Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahia de Caraquez and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $851 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
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Bahia de Caraquez Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$851

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bahia de Caraquez 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 Bahia de Caraquez and in Cuenca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $851 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $851
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,455 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $1,455
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $2,060 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $2,060
Cuenca $1,969

Bahia de Caraquez is about 16% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bahia de Caraquez and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Bahia de Caraquez 37% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 $4.02

$3.59 $3.59

11.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 $51.5

$30.39 $30.39

69.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 $9.06

$7.93 $7.93

14.25%

Cappuccino

$2.83 $2.83

$2.79 $2.79

1.43%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$0.76 $0.76

14.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.72 $0.72

1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.99 $1.99

49.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.27 $3.27

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.05 $1.05

15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.17 $2.17

-7.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.93 $1.93

-23.32%

Eggs

$2.04 $2.04

$2.18 $2.18

-6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$6.76 $6.76

3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$6.21 $6.21

-18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 $9.19

$7.30 $7.30

25.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.02 $2.02

-23.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.06 $1.06

8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.40 $1.40

-27.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.40 $1.40

-30.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.53 $1.53

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.07 $1.07

-12.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.74 $0.74

13.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.09 $1.09

-7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.22 $5.22

18.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 $12.17

$9.89 $9.89

23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.50 $1.50

4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.06 $3.06

-30.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.37 $0.37

-16.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.36 $1.36

106.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.12 $1.12

59.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.08 $11.08

9.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.86 $0.86

-3.49%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$22.8K $22.8K

-0.47%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$30.8K $30.8K

0.30%

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

$34.50 $34.50

$40.34 $40.34

-14.48%

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

$14.77 $14.77

$13.76 $13.76

7.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.09 $26.09

$26.36 $26.36

-1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.83 $30.83

$29.25 $29.25

5.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 $15.56

$5.13 $5.13

203.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 $7.33

$7.21 $7.21

1.66%

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

$368 $368

$229 $229

60.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,720 $5,720

$6,887 $6,887

-16.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$67.8 $67.8

-3.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 $41.29

$46.82 $46.82

-11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$120 $120

3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$71.5 $71.5

31.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 $365

$541 $541

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 $246

$396 $396

-38.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 $720

$731 $731

-1.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 $567

$583 $583

-2.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,244 $1,244

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$924 $924

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 $544

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

11.16

-9.95%

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

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bahia de Caraquez

$246 28.9%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 61.4% $151

Groceries & Markets

Bahia de Caraquez

$201 23.7%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 2.9% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Bahia de Caraquez

$147 17.2%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 5.9% $8.6

Eating Out

Bahia de Caraquez

$123 14.5%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 12.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahia de Caraquez

$75 8.9%

Cuenca

$80 8% 6.8% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Bahia de Caraquez

$45 5.4%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 4% $1.8

Getting Around

Bahia de Caraquez

$13 * 1.5%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 152% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $365 in Bahia de Caraquez versus $541 in Cuenca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Bahia de Caraquez versus $30 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $201 in Bahia de Caraquez vs $207 in Cuenca – so Bahia de Caraquez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

Same time as Bahia de Caraquez

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,963

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bahia de Caraquez Cuenca 300 km

From you

Bahia de Caraquez
Cuenca

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

Bahia de Caraquez vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $851 in Bahia de Caraquez, $1,007 in Cuenca – Bahia de Caraquez comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,276 per month in Bahia de Caraquez and $1,510 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $365 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Bahia de Caraquez and $30 in Cuenca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $851 in Bahia de Caraquez and $1,007 in Cuenca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bahia de Caraquez costs $851 versus $1,007 in Cuenca. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.