Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Ecuador and Santo Domingo, Ecuador

Name: Santo Domingo
Address: Santo Domingo, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo: $723 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Santo Domingo

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

A single person spends $1,007 per month in Cuenca vs $723 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Cuenca $1,007
Santo Domingo $723

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Cuenca vs $1,190 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Cuenca $1,488
Santo Domingo $1,190

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Cuenca vs $1,657 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Cuenca $1,969
Santo Domingo $1,657

Cuenca costs about 39% more than Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cuenca and Santo Domingo are more affordable than the global median – Cuenca 26% lower, Santo Domingo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$3.96 $3.96

-9.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.39 $30.39

$51.5 $51.5

-40.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$9.15 $9.15

-13.33%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$1.98 $1.98

40.91%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$0.88 $0.88

-13.64%

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

$1.98 $1.98

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.17 $4.17

-21.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.02 $1.02

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.93 $1.93

12.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.31 $1.31

47.33%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$2.01 $2.01

8.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.34 $4.34

55.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.99 $2.99

107.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$3.54 $3.54

106.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.51 $1.51

33.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.98 $0.98

8.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.01 $1.01

38.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.92 $0.92

52.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.98 $0.98

56.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.92 $0.92

16.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.82 $0.82

-9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.99 $0.99

10.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.87 $5.87

-11.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$5.04 $5.04

96.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.13 $2.13

43.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.33 $0.33

12.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.82 $2.82

-51.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.80 $1.80

-37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 $11.08

$12.11 $12.11

-8.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.90 $0.90

-4.44%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$23.1K $23.1K

-1.03%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$30.5K $30.5K

1.05%

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

$40.34 $40.34

$34.76 $34.76

16.05%

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

$13.76 $13.76

$9.83 $9.83

39.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.36 $26.36

$23.21 $23.21

13.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 $29.25

$32.57 $32.57

-10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

$17.80 $17.80

-71.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 $7.21

$7.55 $7.55

-4.50%

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

$229 $229

$379 $379

-39.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 $6,887

$5,642 $5,642

22.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$19.97 $19.97

239.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$29.92 $29.92

56.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$50.4 $50.4

139.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$49.26 $49.26

45.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 $541

$422 $422

28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$274 $274

44.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 $731

$832 $832

-12.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 $583

$499 $499

16.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,244 $1,244

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$924 $924

$10.2K $10.2K

-90.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 $544

$401 $401

35.75%

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 Santo Domingo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$396 39.4%

Santo Domingo

$274 37.9% 30.8% $122

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$207 20.6%

Santo Domingo

$145 20.1% 29.9% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$138 13.7%

Santo Domingo

$67 9.3% 51.2% $71

Eating Out

Cuenca

$108 10.8%

Santo Domingo

$108 14.9% 0.7% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8%

Santo Domingo

$68 9.4% 15.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.3%

Santo Domingo

$48 6.6% 9.2% $4

Getting Around

Cuenca

$33 3.3%

Santo Domingo

$13 * 1.8% 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 $422 in Santo Domingo. 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 36% higher in Cuenca, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca versus $51 in Santo Domingo. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Cuenca vs $145 in Santo Domingo – so Santo Domingo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Santo Domingo

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

270,875

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cuenca Santo Domingo 290 km

From you

Cuenca
Santo Domingo

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 Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,510 per month in Cuenca and $1,085 in Santo Domingo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santo Domingo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca and $51 in Santo Domingo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santo Domingo, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Cuenca at $1,007. In Santo Domingo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cuenca has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $723 in Santo Domingo to $1,007 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santo Domingo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cuenca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.