Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Chone

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.

48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Chone
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Chone Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Chone

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 Chone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Cuenca $989
Chone $732

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

Cuenca $1,482
Chone $1,240

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

Cuenca $1,976
Chone $1,748

Living in Cuenca is roughly 35% more expensive than in Chone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$3.77 $3.77

-4.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 $29.50

$31.29 $31.29

-5.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.91 $5.91

31.81%

Cappuccino

$2.65 $2.65

$2.48 $2.48

6.85%

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

$0.83 $0.83

$0.86 $0.86

-3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.69 $0.69

2.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.07 $2.07

-1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.08 $4.08

-22.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.12 $1.12

-9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.52 $1.52

42.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.57 $1.57

19.11%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$2.00 $2.00

13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.64 $6.64

6.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.55 $4.55

29.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 $7.47

$6.32 $6.32

18.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.55 $1.55

30.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.97 $0.97

12.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.04 $1.04

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.03 $1.03

35.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.13 $1.13

36.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.03 $1.03

4.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.71 $0.71

5.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.08 $1.08

4.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 $5.29

$5.01 $5.01

5.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$8.56 $8.56

17.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.63 $1.63

-7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.76 $2.76

8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.31 $0.31

16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.94 $15.94

$17.28 $17.28

-7.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.32 $1.32

3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.23 $1.23

-13.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.83 $10.83

$8.58 $8.58

26.22%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

13.11%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$33.0K $33.0K

-10.18%

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

$39.83 $39.83

$41.43 $41.43

-3.86%

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

$13.33 $13.33

$13.59 $13.59

-1.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.61 $26.61

$25.32 $25.32

5.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.02 $30.02

$33.32 $33.32

-9.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 $5.18

$15.43 $15.43

-66.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 $7.22

$6.33 $6.33

14.06%

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

$227 $227

$207 $207

9.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,764 $6,764

$5,025 $5,025

34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$55.5 $55.5

22.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 $46.84

$47.21 $47.21

-0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$109 $109

14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$79.7 $79.7

-10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 $529

$319 $319

65.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 $386

$169 $169

128.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 $709

$788 $788

-10.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 $608

$451 $451

34.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,221 $1,221

$1,272 $1,272

-3.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$857 $857

$807 $807

6.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$561 $561

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

10.05

11.04%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$386 39.1%

Chone

$169 23.1% 56.3% $218

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$208 21%

Chone

$177 24.2% 14.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$140 14.2%

Chone

$131 17.9% 6.4% $8.9

Eating Out

Cuenca

$107 10.8%

Chone

$102 14% 4.1% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8.1%

Chone

$80 11% 0.7% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.5%

Chone

$46 6.3% 3.4% $1.5

Getting Around

Cuenca

$24 2.4%

Chone

$26 3.6% 7.8% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Chone

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

44,751

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuenca Chone 270 km

From you

Cuenca
Chone

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 Chone: 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 $1,483 in Cuenca and $1,097 in Chone 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: $529 in Cuenca versus $319 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $989 per month in Cuenca versus $732 in Chone – 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, Cuenca and Chone 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.