Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Ecuador and Pasaje

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasaje: $864 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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 Pasaje
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Pasaje Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Pasaje

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Pasaje

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

A single person spends $1,007 per month in Cuenca vs $864 in Pasaje, rent included.

Cuenca $1,007
Pasaje $864

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Cuenca vs $1,428 in Pasaje, rent included.

Cuenca $1,488
Pasaje $1,428

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Cuenca vs $1,993 in Pasaje, rent included.

Cuenca $1,969
Pasaje $1,993

Cuenca costs about 17% more than Pasaje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cuenca and Pasaje are more affordable than the global median – Cuenca 26% lower, Pasaje 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$3.88 $3.88

-7.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.39 $30.39

$52.3 $52.3

-41.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$9.14 $9.14

-13.24%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$2.91 $2.91

-4.12%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$0.86 $0.86

-11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.73 $0.73

-1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.96 $2.96

-32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.33 $4.33

-24.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.16 $1.16

-9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.94 $1.94

11.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.40 $1.40

37.86%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$2.08 $2.08

4.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.84 $6.84

-1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.13 $5.13

21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$8.94 $8.94

-18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.47 $1.47

37.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.16 $1.16

-8.62%

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

$0.91 $0.91

17.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.87 $0.87

-14.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.02 $1.02

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.91 $5.91

-11.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$11.99 $11.99

-17.51%

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

$2.14 $2.14

42.99%

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

$2.80 $2.80

-51.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.73 $1.73

-35.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 $11.08

$11.91 $11.91

-6.97%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

-0.59%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$31.2K $31.2K

-1.17%

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

$40.34 $40.34

$33.84 $33.84

19.21%

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

$13.76 $13.76

$15.11 $15.11

-8.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.36 $26.36

$26.30 $26.30

0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 $29.25

$30.99 $30.99

-5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

$15.24 $15.24

-66.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 $7.21

$7.52 $7.52

-4.12%

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

$229 $229

$368 $368

-37.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 $6,887

$5,688 $5,688

21.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$66.1 $66.1

2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$39.84 $39.84

17.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$124 $124

-2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$91.0 $91.0

-21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 $541

$411 $411

31.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$263 $263

50.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 $731

$710 $710

2.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 $583

$505 $505

15.34%

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 Pasaje: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$396 39.4%

Pasaje

$263 30.5% 33.5% $133

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$207 20.6%

Pasaje

$198 23% 4.1% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$138 13.7%

Pasaje

$144 16.7% 4.7% $6.4

Eating Out

Cuenca

$108 10.8%

Pasaje

$123 14.3% 13.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8%

Pasaje

$75 8.7% 6.5% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.3%

Pasaje

$46 5.3% 5.5% $2.4

Getting Around

Cuenca

$33 3.3%

Pasaje

$13 * 1.5% 60.2% $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 $411 in Pasaje. 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 Pasaje. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Cuenca vs $198 in Pasaje – so Pasaje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Pasaje

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

44,860

💱 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 Pasaje 100 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 Pasaje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 17%, 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 $1,296 in Pasaje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasaje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca and $52 in Pasaje. 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.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,007 in Cuenca and $864 in Pasaje. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cuenca has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $864 in Pasaje to $1,007 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.