Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and Cuenca

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $989 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

Jump to prices

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambato and in Cuenca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambato and in Cuenca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $605 per month in Ambato vs $989 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ambato $605
Cuenca $989

A couple spends around $985 per month in Ambato vs $1,482 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ambato $985
Cuenca $1,482

A family of three spends $1,364 per month in Ambato vs $1,976 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ambato $1,364
Cuenca $1,976

Ambato is about 39% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ambato and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Ambato 55% lower, Cuenca 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 $3.46

$3.59 $3.59

-3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 $29.93

$29.50 $29.50

1.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 $5.32

$7.79 $7.79

-31.71%

Cappuccino

$2.76 $2.76

$2.65 $2.65

4.15%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.83 $0.83

-1.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.71 $0.71

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.04 $2.04

-3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.18 $3.18

1.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.01 $1.01

-2.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.17 $2.17

-54.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.87 $1.87

-16.04%

Eggs

$1.73 $1.73

$2.27 $2.27

-23.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$7.09 $7.09

-23.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$5.90 $5.90

-48.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$7.47 $7.47

-47.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.03 $2.03

-37.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.09 $1.09

-19.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.36 $1.36

-24.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.40 $1.40

-26.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.54 $1.54

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.08 $1.08

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.75 $0.75

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.13 $1.13

-8.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.29 $5.29

-2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$10.07 $10.07

-12.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.51 $1.51

-3.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.99 $2.99

-6.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.36 $0.36

-19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 $14.21

$15.94 $15.94

-10.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.36 $1.36

2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.07 $1.07

4.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 $9.43

$10.83 $10.83

-12.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.87 $0.87

-1.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.3K $23.3K

$24.5K $24.5K

-4.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.1K $28.1K

$29.6K $29.6K

-5.04%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$39.20 $39.20

$39.83 $39.83

-1.58%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.58 $13.58

$13.33 $13.33

1.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 $26.39

$26.61 $26.61

-0.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 $29.76

$30.02 $30.02

-0.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 $5.18

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 $4.39

$7.22 $7.22

-39.20%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$224 $224

$227 $227

-1.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,408 $2,408

$6,764 $6,764

-64.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.25 $48.25

$67.8 $67.8

-28.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 $35.22

$46.84 $46.84

-24.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$125 $125

-43.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 $55.5

$71.5 $71.5

-22.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 $178

$529 $529

-66.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 $124

$386 $386

-67.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 $380

$709 $709

-46.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$608 $608

-55.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 $1,130

$1,221 $1,221

-7.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 $884

$857 $857

3.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 $679

$561 $561

21.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

-19.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$147 24.3%

Cuenca

$208 21% 41.3% $61

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$124 20.5%

Cuenca

$386 39.1% 211% $262

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.4%

Cuenca

$107 10.8% 7.6% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$95 15.6%

Cuenca

$140 14.2% 48.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$79 13.1%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 0.7% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$39 6.4%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 15.4% $5.9

Getting Around

Ambato

$22 3.7%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 7.9% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Ambato versus $529 in Cuenca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Ambato, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato versus $30.00 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $208 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

Same time as Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ambato Cuenca 190 km

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Ambato
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ambato vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuenca costs about 63% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $908 per month in Ambato and $1,483 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambato, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato and $30.00 in Cuenca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $605 in Ambato and $989 in Cuenca. That's a gap of about 63%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Cuenca at $989. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $989 in Cuenca. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ambato. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cuenca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.