Cuenca: the vibe
Videos from people who went, played right here, with what viewers said underneath. Not part of the score.
The verdict
Liked · 68Mostly positive about Cuenca's climate, beauty and calm pace, with recurring caveats about neighborhood and building quality, power outages and bureaucracy.
- cool climate
- colonial beauty
- peaceful pace
- food
- USD currency
- friendly people
- power outages
- quality varies by neighborhood and building
- bureaucracy
- noise at times
- safety perceptions divided
- Cool climate is a major draw for people escaping hot summers.
- Neighborhood and building choice matters a lot for daily life.
- Calm, simpler lifestyle appeals to retirees and remote workers.
- Power outages and paperwork frustrations come up repeatedly.
- Some expats say the city's appeal has faded for them.
Read from 8 videos, 40 comments and 0 posts on 2026-11-07; the summary is written by a language model and can misread sarcasm.
WHY EXPATS LEAVE CUENCA ECUADOR (and NEVER move back)
Amelia And JP Abroad · 159K views · 2022
What viewers said
“Years ago an expat surgeon in Shell-Mera Ecuador couldn't sleep because the next door neighbor had a noisy rooster. The surgeon persuaded the neighbor to sell him the rooster, which became Sunday dinner. All was quiet for about a day, until”
♥ 111 likes
“I visited Ecuador in the month of March 2023. Stayed in Cuenca for two weeks. I suppose the altitude affects some people more than others. I did not experience any air pollution for the weeks I was there. I interviewed numerous expats and a”
♥ 36 likes
“I’m actually looking forward to the cool weather in Cuenca after living in Texas my whole life. I’m tired of the long hot summers here. They seem to be getting hotter and longer.”
♥ 113 likes
“Cuenca is one of the best cities in the world to live in. Absolutely a hidden Gem!!! More and more people are finding out. The food, the views, the people, the climate, and the diversity are excellent. Plus, it is peaceful.”
♥ 30 likes
“I arrived in Ecuador, for first time, today. Quito. The weather is beautiful. Blue skies and white puffy clouds. I'm staying at Quito Airport Suites. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm hoping the rest of the next 90 days, traveling Ecuador,”
♥ 47 likes
“We absolutely LOVE cool weather. We both grew up in hot humid cities and can’t tolerate it any longer.”
♥ 34 likes
“I’m back in Cuenca and i am enjoying the eleven o’clock curfew quietness. Oh that Passport lady got me too!.”
♥ 12 likes
“Cuenca is absolutely beautiful. Easy transition. You have everything you could need but a much simpler and present way of living.”
♥ 14 likes
“I know this podcast was two years ago, but I thought I'd comment on the things as they are today (Nov '24). Many of the points you made are still true, but I guess it depends a lot on which part of town you live in and what sort of building”
♥ 12 likes
“According to the World Peace Index, Ecuador is the 88th most violent place on Earth, America is 36th. I feel safe in Ecuador”
♥ 17 likes
Found with a YouTube search for the city and “digital nomad”, fetched 2026-11-07; titles, descriptions and comments belong to their authors and link to the originals.