Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chone and Cuenca

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $732 a month against $989 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chone
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Chone Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index

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Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$732

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $732 in Chone versus $989 in Cuenca.

Chone $732
Cuenca $989

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Chone versus $1,482 in Cuenca.

Chone $1,240
Cuenca $1,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,748 in Chone versus $1,976 in Cuenca.

Chone $1,748
Cuenca $1,976

Living in Chone costs roughly 26% less than in Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chone 46% lower, Cuenca 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 $3.77

$3.59 $3.59

5.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.29 $31.29

$29.50 $29.50

6.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 $5.91

$7.79 $7.79

-24.13%

Cappuccino

$2.48 $2.48

$2.65 $2.65

-6.42%

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

$0.86 $0.86

$0.83 $0.83

3.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 $0.69

$0.71 $0.71

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.04 $2.04

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.18 $3.18

28.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.01 $1.01

10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.17 $2.17

-29.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.87 $1.87

-16.04%

Eggs

$2.00 $2.00

$2.27 $2.27

-11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$7.09 $7.09

-6.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.90 $5.90

-22.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$7.47 $7.47

-15.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.03 $2.03

-23.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.09 $1.09

-11.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.36 $1.36

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.40 $1.40

-26.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.54 $1.54

-26.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.08 $1.08

-4.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.75 $0.75

-5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.13 $1.13

-4.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.01 $5.01

$5.29 $5.29

-5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.56 $8.56

$10.07 $10.07

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.51 $1.51

7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.99 $2.99

-7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.36 $0.36

-13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.28 $17.28

$15.94 $15.94

8.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.36 $1.36

-2.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.07 $1.07

14.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.58 $8.58

$10.83 $10.83

-20.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.87 $0.87

-1.15%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$24.5K $24.5K

-11.59%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$29.6K $29.6K

11.33%

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

$41.43 $41.43

$39.83 $39.83

4.02%

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

$13.59 $13.59

$13.33 $13.33

1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.32 $25.32

$26.61 $26.61

-4.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.32 $33.32

$30.02 $30.02

10.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.43 $15.43

$5.18 $5.18

197.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 $6.33

$7.22 $7.22

-12.33%

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

$207 $207

$227 $227

-8.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,025 $5,025

$6,764 $6,764

-25.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$67.8 $67.8

-18.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.21 $47.21

$46.84 $46.84

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$125 $125

-12.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 $79.7

$71.5 $71.5

11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 $319

$529 $529

-39.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 $169

$386 $386

-56.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 $788

$709 $709

11.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 $451

$608 $608

-25.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,221 $1,221

4.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 $807

$857 $857

-5.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$561 $561

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 Chone: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chone

$177 24.2%

Cuenca

$208 21% 17.2% $30

Accommodation & Living

Chone

$169 23.1%

Cuenca

$386 39.1% 129% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Chone

$131 17.9%

Cuenca

$140 14.2% 6.8% $8.9

Eating Out

Chone

$102 14%

Cuenca

$107 10.8% 4.3% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chone

$80 11%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 0.7% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chone

$46 6.3%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 3.3% $1.5

Getting Around

Chone

$26 3.6%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 7.3% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Chone and $529 in Cuenca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Chone vs $30.00 in Cuenca. Groceries flip the comparison at $177 vs $208, with Chone cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Chone

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

Same time as Chone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,751

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chone Cuenca 270 km

From you

Chone
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

Chone vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Cuenca. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,097 in Chone and $1,483 in Cuenca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $319 in Chone versus $529 in Cuenca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $732 per month in Chone versus $989 in Cuenca – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 8% less than in Cuenca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $732 in Chone versus $989 in Cuenca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chone but tight or insufficient in Cuenca. The gap between the two cities makes Chone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chone 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 Chone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Cuenca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.