Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Cuenca

For one person, living costs are similar in Brasilia and in Cuenca: $1,008 and $989 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,008

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,008 in Brasilia versus $989 in Cuenca.

Brasilia $1,008
Cuenca $989

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,618 in Brasilia versus $1,482 in Cuenca.

Brasilia $1,618
Cuenca $1,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Brasilia versus $1,976 in Cuenca.

Brasilia $2,228
Cuenca $1,976

Living in Brasilia is roughly 2% more expensive than in Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 25% lower, Cuenca 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.23 R$46.81

$3.59 $3.59

157.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.99 R$203

$29.50 $29.50

35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$42.79

$7.79 $7.79

8.34%

Cappuccino

$2.62 R$13.29

$2.65 $2.65

-1.13%

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

$1.52 R$7.70

$0.83 $0.83

83.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.71 $0.71

28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R$12.30

$2.04 $2.04

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 R$20.23

$3.18 $3.18

25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.57

$1.01 $1.01

8.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.47

$2.17 $2.17

-4.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.90

$1.87 $1.87

-27.27%

Eggs

$2.46 R$12.47

$2.27 $2.27

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.1

$7.09 $7.09

70.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 R$20.29

$5.90 $5.90

-32.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 R$46.06

$7.47 $7.47

21.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.33

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.76

$1.09 $1.09

40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.73

$1.36 $1.36

-2.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.76

$1.40 $1.40

23.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$1.54 $1.54

-24.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.28

$1.08 $1.08

-3.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.75 $0.75

10.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.13 $1.13

-12.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.34

$5.29 $5.29

-54.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 R$41.86

$10.07 $10.07

-17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.51 $1.51

-15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R$12.58

$2.99 $2.99

-17.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.23

$0.36 $0.36

186.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.05 R$183

$15.94 $15.94

126.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.32

$1.36 $1.36

-22.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.07 $1.07

-14.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 R$31.99

$10.83 $10.83

-41.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.51

$0.87 $0.87

47.13%

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

$24.2K R$122.5K

$24.5K $24.5K

-1.43%

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

$33.3K R$169.0K

$29.6K $29.6K

12.46%

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

$98.4 R$499

$39.83 $39.83

147.13%

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

$12.88 R$65.3

$13.33 $13.33

-3.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.35 R$113

$26.61 $26.61

-16.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 R$173

$30.02 $30.02

13.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.34 R$144

$5.18 $5.18

447.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 R$39.45

$7.22 $7.22

7.76%

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

$834 R$4,230

$227 $227

268.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K R$87.9K

$6,764 $6,764

156.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R$288

$67.8 $67.8

-16.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.40 R$230

$46.84 $46.84

-3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 R$433

$125 $125

-31.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 R$459

$71.5 $71.5

26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 R$2,572

$529 $529

-4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 R$1,412

$386 $386

-27.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 R$5,693

$709 $709

58.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 R$2,881

$608 $608

-6.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,518 R$12.8K

$1,221 $1,221

106.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 R$8,840

$857 $857

103.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$841 R$4,263

$561 $561

49.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.16

8.60%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$279 27.7%

Cuenca

$386 39.1% 38.6% $108

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$214 21.3%

Cuenca

$208 21% 3.2% $6.8

Eating Out

Brasilia

$160 15.9%

Cuenca

$107 10.8% 33.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$134 13.3%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 40.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$125 12.4%

Cuenca

$140 14.2% 11.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$50 4.9%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 10.5% $5.2

Getting Around

Brasilia

$46 4.5%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 47.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Brasilia and $529 in Cuenca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 50% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $30.00 in Cuenca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $208 per month, with Cuenca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

12:18 12:18 PM

2 h behind Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

495,776

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Cuenca 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
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

Brasilia vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Cuenca differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,008 vs $989 including rent). Cuenca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Brasilia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $507 in Brasilia versus $529 in Cuenca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuenca – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,008 per month in Brasilia versus $989 in Cuenca – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $989 in Cuenca versus $1,008 in Brasilia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuenca but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Cuenca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brasilia and Cuenca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cuenca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.