Cuenca
Andes · Ecuador · South America
Red-tile roofs and blue domes along willow-lined rivers, with cool, eternal-spring air.
Cuenca is a graceful colonial city in the southern Ecuadorian Andes, with cobblestone streets, red-domed cathedrals, four rivers, and a famously mild climate. It's become a top retirement and expat haven for good reason: very low cost of living, walkability, good healthcare for the price, and a calm, cultured pace. The flip side is that it's quiet, at high altitude, and rainy, and the large retiree-expat presence isn't for everyone. It suits people seeking affordable, peaceful, culturally rich living.
comfortable monthly budget
1-bed rent, good area
Best for
Not for
A polite, traditional local population alongside one of Latin America's biggest North American retiree-expat communities; easy to plug into the expat circuit, though the nightlife and younger dating scene are limited.
Where to land
The scorecard
Tax in Ecuador
Residents are taxed on worldwide income; the dollarized economy simplifies banking but the top marginal rate reaches 37%.
Representative estimate — not tax advice. · source
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Find my placePhoto via Wikimedia Commons · source