Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Quito

For one person, living costs are similar in Cuenca and in Quito: $989 and $978 a month, rent and utilities included.

48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Quito

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

A single person spends $989 per month in Cuenca vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

Cuenca $989
Quito $978

A couple spends around $1,482 per month in Cuenca vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

Cuenca $1,482
Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $1,976 per month in Cuenca vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

Cuenca $1,976
Quito $2,194

Cuenca costs about 1% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cuenca and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Cuenca 27% lower, Quito 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$6.08 $6.08

-40.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 $29.50

$55.5 $55.5

-46.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 $7.79

$7.61 $7.61

2.37%

Cappuccino

$2.65 $2.65

$3.40 $3.40

-22.06%

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

$0.83 $0.83

$1.37 $1.37

-39.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.09 $1.09

-34.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.43 $3.43

-40.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.06 $6.06

-47.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.14 $1.14

-11.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.60 $1.60

35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.58 $1.58

18.35%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$2.12 $2.12

7.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.58 $6.58

7.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$5.51 $5.51

7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 $7.47

$7.65 $7.65

-2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.24 $2.24

-9.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.19 $1.19

-8.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.33 $1.33

2.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.13 $1.13

23.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.24 $1.24

24.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.02 $1.02

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.92 $0.92

-18.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.05 $1.05

7.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 $5.29

$6.16 $6.16

-14.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.58 $1.58

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.09 $3.09

-3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.94 $15.94

$21.37 $21.37

-25.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.53 $1.53

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.49 $1.49

-28.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.83 $10.83

$9.84 $9.84

10.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.81 $0.81

7.41%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$21.3K $21.3K

15.31%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

6.24%

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

$39.83 $39.83

$28.75 $28.75

38.54%

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

$13.33 $13.33

$17.86 $17.86

-25.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.61 $26.61

$28.20 $28.20

-5.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.02 $30.02

$46.08 $46.08

-34.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 $5.18

$17.76 $17.76

-70.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 $7.22

$6.34 $6.34

13.88%

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

$227 $227

$739 $739

-69.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,764 $6,764

$8,909 $8,909

-24.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$71.0 $71.0

-4.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 $46.84

$50.4 $50.4

-7.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$114 $114

9.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$107 $107

-33.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 $529

$491 $491

7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 $386

$309 $309

25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 $709

$932 $932

-23.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 $608

$540 $540

12.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,221 $1,221

$1,759 $1,759

-30.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$857 $857

$715 $715

19.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$561 $561

$594 $594

-5.56%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$386 39.1%

Quito

$309 31.6% 20% $77

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$208 21%

Quito

$198 20.3% 4.6% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$140 14.2%

Quito

$154 15.8% 10.2% $14

Eating Out

Cuenca

$107 10.8%

Quito

$151 15.5% 41.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8.1%

Quito

$75 7.7% 6.2% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.5%

Quito

$59 6% 32.2% $14

Getting Around

Cuenca

$24 2.4%

Quito

$32 3.3% 31.9% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Cuenca versus $491 in Quito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Quito, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cuenca versus $55.0 in Quito. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Cuenca vs $198 in Quito – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cuenca Quito 300 km

From you

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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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,483 per month in Cuenca and $1,467 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, 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 $55.0 in Quito. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $989 in Cuenca and $978 in Quito. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Cuenca at $989. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – 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 Quito. 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.