Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Ecuador and Cumbaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $889 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cuenca outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Cumbaya
Learn more

Cumbaya Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Cumbaya

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Cumbaya

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

A single person spends $1,007 per month in Cuenca vs $889 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Cuenca $1,007
Cumbaya $889

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Cuenca vs $1,464 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Cuenca $1,488
Cumbaya $1,464

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Cuenca vs $2,038 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Cuenca $1,969
Cumbaya $2,038

Cuenca costs about 13% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cuenca and Cumbaya are more affordable than the global median – Cuenca 26% lower, Cumbaya 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$5.37 $5.37

-33.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.39 $30.39

$55.0 $55.0

-44.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.66 $7.66

3.52%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$3.33 $3.33

-16.22%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$1.43 $1.43

-46.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.09 $1.09

-33.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.42 $3.42

-41.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$6.12 $6.12

-46.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.09 $1.09

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.54 $1.54

40.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.51 $1.51

27.81%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$2.08 $2.08

4.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.51 $6.51

3.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.31 $5.31

16.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$7.50 $7.50

-2.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.20 $2.20

-8.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.18 $1.18

-10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.33 $1.33

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.12 $1.12

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.26 $1.26

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.03 $1.03

3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.90 $0.90

-17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.04 $1.04

4.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.82 $5.82

-10.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$8.56 $8.56

15.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.57 $1.57

-4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.10 $3.10

-1.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.36 $0.36

2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.51 $1.51

-9.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.54 $1.54

-27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 $11.08

$9.93 $9.93

11.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.83 $0.83

3.61%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$22.9K $22.9K

-0.11%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$30.2K $30.2K

1.92%

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

$40.34 $40.34

$28.72 $28.72

40.46%

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

$13.76 $13.76

$17.72 $17.72

-22.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.36 $26.36

$28.01 $28.01

-5.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 $29.25

$27.41 $27.41

6.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

$14.61 $14.61

-64.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 $7.21

$6.74 $6.74

6.97%

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

$229 $229

$736 $736

-68.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 $6,887

$9,063 $9,063

-24.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$69.8 $69.8

-2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$49.69 $49.69

-5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$115 $115

5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$107 $107

-32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 $541

$377 $377

43.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$274 $274

44.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 $731

$825 $825

-11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 $583

$498 $498

17.10%

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 %)

11.16

10.12

10.28%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cumbaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$396 39.4%

Cumbaya

$274 30.8% 31% $123

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$207 20.6%

Cumbaya

$191 21.5% 7.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$138 13.7%

Cumbaya

$153 17.2% 11.1% $15

Eating Out

Cuenca

$108 10.8%

Cumbaya

$145 16.3% 34.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8%

Cumbaya

$74 8.4% 7.5% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.3%

Cumbaya

$41 4.6% 6.3% $2.8

Getting Around

Cuenca

$33 3.3%

Cumbaya

$11 * 1.2% 67.5% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Cuenca versus $377 in Cumbaya. 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 $30 in Cuenca versus $55 in Cumbaya. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Cuenca vs $191 in Cumbaya – so Cumbaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Cumbaya

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Cuenca Cumbaya 310 km

From you

Cuenca
Cumbaya

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 Cumbaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,510 per month in Cuenca and $1,334 in Cumbaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cumbaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $377 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca and $55 in Cumbaya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,007 in Cuenca and $889 in Cumbaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cumbaya costs $889 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.