Cuenca vs Lima
📶
Lima has 3x faster internet
🌡️
Oceanic vs Desert climate
🛂
Ecuador offers a digital nomad visa
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Cuenca
Lima
Total Budget
$1,100/mo
$1,100/mo
Rent (1BR)
$400/mo ✓
$550/mo
Coworking
$100/mo ✓
$180/mo
Meal Out
$3 ✓
$4
Coffee
$2.5
$2.5
Both cities have similar costs
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇪🇨 Cuenca
📶 Internet30 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇵🇪 Lima
📶 Internet80 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Cuenca
ClimateOceanic
Avg Temp14°C
Rainy Days292/year
Lima
ClimateDesert
Avg Temp20°C
Rainy Days12/year
Best months: January, March, April, February
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
14°22°
Apr
14°22°
Jul
13°17°
Oct
14°18°
CuencaLima
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇪🇨Cuenca
🇵🇪Lima
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,100
$1,100
📶
Internet Speed
30 Mbps
80 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
4.2/5
Winner3.2/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4/10
3.8/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
9/10
🎉
Nightlife
4/10
7/10
Winner🚶
Walkability
8/10
7/10
👥
Community
medium
medium
1
Cuenca wins
vs
2
Lima wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Either works
Similar costs - choose based on other factors
💻Developer
Lima
80 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Either works
Similar social opportunities
🛡️Safety-First
Cuenca
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Lima
World-famous nightlife scene
🇪🇨Cuenca
Pros
- +Extremely affordable cost of living with USD currency
- +UNESCO World Heritage historic center
- +Spring-like weather year-round (no heating/AC needed)
- +Safest major city in Ecuador
Cons
- −Internet can be inconsistent in some areas
- −Nightlife is quiet and limited
- −High altitude (2,500m) requires acclimatization
- −English is not widely spoken
🇵🇪Lima
Pros
- +World-renowned gastronomy capital
- +Very affordable cost of living
- +Rich colonial history and museums
- +Safe tourist neighborhoods like Miraflores
Cons
- −Gloomy grey skies most of the year
- −Phone theft and petty crime concerns
- −Traffic congestion and constant honking
- −Spanish essential outside tourist areas