Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Latacunga

For one person, living is cheaper in Latacunga: $782 a month against $983 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Latacunga
Learn more

Latacunga Living Index

Jump to prices

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$983

/mo nomad

Latacunga

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Latacunga

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

A single person spends $983 per month in Cuenca vs $782 in Latacunga, rent included.

Cuenca $983
Latacunga $782

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Cuenca vs $1,271 in Latacunga, rent included.

Cuenca $1,479
Latacunga $1,271

A family of three spends $1,975 per month in Cuenca vs $1,759 in Latacunga, rent included.

Cuenca $1,975
Latacunga $1,759

Cuenca costs about 26% more than Latacunga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cuenca and Latacunga are more affordable than the global median – Cuenca 27% lower, Latacunga 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 $3.56

$2.54 $2.54

40.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.05 $30.05

$27.87 $27.87

7.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 $8.07

$8.77 $8.77

-7.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 $2.78

$2.94 $2.94

-5.44%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$0.86 $0.86

-11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.48 $0.48

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.94 $2.94

-32.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.24 $4.24

-21.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.20 $1.20

-15.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.97 $1.97

8.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.97 $0.97

101.03%

Eggs

$2.24 $2.24

$1.83 $1.83

22.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.85 $6.85

$5.07 $5.07

35.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$5.11 $5.11

15.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 $7.44

$8.92 $8.92

-16.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.48 $1.48

38.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.14 $1.14

-3.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.02 $1.02

32.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.92 $0.92

43.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.03 $1.03

50.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.99 $0.99

4.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.48 $0.48

52.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.00 $1.00

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 $5.17

$5.91 $5.91

-12.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$10.19 $10.19

-3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.48 $1.48

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.12 $2.12

42.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.37 $0.37

-10.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.88 $15.88

$17.84 $17.84

-10.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.37 $1.37

-0.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.76 $1.76

-38.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.95 $10.95

$11.80 $11.80

-7.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.68 $0.68

29.41%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$20.7K $20.7K

11.93%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$30.7K $30.7K

-2.42%

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

$39.09 $39.09

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

$13.42 $13.42

$15.17 $15.17

-11.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 $26.48

$25.80 $25.80

2.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.49 $29.49

$29.79 $29.79

-1.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.40 $5.40

$16.19 $16.19

-66.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 $7.48

$7.71 $7.71

-2.98%

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

$230 $230

$372 $372

-38.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,012 $7,012

$5,690 $5,690

23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 $67.1

$66.0 $66.0

1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 $46.86

$40.85 $40.85

14.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 $124

$123 $123

0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 $70.8

$93.2 $93.2

-24.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 $539

$304 $304

77.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 $382

$187 $187

104.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 $722

$716 $716

0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 $608

$410 $410

48.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,212 $1,212

$1,201 $1,201

0.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$853 $853

$771 $771

10.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$547 $547

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

11.60%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 20, 2026

Last update for Latacunga: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$382 38.9%

Latacunga

$187 23.9% 51.1% $195

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$205 20.9%

Latacunga

$184 23.6% 10.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$139 14.1%

Latacunga

$145 18.6% 4.7% $6.6

Eating Out

Cuenca

$109 11.1%

Latacunga

$110 14.1% 1.7% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$79 8%

Latacunga

$80 10.2% 1.4% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.5%

Latacunga

$45 5.8% 1.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Cuenca

$24 2.4%

Latacunga

$29 3.8% 22.7% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $539 in Cuenca versus $304 in Latacunga. 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 $30.00 in Cuenca versus $28.00 in Latacunga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $184 – making Latacunga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Latacunga

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

57,127

💱 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 Latacunga 220 km

From you

Cuenca
Latacunga

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 Latacunga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,474 per month in Cuenca and $1,173 in Latacunga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Latacunga, 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 $28.00 in Latacunga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $983 in Cuenca and $782 in Latacunga. That's a gap of about 26%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Latacunga, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Cuenca at $983. In Latacunga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Latacunga – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Latacunga. 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.