Updated November 10, 2026. Indicative score. Weights: entertainment 11.73% (destinations and venues within 50 km); bars 3.73%; safety 15% with a penalty; water at country level; land price per m² = official source (ITBI, Terracap, registries, valuations) or listings with a caveat · coverage 100%
Cuenca has an indicative score of 6.90/10 in the World ranking of Onde Viver Bem, updated November 10, 2026. The strongest published variables are Beach / mountains (10.00), Clean air (8.34) and Parks (8.23); the weakest are Mild climate (3.18), Safety (3.55) and Bars (4.83). The scores are indicative. Cost of living and the land price per m² are not part of the score. Some figures on this page are estimates and carry the “estimated” badge.
safety: undetermined-intent deaths estimated from the national ratio; safety: feeling of safety at national level only (Gallup); estimated: robbery (median of comparable cities); estimated: land price per m² (apartment × ratio of comparable cities)
Land price per m²
US$ 192/m²estimated · range US$ 160–US$ 316
unofficial ESTIMATE: apartment (Numbeo) × land/apartment ratio of comparable cities · source
Note: ESTIMATE (not a measurement; UNOFFICIAL base): no land price collected. Land m² = apartment m² outside the centre (Numbeo, $940.57 ≈ US$ 941) × median land÷apartment ratio in 6 Spanish-speaking Latin American cities with a published land price (0.204) = US$ 192/m² (range US$ 160–316). Ratios: Mendoza 0.167, Santiago 0.228, Valparaíso 0.145, Bogotá 0.550, Medellín 0.180, Montevidéu 0.372.
Score breakdown
Each criterion's score, its weight in the total and the raw figure, linked to its source.
raw: 3.32 per 100k pop. · 40% violent deaths (log 30→0, 0.5→10 per 100k) + 30% city robbery ÷ country average (log 5×→0, 0.5×→10) + 30% share who feel safe at night (lin 30%→0, 95%→10); any part without data: weights renormalized
Composite safety: violent deaths 3.3 per 100k → 5.4 (weight 40%) · ESTIMATED robbery 2.27× the country average (median of comparable cities; range 2.13–3.16×) → 3.4 (weight 30%) estimated · 38.0% feel safe walking alone at night (Ecuador (national), 2024) → 1.2 (weight 30%).
Estimate: ESTIMATE (not a measurement): no local robbery statistic collected. City÷country ratio = median of the 5 Spanish-speaking Latin American cities with measured robbery (2.27×; P25–P75 range 2.13–3.16×). Base: Buenos Aires 2.27, Córdoba 3.31, Mendoza 3.16, Cidade do Panamá 1.80, Montevidéu 2.13.
raw: 30.0 km · beach: distance log 5 km→10, 150 km→0; mountains: richness of nature leisure (mean of the top 3 of 4 counts, 50 km) × access (1 up to 15 km → 0 at 150 km, log), 0 with no relief; score = min(10, max(beach, mountains) + 0.3·min)
raw: Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.57 within 2 km, 3.41 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 1000→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 30→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 30→10
raw: Average of two mapping sources, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (Overture count ÷ K, K = median Overture/OSM ratio across the 39 cities: 2.48 within 2 km, 3.20 in the municipality); each source: 50% log1p(count within 2 km), 500→10 + 50% log1p(per 10k pop.), 10→10. Brazil: 50% of that score + 50% log1p(CNPJ per 10k pop. ÷ K), 10→10
raw: 46.0 count of OSM objects · log1p(count), 150→10
The city
Cuenca is the third-largest city in Ecuador and the capital of the province of Azuay. It lies in the sierra, Ecuador's highlands, at an altitude of 2,550 m. Its full name is Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca.
English rendering of the Portuguese Wikipedia summary linked below. Source: wikipedia_pt. Wikipedia revision 67220693 (2024-01-01T20:15:02Z).
Taxation
Property tax (predial / territorial / inmobiliario); no official local rate collected yet (we do not invent the figure). GAP: official local rate not collected in this round (nothing invented). GAD Cuenca — ordenanza del Impuesto Predial (COOTAD art. 517)
Frequently asked questions
What is the Onde Viver Bem score for Cuenca?
Cuenca has an indicative score of 6.90/10 in the World ranking, updated November 10, 2026. Cost of living is not part of the score.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the score for Cuenca?
The strongest published variables are Beach / mountains (10.00), Clean air (8.34) and Parks (8.23); the weakest are Mild climate (3.18), Safety (3.55) and Bars (4.83).
Does cost of living or the land price per m² enter the score?
No. Cost of living and the land price per m² appear on the page but are not part of the score. See the methodology.
How is the score calculated?
It is an indicative 0–10 quality-of-life index, with 13 variables and published weights. Safety has a 15% weight and, when local data exist, a lethal-violence penalty may cap the total. The full method is on the methodology page.
Are any figures on this page estimates?
Yes. Some values are documented estimates, labelled with the “estimated” badge in the technical notes. The method is explained in the Estimates section.
Informational content and indicative scores. This is not advice on investing, immigration, buying property or choosing a career. Every metric cites its source; cost of living is not part of the score.
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