Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Ecuador and Tacloban

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $771 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Tacloban

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

A single person spends $1,007 per month in Cuenca vs $771 in Tacloban, rent included.

Cuenca $1,007
Tacloban $771

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Cuenca vs $1,152 in Tacloban, rent included.

Cuenca $1,488
Tacloban $1,152

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Cuenca vs $1,532 in Tacloban, rent included.

Cuenca $1,969
Tacloban $1,532

Cuenca costs about 31% more than Tacloban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cuenca and Tacloban are more affordable than the global median – Cuenca 26% lower, Tacloban 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$4.00 ₱255

-10.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.39 $30.39

$15.55 ₱994

95.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$2.33 ₱149

240.34%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$2.31 ₱148

20.78%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$0.68 ₱43.57

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.36 ₱23.22

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.59 ₱102

25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.17 ₱138

50.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.91 ₱122

-45.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.11 ₱70.6

95.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.80 ₱51.2

141.25%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$1.89 ₱121

15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$10.05 ₱642

-32.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$4.11 ₱262

51.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$7.18 ₱459

1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.18 ₱203

-36.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.08 ₱68.8

-1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.28 ₱146

-38.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.46 ₱93.3

-4.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.30 ₱147

-33.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.85 ₱118

-42.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.09 ₱69.7

-32.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.60 ₱38.26

81.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$1.86 ₱119

180.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$6.30 ₱402

56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.07 ₱68.4

40.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.72 ₱110

77.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.20 ₱12.82

85.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

$12.30 ₱786

97.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.78 ₱49.88

74.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.22 ₱14.07

409.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 $11.08

$1.86 ₱119

495.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.04 ₱66.2

-17.31%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$21.2K ₱1.4M

7.51%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

63.68%

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

$40.34 $40.34

$117 ₱7,485

-65.57%

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

$13.76 $13.76

$15.64 ₱999

-12.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.36 $26.36

$28.34 ₱1,811

-6.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 $29.25

$31.68 ₱2,024

-7.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

$5.30 ₱339

-3.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 $7.21

$5.36 ₱342

34.51%

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

$229 $229

$131 ₱8,357

75.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 $6,887

$7,929 ₱506.6K

-13.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$32.33 ₱2,066

109.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$19.29 ₱1,233

142.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$76.5 ₱4,889

57.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$56.0 ₱3,577

27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 $541

$254 ₱16.2K

113.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$191 ₱12.2K

107.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 $731

$498 ₱31.8K

46.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 $583

$348 ₱22.2K

67.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,244 $1,244

$2,586 ₱165.2K

-51.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$924 $924

$1,114 ₱71.1K

-16.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 $544

$340 ₱21.7K

60.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

7.2

55.00%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$396 39.4%

Tacloban

$191 24.8% 51.7% $205

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$207 20.6%

Tacloban

$195 25.3% 5.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$138 13.7%

Tacloban

$83 10.7% 39.9% $55

Eating Out

Cuenca

$108 10.8%

Tacloban

$83 10.8% 23.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8%

Tacloban

$161 20.9% 100% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.3%

Tacloban

$42 5.5% 2.9% $1.3

Getting Around

Cuenca

$33 3.3%

Tacloban

$15 1.9% 54.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Cuenca versus $254 in Tacloban. 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 60% higher in Cuenca. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca versus $16 in Tacloban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $195 – making Tacloban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

04:47 4:47 AM

13 h ahead of Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

242,089

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cuenca Tacloban 17,210 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuenca
Tacloban

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 Tacloban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 31%, 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 $1,157 in Tacloban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tacloban, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca and $16 in Tacloban. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,007 in Cuenca and $771 in Tacloban. That makes Tacloban about 23% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Tacloban – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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