Cuenca vs Quito

Cuenca is a genuinely small city, and life moves slowly here, more so than Quito or Medellín. The historic centre is walkable and the residential neighbourhoods are pleasant and well kept.

Quito stretches out as a long, low-rise city draped across the valleys, so density is modest and getting around often means leaning on a car. Neighbourhoods and mixed-use streets are workable but walkability is uneven.

Petty theft remains a nuisance, late-night walking feels uneven, and traffic is a real risk. Political uncertainty in the wider country also makes the setting less settled.

Serious street awareness is still necessary in Quito. Traffic is another genuine hazard, and the political backdrop adds uncertainty to daily life.

Cuenca suits people bringing income with them better than those relying on local advancement. Care is workable but middling.

Local employment is the hard part. Care is serviceable rather than excellent.

Cuenca's strength is its own deep local culture and well-preserved heritage, paired with a likeable cafe and museum scene and a sizeable foreign community for a city this size. Cuenca is a well-kept colonial city, tidy and expat-favoured, its upkeep a cut above the regional norm.

Quito carries one of South America's best-preserved colonial old towns and a genuine local culture rooted in Andean and Ecuadorian traditions. Quito's UNESCO old town is magnificent, plaza after plaza of colonial churches and squares, though the dense fabric around them shows uneven upkeep and altitude grit.