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City in Ecuador

Quito

Quito is Ecuador's capital in the Andes, with 1,763,275 people in its urban area (2,679,722 in the whole canton) in the 2022 census. InterNations lists 12,035 members in its Quito group, and Academia Cotopaxi describes itself as an IB World School. [N1] [E1] [Quito S1]

Country
Ecuador
Region
Pichincha
Population
1,763,275 in 2022. The urban part of Quito canton (the Distrito Metropolitano), Census 2022 (INEC); the whole canton, with its rural parishes, has 2,679,722. [N1]
Settings
In a city, In the mountains [N1] [G2]
Weather
Mild, never too hot [W2]

Why it is here

Why Quito is on the list.

A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.

  • Quito canton has 2,679,722 residents in the 2022 census, the second most populous canton after Guayaquil (2,746,403); its urban part alone is 1,763,275. [N1] [G4]
  • InterNations lists a Quito community group of 12,035 members from 146 nationalities, the largest of its three Ecuador city groups. [E1]
  • Academia Cotopaxi American International School describes itself as an IB World School and has a Life in Quito section for newcomers; Alliance Academy Internacional lists 415 students from 25 nationalities. [Quito S1] [S2]
  • The 2022 census counts 115,446 people living in Quito canton who were born in another country (about 4 in 100 of its residents) and 53,524 with a citizenship other than Ecuadorian. The counts include Venezuelans, Colombians and Ecuadorians born abroad, so they are not a count of expats. [N1]

The Fernshore Index

How it grades, factor by factor.

Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.

The country

More on Ecuador.

Cities

Other cities in Ecuador.

Questions about Quito.

How big is Quito, and how many foreigners live there?

The urban part of Quito has 1,763,275 people (2,679,722 in the whole canton) in the 2022 census. The census counts 115,446 people in the canton born in another country, about 4 in 100, but that includes Venezuelans, Colombians and Ecuadorians born abroad, so it is not a count of expats.

Quito (Canton, Ecuador): population, Census 2022, citypopulation.de (secondary), repeating INEC census results. Checked 15 October 2026

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What is the climate in Quito?

Mild all year: mean daily highs of 20.8 to 22.3 °C, and 21.5 mm of rain in July against 171.2 mm in April (INAMHI normals, 1981 to 2010, via the WMO). Eleven months count as comfortable on our scale; April is over 150 mm. The normals end in 2010, so recent years may differ.

World Weather Information Service: Quito, climatological information, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMHI), published by the World Meteorological Organization. Checked 15 October 2026

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How high is Quito, and does altitude matter?

A private reference puts Quito at 2,850 m above sea level. Canada's government says some Ecuadorian cities sit above 2,700 m and altitude illness can range from mild to severe. We have no source on how long adjusting takes, so ask a doctor, particularly with a heart or lung condition.

Quito, Wikipedia (private reference, not official); Ecuador travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 15 October 2026

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What does rent cost in Quito?

One advert for a semi-furnished one-bedroom suite in La Carolina asked US$680 a month on 15 October 2026, with a US$85 building fee shown (confirm whether it is included). That is one apartment, not a district average, and the advert gave no deposit, so what a landlord asks upfront is unknown.

Semi-furnished suite, Edificio Bélgica Gardena, La Carolina, Quito, REMAX Ecuador (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026

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What do government travel advisories say about Quito?

Canada lists Pichincha, where Quito is, under a state of exception and says more security forces are deployed in Quito and Guayaquil; tourist police work in Quito. An archived US Level 2 advisory (October 2025) does not name Pichincha among its higher-risk areas. Check each advisory's current text.

Ecuador travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca); Ecuador Travel Advisory (Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution), US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs; Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026

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Sources

Where each figure comes from.

Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.

  1. [N1] Quito (Canton, Ecuador): population, Census 2022, citypopulation.de (secondary), repeating INEC census results. Checked 15 October 2026. Census 30 November 2022, not adjusted for undercount: Quito canton 2,679,722, of which 1,763,275 urban and 916,447 rural. Citizenship: 2,626,198 Ecuadorian, 53,524 other. Place of birth: 115,446 in another country. The urban figure is used as the city's population. INEC's own census viewer refused automated access.
  2. [E1] Expats in Ecuador: community groups, InterNations (private expat network). Checked 15 October 2026. Community groups listed on 15 October 2026: Quito 12,035 members from 146 nationalities, Guayaquil 5,781 from 110, Cuenca 2,401 from 95. Member counts of a private network, not a count of residents.
  3. [Quito S1] Academia Cotopaxi American International School: home page, Academia Cotopaxi (the school's own site). Checked 15 October 2026. Home page says the school's learning journey is inspired by its designation as an IB World School; the site has a Life in Quito section. It does not say which IB programmes.
  4. [G2] Ecuador Travel: Andes, Ministerio de Turismo del Ecuador (ecuador.travel). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists Quito first among the Andes region's places.
  5. [W2] World Weather Information Service: Quito, climatological information, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMHI), published by the World Meteorological Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Normals for 1981 to 2010 (the latest this service publishes for Quito). Monthly mean daily highs (°C) January to December: 21.2, 21.0, 20.8, 20.9, 21.0, 21.1, 21.5, 22.2, 22.3, 21.8, 21.3, 21.3. Rain (mm): 82.5, 111.0, 146.6, 171.2, 105.5, 39.5, 21.5, 27.7, 68.9, 114.9, 108.5, 100.4. April is over 150 mm, so 11 months are comfortable.
  6. [G4] Ecuador: Administrative Division (Provinces and Cantons), Census 2022, citypopulation.de (a population statistics site; secondary), repeating INEC census results. Checked 15 October 2026. Cantons: Quito 2,679,722 and Guayaquil 2,746,403 (2022 census, not adjusted for undercount).
  7. [S2] Alliance Academy Internacional: home page, Alliance Academy Internacional (the school's own site). Checked 15 October 2026. Home page statistics: 415 students, 25 nationalities, 82 graduating classes, 96 years of experience. It does not say which accreditation it holds.
  8. [C1] Price level index (GDP), Ecuador, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 42.52 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  9. [Ecuador S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Ecuador ranks 135th of 163 countries (score 2.539), 10th of 11 in South America.
  10. [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Ecuador: 78 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.
  11. [K1] Concesión de visa de residencia temporal rentista para trabajo remoto (Visa Nómada), Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, via the Guía Oficial de Trámites (gob.ec). Checked 15 October 2026. gob.ec refused connections from here on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy taken on 11 October 2026. Foreign-source income of at least three basic wages a month for the three previous months (or 36 a year), proof of work for a foreign employer or client, health insurance; valid up to 2 years; fees US$50 and US$270. Open to nationals of the countries on a Ministry of Tourism list, which the page records as all countries (2022 letters).
  12. [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ecuador, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 17.25 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  13. [R1] Concesión de visa de residencia temporal jubilado, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, via the Guía Oficial de Trámites (gob.ec). Checked 15 October 2026. gob.ec refused connections from here on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy taken on 27 February 2026. A pension from abroad of at least three basic wages a month; health insurance for the period of the visa; US$250 a month more for each person covered; valid 2 years; fees US$50 and US$270. The page states no age minimum and no deposit.
  14. [R3] Concesión de visa de residencia temporal rentista, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, via the Guía Oficial de Trámites (gob.ec). Checked 15 October 2026. gob.ec refused connections from here on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy taken on 28 January 2026. Monthly income from rents, investment titles and similar, in Ecuador or abroad, of at least three basic wages; health insurance; US$250 a month more for each person covered. The page states no age minimum and no deposit.
  15. [P1] Concesión de visa de residencia permanente por tiempo de permanencia mayor a 21 meses, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, via the Guía Oficial de Trámites (gob.ec). Checked 15 October 2026. gob.ec refused connections from here on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy taken on 28 January 2026. Permanent residence for people with temporary residence of at least 21 continuous months, applied for before the temporary status ends; the visa has no end date; fees US$50 and US$225.
  16. [V1] Visa Residencia Temporal: categories, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Cancillería del Ecuador). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists the categories of temporary residence, including Rentista, Jubilado and Rentista para trabajo remoto (Visa Nómada). Opened live on 15 October 2026.
  17. [V2] Visa Residencia Permanente: categories, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Cancillería del Ecuador). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists the categories of permanent residence, the first being time in Ecuador of more than 21 months. Opened live on 15 October 2026.
  18. [M1] Salario Básico se fija en USD 482 para el 2026 en Ecuador, Vistazo (news magazine), reporting the Ministerio del Trabajo announcement of 15 December 2025. Checked 15 October 2026. The 2026 basic wage is US$482, so three basic wages is US$1,446 a month. The article gives no ministerial agreement number.
  19. [F1] EF English Proficiency Index: Ecuador, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. 2025 edition (the page's own data lists 2024 and 2025; its 2026 score is empty): score 466, global rank 83 of 131 countries and regions.

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