Cuenca vs Medellín
💰
Cuenca saves you $400/month
🌡️
Oceanic vs Tropical Wet climate
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Cuenca
Medellín
Total Budget
$1,100/mo ✓
$1,500/mo
Rent (1BR)
$400/mo ✓
$500/mo
Coworking
$100/mo ✓
$120/mo
Meal Out
$3 ✓
$5
Coffee
$2.5
$1.5 ✓
Cuenca is $400/mo cheaper (27% savings)
💻 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
🇨🇴 Medellín
📶 Internet50-100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
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
Medellín
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp21°C
Rainy Days256/year
Best months: July
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
14°20°
Apr
14°21°
Jul
13°21°
Oct
14°20°
CuencaMedellín
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇪🇨Cuenca
🇨🇴Medellín
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,100
Winner$1,500
📶
Internet Speed
30 Mbps
50 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
4.2/5
Winner3.3/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4/10
4.5/10
Winner🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
7/10
🎉
Nightlife
4/10
9/10
Winner🚶
Walkability
8/10
7/10
👥
Community
medium
large
Winner2
Cuenca wins
vs
4
Medellín wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Cuenca
$400/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
Medellín
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Cuenca
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Medellín
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
🇨🇴Medellín
Pros
- +Perfect spring-like weather year-round (22°C)
- +Very affordable cost of living ($1,200-1,800/mo)
- +Growing digital nomad community
- +Modern metro system (only in Colombia)
Cons
- −Safety varies by neighborhood
- −Spanish language essential
- −Altitude adjustment (1,500m)
- −Petty theft risk in tourist areas