Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Ecuador and Ventanas

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventanas: $860 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Ventanas
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Ventanas Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Ventanas

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$860

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Ventanas

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

A single person spends $1,007 per month in Cuenca vs $860 in Ventanas, rent included.

Cuenca $1,007
Ventanas $860

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Cuenca vs $1,437 in Ventanas, rent included.

Cuenca $1,488
Ventanas $1,437

A family of three spends $1,969 per month in Cuenca vs $2,014 in Ventanas, rent included.

Cuenca $1,969
Ventanas $2,014

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$4.05 $4.05

-11.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.39 $30.39

$52.5 $52.5

-42.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$9.12 $9.12

-13.05%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$2.88 $2.88

-3.12%

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

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.06 $3.06

-34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.33 $4.33

-24.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.20 $1.20

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.01 $2.01

7.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.41 $1.41

36.88%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$2.05 $2.05

6.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$7.08 $7.08

-4.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.01 $5.01

23.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$9.03 $9.03

-19.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.53 $1.53

32.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.20 $1.20

-11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.97 $0.97

44.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.98 $0.98

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.22 $1.22

25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.90 $0.90

18.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.87 $0.87

-14.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.01 $1.01

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.15 $6.15

-15.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$11.81 $11.81

-16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.56 $1.56

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.20 $2.20

39.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.79 $2.79

-51.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.71 $1.71

-34.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.08 $11.08

$11.89 $11.89

-6.81%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

-2.16%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$30.9K $30.9K

-0.37%

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

$40.34 $40.34

$33.71 $33.71

19.67%

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

$13.76 $13.76

$14.96 $14.96

-8.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.36 $26.36

$25.70 $25.70

2.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 $29.25

$33.45 $33.45

-12.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

$15.48 $15.48

-66.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 $7.21

$7.52 $7.52

-4.12%

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

$229 $229

$367 $367

-37.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 $6,887

$5,718 $5,718

20.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$66.1 $66.1

2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$40.26 $40.26

16.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$126 $126

-4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$90.7 $90.7

-21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 $541

$368 $368

47.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 $396

$254 $254

56.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 $731

$696 $696

5.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 $583

$513 $513

13.63%

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 Ventanas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$396 39.4%

Ventanas

$254 29.5% 35.9% $142

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$207 20.6%

Ventanas

$200 23.3% 3.5% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$138 13.7%

Ventanas

$145 16.9% 5.4% $7.5

Eating Out

Cuenca

$108 10.8%

Ventanas

$125 14.5% 15.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8%

Ventanas

$74 8.7% 7.6% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.3%

Ventanas

$49 5.6% 11.1% $4.8

Getting Around

Cuenca

$33 3.3%

Ventanas

$13 * 1.5% 60.9% $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 $368 in Ventanas. 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 $53 in Ventanas. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Cuenca vs $200 in Ventanas – so Ventanas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ventanas

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

Same time as Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

38,168

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuenca Ventanas 170 km

From you

Cuenca
Ventanas

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 Ventanas: 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 $1,290 in Ventanas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ventanas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $368 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Cuenca and $53 in Ventanas. 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ventanas, where all-in costs run around $860, than in Cuenca at $1,007. In Ventanas 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 $860 in Ventanas to $1,007 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.