Europe in 2026: Why Americans Are Choosing Cuenca, Ecuador

In 2026 a strange thing is happening in the inboxes of every Ecuador relocation firm. The people writing to us are no longer only dreaming of the Andes. Many of them spent the last two years dreaming of Europe: a flat in Valencia, a farmhouse in Tuscany, a year in Paris. Then they looked closely at what is happening there, and they started looking at Cuenca, Ecuador instead.

The short answer: Europe is not in a murder crisis, but France's violence against people rose 5% in 2025, Spain's rents have doubled in a decade, and Europe's long-stay retiree visas now ask for roughly $2,600 to $3,400 a month in passive income. Cuenca, Ecuador offers a different equation: US dollars, a central one-bedroom for about $469 a month, a 2025 homicide rate of 3.44 per 100,000 that was lower than the US national average, and a pensioner visa that requires $1,446 a month.

What is really happening in France

France is the one country where the data and the public mood point the same way. Its Interior Ministry's 2025 report shows burglaries and armed robberies falling, but violence against people rising: physical violence was up 5%, with about 256,900 victims of domestic violence and 216,000 victims of assaults outside the home (source). Recorded sexual violence reached 132,300 victims, up 8% in one year, and fraud complaints rose to about 448,000 (source).

France also recorded the most intentional homicides in the European Union in absolute terms, 887 in 2023 according to Eurostat (source). For a visitor, the daily risk is mostly theft in crowds and on public transport. For a resident, the change is in the atmosphere: public space feels less relaxed than it did a decade ago.

Spain and Italy: safe streets, strained neighbors

Spain and Italy are a different story. Their homicide rates are among the lowest in the world, about 0.6 per 100,000 in Spain and 0.55 in Italy (source). Their problem is not crime. It is housing, crowds and a welcome that has worn thin.

Spain received a record 94 million international visitors in 2024, in a country of about 48 million people. Over the past decade, average rents doubled and home prices rose more than 44%, while long-term rentals were converted into tourist apartments (source). Eurostat measured Spanish housing costs nearly 13% higher year on year at the end of 2025, and the Bank of Spain estimates a shortage of about 700,000 homes (source).

The streets have answered. In October 2026, hundreds of thousands of residents marched in Barcelona, Madrid and other cities against housing costs and mass tourism (source). Earlier, activists in Barcelona and Mallorca sprayed tourists with water pistols to make their point (source).

The anthropology of a welcome that ran out

Anthropologists who study tourism describe a host community's carrying capacity: the point where outsiders stop feeling like guests and start feeling like pressure. Barcelona, Venice and parts of Rome have crossed that line. When a local teacher cannot afford the apartment she grew up in, the American who rents a renovated flat on her street becomes, through no fault of his own, part of the force pushing her out.

That is the quiet paradox of southern Europe in 2026. Safety statistics tell you whether someone will hurt you. They do not tell you whether anyone is glad you came.

Europe's new border bookkeeping

For Americans, these practical changes now matter as much as any headline:

• Biometric borders. The EU Entry/Exit System has recorded the fingerprints and face of every non-EU visitor since its full rollout on April 10, 2026, and it counts your 90 days in 180 automatically (source).

• ETIAS pre-authorization. A new online approval for Americans is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026 (source).

• High income thresholds. Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa requires €2,400 a month for a single applicant and does not allow remote work (source). Italy's Elective Residence Visa generally expects about €31,000 a year (source).

• Rent. A one-bedroom in Barcelona averages about €1,550 a month (source), and a central one-bedroom in Paris runs around $2,520 (source).

Why Cuenca, Ecuador keeps coming up

This is the point where many of the families I speak with discover Cuenca, and the comparison is striking.

• Your own currency. Ecuador has used the US dollar since 2000, and inflation was 1.12% in August 2026 (source).

• Safer than home. Cuenca recorded 22 homicides in 2025, a rate of 3.44 per 100,000, below the US national rate of 4.1 (source). It is consistently described as one of the safest cities in Ecuador.

• A fraction of the cost. A central one-bedroom rents for about $469 a month, and a comfortable single budget runs about $1,200 to $1,500 (source).

• Eternal spring. At 2,500 meters in the Andes, average temperatures stay around 13 to 14°C (55 to 57°F) every month of the year.

• A welcome that is still warm. Cuenca has hosted North American retirees for two decades, and its neighbors still greet newcomers by name.

• An accessible visa. Ecuador's 2026 pensioner visa requires a lifetime pension of $1,446 a month, about half of what Spain asks.

Ecuador has real security challenges, concentrated on the coast and far from Cuenca. In Part 2 of this series we lay out the full safety data for Cuenca, without hiding the hard parts. In Part 3 we show what daily life costs and why the kindness of Ecuadorians is the reason most people stay.

Frequently asked questions

Is Europe safe for Americans in 2026?

Yes, by homicide rate. Spain and Italy are among the safest countries in the world, while France is seeing a decade-long rise in violence against people. The bigger challenges for Americans are rent, overtourism and stricter border rules.

Why are Americans choosing Cuenca, Ecuador over Europe?

Cuenca uses the US dollar, costs a fraction of Barcelona, Rome or Paris, has spring weather all year, and recorded a 2025 homicide rate below the US average. Its pensioner visa requires $1,446 a month, compared with about €2,400 for Spain.

What is ETIAS and when does it start?

ETIAS is an online travel authorization for Americans visiting most of Europe. The EU says it will start in the last quarter of 2026 and will announce the exact date in advance.

How much income do I need to retire in Ecuador?

In 2026 the pensioner visa requires a lifetime government pension of at least $1,446 a month, plus $250 a month for each dependent.

Ready to compare your options honestly? Book a free 15-minute consultation with EcuaAssist and get straight answers about living in Cuenca before you commit.