Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Ambato

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.

48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Ambato

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

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

Cuenca $989
Ambato $605

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

Cuenca $1,482
Ambato $985

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

Cuenca $1,976
Ambato $1,364

Cuenca costs about 63% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$3.46 $3.46

3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 $29.50

$29.93 $29.93

-1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.32 $5.32

46.43%

Cappuccino

$2.65 $2.65

$2.76 $2.76

-3.99%

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

$0.83 $0.83

$0.82 $0.82

1.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.75 $0.75

-5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.96 $1.96

4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.22 $3.22

-1.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.98 $0.98

3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.98 $0.98

121.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.57 $1.57

19.11%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$1.73 $1.73

31.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.42 $5.42

30.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.05 $3.05

93.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 $7.47

$3.93 $3.93

90.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.27 $1.27

59.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.88 $0.88

23.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.03 $1.03

32.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.03 $1.03

35.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.77 $0.77

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.99 $0.99

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.73 $0.73

2.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.03 $1.03

9.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 $5.29

$5.15 $5.15

2.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$8.78 $8.78

14.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.45 $1.45

4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.81 $2.81

6.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.29 $0.29

24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.94 $15.94

$14.21 $14.21

12.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.39 $1.39

-2.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.12 $1.12

-4.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.83 $10.83

$9.43 $9.43

14.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.86 $0.86

1.16%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$23.3K $23.3K

5.03%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$28.1K $28.1K

5.31%

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

$39.83 $39.83

$39.20 $39.20

1.61%

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

$13.33 $13.33

$13.58 $13.58

-1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.61 $26.61

$26.39 $26.39

0.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.02 $30.02

$29.76 $29.76

0.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 $5.18

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 $7.22

$4.39 $4.39

64.46%

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

$227 $227

$224 $224

1.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,764 $6,764

$2,408 $2,408

180.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$48.25 $48.25

40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 $46.84

$35.22 $35.22

32.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$71.2 $71.2

75.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$55.5 $55.5

28.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 $529

$178 $178

196.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 $386

$124 $124

210.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 $709

$380 $380

86.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 $608

$273 $273

122.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,221 $1,221

$1,130 $1,130

8.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$857 $857

$884 $884

-3.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$561 $561

$679 $679

-17.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

24.00%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$386 39.1%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 67.8% $262

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$208 21%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 29.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$140 14.2%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 32.5% $45

Eating Out

Cuenca

$107 10.8%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 7% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8.1%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 0.7% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.5%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 13.3% $5.9

Getting Around

Cuenca

$24 2.4%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 7.3% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Cuenca versus $178 in Ambato. 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 Cuenca versus $30.00 in Ambato. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Cuenca vs $147 in Ambato – so Ambato wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

165,185

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cuenca Ambato 190 km

From you

Cuenca
Ambato

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

Cuenca vs Ambato: 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 $1,483 per month in Cuenca and $908 in Ambato. 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 Cuenca and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $989 in Cuenca and $605 in Ambato. 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.