Arequipa vs Cuenca
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Cuenca edges it, 52 to 47, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Arequipa is stronger on nothing outright; Cuenca on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Arequipa | Cuenca |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 52 | 52 |
| Safety | 44 ✓ | 43 |
| Healthcare | 60 | 69 ✓ |
| Internet | 52 | 61 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 59 | 77 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 20 | 25 ✓ |
| Climate | 0 | 0 |
| Air quality | 82 | 89 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 54 ✓ | 52 |
Cost
| Metric | Arequipa | Cuenca |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,406 | $1,406 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Arequipa | Cuenca |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 6.2 ✓ | 6.6 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 54.7 ✓ | 53.6 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 68 | 78 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 71.7 yrs | 74 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Arequipa | Cuenca |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 20.1 Mbps | 28.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 12.8 Mbps | 25.3 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Arequipa | Cuenca |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | Residencia Temporal de Nómada Digital ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $1,445/mo |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 180 days ✓ | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 180 days ✓ | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Arequipa | Cuenca |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Arequipa | Cuenca |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 0 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.1 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Arequipa or Cuenca?
- Cuenca is cheaper: about $1,406 per month versus $1,406 for one person.
- Is Arequipa or Cuenca safer?
- Arequipa scores higher on safety (44 vs 43), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Arequipa or Cuenca?
- Cuenca: a measured median of 28.4 Mbps versus 20.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.