July and August are excluded, both at 29.4 °C. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is January at 90.2 mm.
- Notes
- Ten sits at the top of this dataset’s range: Lisbon and Los Angeles also reach ten, and only Bogotá, Las Palmas, Mexico City and Funchal reach twelve. The count rewards a winter that never gets cold rather than a gentle summer — January and February qualify here purely because their daily maxima sit just above the 15 °C floor.
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Antalya17.9Heraklionstronger11.7
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Lower is better· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· re-verified every 730 days
Antalya
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Aug 28, 2026
- Method
- Row Antalya/TUR, year 2023, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 17.89 µg/m³ at 94% temporal coverage over 1 station (a single urban traffic station), reference "European Environmental Agency". Reference year 2023: the database has later rows for this city but none of them carries a PM2.5 value. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 2.8 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
- Notes
- The reference year is 2023, not 2024: the database has Antalya rows for 2024 and 2025 but neither carries a PM2.5 value. It rests on a single urban traffic station, which measures roadside exposure rather than general urban background and should be expected to read high; there is no background station in the row to balance it. The only other year with a value is 2019, at 7% coverage, which is too thin to use even as a trend. Preceding years in the same series: 2019 32.53, but at 7% coverage — the only other year with a value.
Heraklion
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Row Irakleio/GRC, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026): pm25_concentration = 11.66 µg/m³ at 99% temporal coverage over 1 station, reference "European Environmental Agency". Cross-checked against the EEA statistic it is built from, queried directly on 2026-09-20: station GR0433A HERAKLION-2, urban traffic, annual mean 11.663023 µg/m³, data coverage 98.95%, verification flag 1 (validated). The row’s station sits at 35.3328°N 25.1382°E, 0.9 km from this city’s recorded coordinates. Reference year 2024 is the latest year with a full-year figure and the year already used by the other European cities here; the database also carries 2025 at 10.97 µg/m³, but on 56% coverage, far below the EU’s 90% data-quality objective, so it is reported here rather than used.
- Notes
- ONE station, and an urban traffic one, so this reads high relative to where people actually live — Heraklion has no urban background PM2.5 monitor. For scale, the nearest background site, Finokalia on the coast 48 km east, measured 7.08 µg/m³ in the same year, and the whole Greek network reported between 7.08 and 24.51. Preceding year in the same series: 2023, 13.30 µg/m³ at 88% coverage. Even on the traffic station the figure is well under the EU limit value of 25 and the lowest of the three Greek cities here — Athens 14.2 (a five-station average) and Thessaloniki 16.11 (six stations, four of them traffic) for the same year.
07
Healthcare
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldAntalyastronger860Heraklion1,368
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days
Antalya
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive standalone private health insurance (outpatient + inpatient private-hospital cover) for a healthy 35-year-old runs ~25,000–100,000 TRY/yr depending on the contracted hospital network; a mid-tier plan sits near ~40,000 TRY/yr ≈ $860 at 46.65 TRY/USD. Band ≈ $540–$2,140.
- Notes
- Two-tier context: residents with a work/residence basis are covered by mandatory public insurance (SGK); on top, Turks commonly buy complementary insurance (~5,000–20,000 TRY/yr) working with SGK at private hospitals, or full standalone private cover (this figure). The cheap mandatory foreigner residence-permit policy (~$32–130/yr) is minimal cover, not comparable. Private cover is cheap in USD because of the weak lira; TRY premiums rise 50–80%/yr, so this is a volatile curated midpoint.
Heraklion
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of local comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) annual premiums for a healthy 35-year-old, €600–1,800 from major Greek insurers (mid-range €100–180/month) → ~€1,200/yr × 1.1399 = $1,368.
- Notes
- Public cover exists via EOPYY (funded through EFKA contributions), but waiting lists and gaps drive a large private market. Local plans run cheaper than international/expat plans ($2,000–4,000+/yr). Greek insurers raised premiums ~14% in 2025 — a rising curated midpoint, not a firm quote.
08
Money & crypto
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−Crypto regulationAntalyaLegal regulatedHeraklionLegal regulated
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
Antalya
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 2, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Trading, holding and exchanging crypto are legal and very popular, but PAYING with crypto is BANNED (CBRT regulation in force 30 April 2021). Law No. 7518 (in force from 2 July 2024) put crypto-asset service providers under the Capital Markets Board (SPK): mandatory licensing, custody duties and minimum capital; offshore platforms targeting residents and crypto ATMs had to wind down. Classified 'legal-regulated' — trading legal and now formally supervised, payments prohibited.
Heraklion
Official source
- Data as of
- Apr 10, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- EU MiCA applies and was transposed by Law 5193/2025 (10 April 2025), with CASP licensing and EU passporting, supervised by HCMC and the Bank of Greece. Individual crypto capital gains are taxed at a flat 15% (from 1 Jan 2025), with a €500 annual tax-free threshold and 5-year loss carry-forward. Fully legal and now clearly regulated/taxed rather than a grey area.
02+−Financial control levelAntalyaModerateHeraklionModerate
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
Antalya
Revenue Administration (GİB) — cash-payment documentation (tevsik) limit; CBRT crypto-payment ban
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Composite: the lira is freely convertible and residents may hold foreign-currency deposits/accounts and move money abroad — no hard individual capital controls. But the state exerts more control than EU peers: payments above 30,000 TRY (~$640) must be routed through banks/cards (tevsik rule); crypto payments are banned; the authorities intervene actively in the FX market and use reserve/macroprudential measures; and import de-minimis is low with high duties. Freely convertible but with a low cash-through-bank threshold and several controls → 'moderate' (stricter end).
- Notes
- High inflation erodes money in practice but is not a legal control. Day-to-day banking, FX purchase and transfers are unrestricted for an individual; the frictions are the low cash-routing threshold, the crypto-payment ban and occasional FX intervention.
Heraklion
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Composite: EUR (eurozone), full EU free movement of capital; the 2015 crisis-era capital controls were fully lifted on 1 September 2019, so funds move abroad without restriction. Offsetting this: Greece has the STRICTEST cash-payment cap in the EU (€500 for consumer transactions; breaches fined at double the amount) plus routine AML/CASP reporting. The open capital account alone reads 'low', but the €500 everyday-cash restriction pulls the composite up to 'moderate'.
- Notes
- A 2025–26 proposal to cut the cap to €200 was withdrawn; the €500 limit remains.
09
Infrastructure
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−Domestic delivery qualityAntalyaGoodHeraklionGood
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
Antalya
Turkish carrier ecosystem — PTT + Yurtiçi/Aras/MNG/Sürat/Sendeo/HepsiJET/Trendyol Express
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Dense, competitive domestic courier market on the back of a huge e-commerce sector (Trendyol, Hepsiburada): PTT Kargo plus Yurtiçi, Aras, MNG, Sürat, Sendeo, HepsiJET and Trendyol Express give nationwide next-day/2-day coverage; same/next-day is normal in the big metros. Cash-on-delivery ('kapıda ödeme') is ubiquitous. Parcel-locker density is growing but below the locker-saturated benchmark, so rated 'good' rather than 'excellent'.
Heraklion
Greek carrier networks (ELTA, ACS, BoxNow) — composite
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Dense mainland-city coverage: national couriers (ELTA post, ACS, Geniki Taxydromiki, Speedex) plus one of SE Europe's largest parcel-locker networks (BoxNow) and Skroutz Last Mile; cash-on-delivery ('αντικαταβολή') is mainstream. Athens/Thessaloniki are excellent, but ELTA's financial troubles and ferry-dependent island last-mile keep the national rating at 'good' rather than 'excellent'.
02+−International delivery easeAntalyaSignificant frictionHeraklionstrongerSeamless
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
Antalya
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Cross-border inbound shipping faces heavy friction. The duty-free de-minimis was cut from €150 to €30 (in force 21 Aug 2024) and effectively ~€27 with shipping (Dec 2024); parcels are hit with a single flat customs charge of 30% of value for EU-origin goods and 60% for non-EU (plus special consumption tax where relevant). Non-EU customs clearance plus these high duties make ordering from abroad slow and expensive → 'significant-friction'. Domestic and outbound are unaffected.
Heraklion
EU single market / customs union membership (Greece) + integrator coverage
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Qualitative rating from EU membership: as an EU/Schengen customs-union member, intra-EU parcels move without customs or border VAT, so the bulk of European e-commerce is frictionless, and all major integrators (DHL, FedEx, UPS, ACS/Aramex) operate → 'seamless'. Minor caveats (not enough to downgrade): Greece is geographically peripheral (a day or two longer than core-EU hubs), non-EU imports clear customs normally, and island delivery adds domestic delay.
- Notes
- Intra-EU frictionless; the geographic periphery and islands add some transit time but not customs friction.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadAntalya12.1Heraklionstronger37.3
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days
Antalya
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Türkiye (Asia grouping)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for TR in 2023 = 12.09 Mbps (402,083 download tests; Türkiye is filed under M-Lab's Asia (AS) continent grouping, not EU). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below marketed figures — Turkish fibre commonly markets 100–1000 Mbps — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- The single-stream M-Lab median is low (and the lowest in the set) but reflects a consistent cross-country method, not real fibre-line speeds; Turkish fixed broadband is much faster in practice.
Heraklion
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Greece
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for GR in 2023 = 37.3 Mbps (268,076 download tests; daily medians ranged 21.3–47.3). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads below Ookla-style tests — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- Greece's fixed broadband is improving as fibre rolls out; the single-stream M-Lab median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
10
Language
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−English proficiencyAntalyaLowHeraklionstrongerHigh
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
Antalya
EF EPI 2025 — Türkiye (rank 71/123, score 488, Low band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Türkiye rank 71/123, score 488 (Low band, cutoff 450–499), a 9-point decline from the prior edition. English is workable in Istanbul/tourism and parts of the tech sector but thin in public offices and smaller cities; Turkish is the sole official language. The lowest English band in the set.
Heraklion
EF EPI 2025 — Greece (score 592, rank 20/123, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Greece scores 592, rank 20/123 — top of the 'High' band, just below the 'Very High' threshold (~600); global average 488. English is widely functional in tourism, services and among younger Greeks, though the score slipped 10 points from the prior edition.
11
Education
CriterionAntalyaHeraklion
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countAntalyastronger2Heraklion1
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Higher is better· accredited international schools, count· re-verified every 730 days
Antalya
IB (ibo.org) Find an IB World School registry — per-school verification for Antalya
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 15, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 15, 2026
- Method
- Verified floor of 2 IB World Schools in Antalya: (1) Antalya Toplum Koleji / ICCA — IB (ibo.org 061620), also Cambridge International; (2) İSTEK Antalya Lara School — IB (ibo.org 061882), in Lara, Muratpaşa.
- Notes
- Conservative IB-only FLOOR. A probable third (TED College Antalya) advertises IBO/CIS/ECIS membership but its authorization could not be confirmed from the primary registries this pass; QSI has no Antalya school. Counting confirmed Cambridge/other schools would raise the total to ~3–4. Far fewer international schools than Istanbul.
Heraklion
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 20, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 20, 2026
- Method
- Accreditor-verified: the School of European Education – Heraklion (A. Nioti and Savathianon 8, seeh.eu) is listed on the European Schools registry as accredited to teach the European Schools curriculum from nursery to the European Baccalaureate, English and Greek language sections, first Baccalaureate session 2015. It is the only Accredited European School in Greece, one of the 24 locations on that registry, and was set up around the EU agency ENISA, which the registry names as its linked agency.
- Notes
- VERIFIED FLOOR. The IB World Schools directory (ibo.org) has refused our requests since the Polish work in August 2026 and the Internet Archive holds no snapshot of its country listings, so any IB-authorised school in Heraklion could not be counted or ruled out — the same blocked check that leaves thirteen other published cities in this dataset without a count. Heraklion is unusual in that one accredited school could be confirmed at a different registry, so it carries a number rather than a gap; treat it as "at least one", not as a complete count.