Best Places to Live in Ecuador for Expats 2026

By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-10-10 11:57:03 | Updated at 2026-10-10 13:06:47 1 hour ago

Expats · Ecuador

For most American expats, Cuenca is the best place to live in Ecuador: a walkable Andean city with a large foreign community, mild weather and far fewer killings than the coast, though violence there rose in late 2025. Safety is the caveat everywhere. Ecuador recorded at least 8,847 homicides in 2025, the most in its recent history, and most of them were on the coast.

Key Facts

—Who. US retirees, remote workers and families weighing Ecuador, a country that uses the US dollar as its currency, so budgets need no exchange-rate guesswork.

—What. Four areas ranked on safety data where it exists, climate, services and community: Cuenca, the Quito valleys, Loja and Vilcabamba, and the coast.

—Why it matters. Ecuador counted 8,847 homicides through 19 December 2025, against 7,063 in 2024. Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí and El Oro, all coastal provinces, accounted for 6,808 of the 8,393 counted through November. Azuay province, home to Cuenca, recorded 20 violent deaths from January to 11 October 2025, down from 82 a year earlier, but later local reports counted more.

—Visas. Pensioner residency requires a foreign pension of at least three monthly minimum wages, or US$1,446 in 2026, plus US$250 a month for each dependant, according to the foreign ministry’s procedure and visa guides.

—Altitude. Quito sits at about 2,850 metres and Cuenca at about 2,500 metres. Newcomers often need a few days to adjust.

The Short Answer: Cuenca First, the Coast Last

Cuenca ranks first because it combines a historic centre, private clinics, a cool highland climate and a much lower violence record than the coast. The valleys around Quito rank second for the best hospitals and flight links. Loja and Vilcabamba follow for a quiet, low-cost life, and the Pacific coast ranks last because of its violence.

This ranking is our editorial judgement, not a statistical index. We used published police and ministry figures where they exist. We found no reliable homicide data for Quito’s suburbs or for Loja, so those rankings rest on what we could confirm and on where services are located.

Rank Area Best for Main drawback

1	Cuenca and the Azuay highlands	Walkable colonial city, large foreign community, mild climate	Altitude, hills and rainy-season downpours
2	Quito valleys (Cumbayá, Tumbaco) and the capital	Major hospitals, the international airport, jobs and culture	Altitude, traffic and street crime in parts of the capital
3	Loja and Vilcabamba	Quiet, low-cost village life in the southern Andes	Few specialists; long drives to Cuenca or Quito
4	Pacific coast (Salinas, Manta, Guayaquil area)	Beaches and a warm climate	The highest violence in the country

How We Ranked, and What the Data Can and Cannot Show

The national picture is stark. Ecuador recorded 8,847 homicides through 19 December 2025, the highest count in recent history and well above 7,063 in 2024 and 8,248 in 2023, according to figures reported by El Comercio. Through November, when 8,393 had been counted, Guayas province, which holds Guayaquil, accounted for 3,771, followed by Los Ríos with 1,167, Manabí with 1,162 and El Oro with 708.

Violence is concentrated, not uniform. The highlands look different. The National Police and its homicide unit reported 20 violent deaths in Azuay province from 1 January to 11 October 2025, against 82 in the same period of 2024, and 8 in the Cuenca police district from 1 January to 14 October, against 14. These are police counts of violent deaths to mid-October, not a full-year rate. Violence rose afterwards: El Mercurio counted 20 violent deaths in Cuenca alone by 18 November. We could not confirm a full-year figure or a rate per 100,000 people for Cuenca.

We do not quote average rents. Listings vary widely and we found no dated, official source we could confirm. Our Cuenca cost of living guide and our national budget guide give budgets in US dollars.

1. Cuenca: The Foreign Community’s Favourite

Cuenca is a colonial city in the southern Andes, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1999. Its centre is compact and walkable, four rivers run through it, and it has a long-standing community of foreign retirees. Days are mild and nights are cool, and rain falls often.

The Tomebamba river running through Cuenca, Ecuador, with trees on both banks and the city rising behind

The safety record is the strongest argument. Azuay’s 20 violent deaths to mid-October 2025, and Cuenca’s 20 by mid-November, compare with thousands on the coast. Do not read that as a guarantee, because violence rose late in the year: petty theft is a risk in Ecuador’s large cities, and conditions can change.

2. Quito and Its Valleys

Quito, the capital, sits at about 2,850 metres and is a UNESCO World Heritage city, listed in 1978. It has the country’s main international airport, the largest concentration of private hospitals and a busy cultural scene. Many foreigners prefer the suburban valleys of Cumbayá and Tumbaco to the dense centre.

Quito’s Plaza Grande with palm trees, gardens, people walking and a central monument

We could not confirm a recent homicide count for Pichincha province, so we cannot rank the capital on measured data. Our guide Is Ecuador safe for expats explains the risks in practice.

3. Loja and Vilcabamba

Loja is a university city in the far south, and the nearby village of Vilcabamba has drawn foreign retirees for years. Life is quiet and costs are low. The trade-off is distance: for complex care you will likely travel to Cuenca or Quito. We found no homicide data for Loja province that we could confirm, so treat this ranking as provisional.

4. The Pacific Coast

The coast has Ecuador’s beaches and its worst violence. Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí and El Oro together recorded 6,808 of the 8,393 homicides counted through November 2025, about 81% of the national total. Beach towns can differ from the provinces around them, and Salinas and Manta attract foreign buyers. We still rank the coast last. Get local advice on specific streets and avoid isolated areas at night.

Visas and Residency: What the Rules Say

Ecuador’s temporary residency for pensioners requires a monthly pension from abroad of at least three unified basic salaries. The 2026 basic salary is US$482, set by Ministerial Agreement MDT-2025-195, so the threshold is US$1,446 a month. Visa guides add US$250 a month for each dependant and require valid health insurance for the period of the visa. Applications run through the foreign ministry’s online e-VISAS platform.

Rules and fees change, so check the current list with the ministry before you apply. Our residency guide and retirement guide go through the steps, and our healthcare guide covers insurance.

What It Means for You

If safety is your first filter, start in the highlands and rent for a few months before you buy. Visit in the rainy season too, and give yourself time to adjust to the altitude. Compare Ecuador with its neighbour in our Ecuador versus Peru comparison, and see our Ecuador hub for the latest news. Ecuador also keeps 3 November, the independence of Cuenca, as a national public holiday, falling on a Tuesday in 2026 beside All Souls’ Day on 2 November, so expect closures.

What Is Not Known

We could not confirm a full-year 2025 homicide count or rate for Cuenca, homicide counts for Quito’s suburbs or Loja, or current rents by area. The police figures for Azuay stop in mid-October 2025. Residency thresholds come from the ministry’s procedure and visa guides and may change. We will update this guide when fuller data is published.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best place to live in Ecuador for expats?

For most American expats, Cuenca is the best base because it combines a walkable historic centre, a large foreign community and a cool climate with a far lower violence record than the coast. The valleys around Quito rank second for hospitals and flights.

Is Ecuador safe for American expats?

Ecuador recorded at least 8,847 homicides through 19 December 2025, a record, and most were in coastal provinces. Azuay, where Cuenca sits, recorded 20 violent deaths from January to 11 October 2025, though later reports counted more. Risk varies by area, so get local advice before choosing a neighbourhood.

How much income do you need for Ecuadorian residency?

Pensioner residency requires a monthly pension from abroad of at least three unified basic salaries. With the 2026 salary at US$482, that is US$1,446 a month, plus US$250 for each dependant. Valid health insurance is also required. Confirm current rules with the foreign ministry.

Does Ecuador use the US dollar?

Yes. Ecuador uses the US dollar as its currency, so Americans do not face exchange-rate risk on daily spending. Prices are quoted and paid in dollars, although inflation still affects costs.

Is altitude a problem in Cuenca and Quito?

It can be. Quito sits at about 2,850 metres and Cuenca at about 2,500 metres, and some newcomers feel breathless or tired for the first days. Take it easy at first, drink water and talk to a doctor if you have heart or lung conditions.

Is the Ecuadorian coast a good place to retire?

We rank it last because the coastal provinces had most of the country’s homicides in 2025. Salinas and Manta attract foreign buyers, but you should research each neighbourhood and take local advice before you commit.