Manta vs Torreón
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Torreón edges it, 60 to 59, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Manta is stronger on nothing outright; Torreón on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Ecuador's tuna port with a long malecón and cheap Pacific beaches
Full Manta profile →Plan a trip to Manta →Desert industrial hub of the Comarca Lagunera, safer than a decade ago
Full Torreón profile →Plan a trip to Torreón →Where they differ
- Visa ease. Torreón leads on visa ease, 90 to 78, against Manta.
- Climate. Manta leads on climate, 83 to 75, against Torreón. Comfortable months: 10 vs 9.
- Safety. Torreón leads on safety, 28 to 23, against Manta. Homicides per 100,000: 38.94 vs 25.64.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, healthcare, cost of living, quality of life, getting there & around.
Pick Manta if you want
- to spend about $50 less a month
- a dedicated digital-nomad visa
Pick Torreón if you want
- faster internet (35.8 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Manta | Torreón |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 60 ✓ | 58 |
| Safety | 23 | 28 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 78 ✓ | 75 |
| Internet | 65 | 69 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 78 | 90 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 10 | 12 ✓ |
| Climate | 83 ✓ | 75 |
| Air quality | 78 ✓ | 73 |
| Quality of life | 55 | 57 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Manta | Torreón |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,350 ✓ | $1,400 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Manta | Torreón |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 38.94 | 25.64 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 54.4 | 55 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 78 | 79 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 77.6 yrs ✓ | 75.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Manta | Torreón |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 25.3 Mbps | 35.8 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 21.3 Mbps ✓ | 16 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Manta | Torreón |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,446/mo | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Manta | Torreón |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 13 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Manta | Torreón |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 10 ✓ | 9 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 14.9 µg/m³ ✓ | 17.2 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Manta or Torreón?
- Manta is cheaper: about $1,350 per month versus $1,400 for one person.
- Is Manta or Torreón safer?
- Torreón scores higher on safety (28 vs 23), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Manta or Torreón?
- Torreón: a measured median of 35.8 Mbps versus 25.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Manta vs Montañita
- Manta vs La Paz (Baja California Sur)
- Torreón vs Colima
- Torreón vs La Paz (Baja California Sur)
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); 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); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.