Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Ecuador and Quevedo

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

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Quevedo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Quevedo

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

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

Cuenca $1,007
Quevedo $864

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Cuenca vs $1,459 in Quevedo, rent included.

Cuenca $1,488
Quevedo $1,459

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Cuenca vs $2,054 in Quevedo, rent included.

Cuenca $1,969
Quevedo $2,054

Cuenca costs about 16% more than Quevedo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$5.49 $5.49

-34.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.39 $30.39

$54.0 $54.0

-43.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.54 $7.54

5.17%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$3.34 $3.34

-16.47%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$1.42 $1.42

-46.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.06 $1.06

-32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.53 $3.53

-43.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$5.94 $5.94

-44.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.10 $1.10

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.58 $1.58

37.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.53 $1.53

26.14%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$2.16 $2.16

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.54 $6.54

3.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.37 $5.37

15.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$7.53 $7.53

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.24 $2.24

-9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.23 $1.23

-13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.31 $1.31

6.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.13 $1.13

23.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.21 $1.21

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.03 $1.03

3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.92 $0.92

-19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.03 $1.03

5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.87 $5.87

-11.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$8.44 $8.44

17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.58 $1.58

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.16 $3.16

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.34 $0.34

8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.54 $1.54

-11.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.46 $1.46

-23.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 $11.08

$10.17 $10.17

8.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$23.1K $23.1K

-1.28%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$30.4K $30.4K

1.45%

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

$40.34 $40.34

$28.24 $28.24

42.85%

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

$13.76 $13.76

$17.70 $17.70

-22.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.36 $26.36

$28.48 $28.48

-7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 $29.25

$29.67 $29.67

-1.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

$16.14 $16.14

-68.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 $7.21

$6.75 $6.75

6.81%

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

$229 $229

$753 $753

-69.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 $6,887

$9,114 $9,114

-24.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$70.0 $70.0

-3.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$50.6 $50.6

-7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$116 $116

3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$106 $106

-32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 $541

$401 $401

35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$243 $243

62.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 $731

$869 $869

-15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 $583

$505 $505

15.30%

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 Quevedo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$396 39.4%

Quevedo

$243 28.2% 38.6% $153

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$207 20.6%

Quevedo

$193 22.3% 6.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$138 13.7%

Quevedo

$154 17.8% 11.7% $16

Eating Out

Cuenca

$108 10.8%

Quevedo

$146 16.9% 34.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8%

Quevedo

$74 8.6% 7.5% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.3%

Quevedo

$43 5% 1.1% $0.5

Getting Around

Cuenca

$33 3.3%

Quevedo

$10 * 1.2% 68.8% $23

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 $401 in Quevedo. 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 $54 in Quevedo. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Cuenca vs $193 in Quevedo – so Quevedo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Quevedo

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

300,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuenca Quevedo 210 km

From you

Cuenca
Quevedo

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 Quevedo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 16%, 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 Quevedo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quevedo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $401 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca and $54 in Quevedo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,007 in Cuenca and $864 in Quevedo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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