Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Ecuador and Manglaralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Manglaralto: $895 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Manglaralto
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Manglaralto Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Manglaralto

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Manglaralto

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

A single person spends $1,007 per month in Cuenca vs $895 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Cuenca $1,007
Manglaralto $895

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Cuenca vs $1,456 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Cuenca $1,488
Manglaralto $1,456

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Cuenca vs $2,018 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Cuenca $1,969
Manglaralto $2,018

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

Both Cuenca and Manglaralto are more affordable than the global median – Cuenca 26% lower, Manglaralto 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$4.08 $4.08

-12.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.39 $30.39

$52.2 $52.2

-41.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$9.18 $9.18

-13.62%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$2.92 $2.92

-4.45%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$0.93 $0.93

-18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.70 $0.70

2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.93 $2.93

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.28 $4.28

-23.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.22 $1.22

-13.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.91 $1.91

13.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.40 $1.40

37.86%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$2.04 $2.04

6.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.80 $6.80

-0.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.05 $5.05

22.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$9.26 $9.26

-21.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.51 $1.51

33.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.18 $1.18

-10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.02 $1.02

37.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.96 $0.96

45.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.28 $1.28

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.98 $0.98

9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.83 $0.83

-10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.97 $0.97

12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.87 $5.87

-11.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$11.99 $11.99

-17.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.20 $2.20

39.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.39 $0.39

-5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.69 $2.69

-49.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.79 $1.79

-37.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 $11.08

$11.76 $11.76

-5.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.89 $0.89

-3.37%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$22.7K $22.7K

0.69%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$30.7K $30.7K

0.48%

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

$40.34 $40.34

$34.62 $34.62

16.52%

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

$13.76 $13.76

$9.91 $9.91

38.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.36 $26.36

$25.90 $25.90

1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 $29.25

$30.39 $30.39

-3.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

$15.84 $15.84

-67.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 $7.21

$7.36 $7.36

-2.04%

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

$229 $229

$376 $376

-39.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 $6,887

$5,680 $5,680

21.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$66.5 $66.5

1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$41.25 $41.25

13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$123 $123

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$92.1 $92.1

-22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 $541

$466 $466

16.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$297 $297

33.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 $731

$850 $850

-14.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 $583

$535 $535

8.93%

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

10.05

11.04%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manglaralto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$396 39.4%

Manglaralto

$297 33.3% 25% $99

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$207 20.6%

Manglaralto

$199 22.2% 4.1% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$138 13.7%

Manglaralto

$145 16.2% 5.1% $7.1

Eating Out

Cuenca

$108 10.8%

Manglaralto

$125 14% 15.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8%

Manglaralto

$70 7.9% 12.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.3%

Manglaralto

$45 5% 3.3% $1.5

Getting Around

Cuenca

$33 3.3%

Manglaralto

$13 * 1.5% 59.8% $20

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 $466 in Manglaralto. 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 $52 in Manglaralto. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Cuenca vs $199 in Manglaralto – so Manglaralto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Manglaralto

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 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

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Between locations

Cuenca Manglaralto 230 km

From you

Cuenca
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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 Manglaralto: 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 $1,342 in Manglaralto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manglaralto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $466 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca and $52 in Manglaralto. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manglaralto, where all-in costs run around $895, than in Cuenca at $1,007. In Manglaralto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.