Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Spain and Ioannina

For one person, living is cheaper in Ioannina: $1,391 a month against $1,670 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cuenca outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cuenca, Spain
Ioannina, Greece
Cuenca
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,670
/mo nomad
Ioannina
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,391
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Ioannina

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

A single person spends $1,670 per month in Cuenca vs $1,391 in Ioannina, rent included.

  • Cuenca $1,670
  • Ioannina $1,391

A couple spends around $2,437 per month in Cuenca vs $2,114 in Ioannina, rent included.

  • Cuenca $2,437
  • Ioannina $2,114

A family of three spends $3,205 per month in Cuenca vs $2,836 in Ioannina, rent included.

  • Cuenca $3,205
  • Ioannina $2,836

Cuenca costs about 20% more than Ioannina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cuenca and Ioannina sit above the global median – Cuenca by 23%, Ioannina by 2%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.14 €15.36
$17.02 €15.25
0.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.51 €40.78
$33.11 €29.67
37.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.98 €8.05
$10.97 €9.83
-18.14%
Cappuccino
$2.03 €1.82
$4.00 €3.58
-49.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.12
$2.91 €2.61
-18.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.55 €0.49
170.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.21 €1.98
$4.38 €3.93
-49.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 €2.96
$5.67 €5.08
-41.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 €0.88
$1.75 €1.56
-44.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.14 €1.02
75.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.55 €1.39
$3.83 €3.43
-59.53%
Eggs
$2.50 €2.24
$3.55 €3.18
-29.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.27 €14.58
$10.86 €9.73
49.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.38 €8.40
$9.27 €8.30
1.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.78 €18.62
$12.23 €10.96
69.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.71 €2.43
$2.40 €2.15
12.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.42 €2.17
$2.04 €1.83
18.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$1.21 €1.08
113.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.00 €2.69
$2.66 €2.39
12.78%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.17 €1.05
70.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 €1.96
$1.02 €0.91
114.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 €1.60
$1.02 €0.92
74.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 €0.58
$0.85 €0.76
-23.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.30 €5.64
$5.71 €5.12
10.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.41 €3.95
$6.83 €6.12
-35.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.90
$1.98 €1.77
-49.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 €1.97
$3.27 €2.93
-33.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.47 €1.31
12.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.98 €28.66
$51.2 €45.89
-37.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.29 €2.05
$4.30 €3.86
-46.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.09 €0.98
-1.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.56 €26.49
$6.77 €6.06
336.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 €1.62
$2.11 €1.89
-14.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K €31.9K
$27.6K €24.7K
29.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.0K €28.7K
$27.0K €24.2K
18.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €147
$214 €192
-23.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.56 €10.36
$23.07 €20.68
-49.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.65 €19.40
$29.06 €26.04
-25.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.51 €35.40
$45.05 €40.37
-12.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.95 €14.30
$45.58 €40.84
-65.01%
Cinema Ticket
$8.85 €7.93
$8.69 €7.79
1.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$338 €303
$329 €295
2.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,035 €7,200
$8,829 €7,912
-8.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.9 €82.3
$66.1 €59.2
39.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €35.05
$45.90 €41.13
-14.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.4 €88.1
$76.9 €68.9
27.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 €102
$129 €116
-11.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$879 €788
$462 €414
90.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$692 €620
$323 €289
114.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,354 €1,213
$688 €616
96.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,020 €914
$604 €541
69.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,298 €2,955
$2,397 €2,148
37.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,188 €1,960
$1,975 €1,770
10.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuenca
Ioannina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,405 €1,259
$1,082 €970
29.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
4.73
-26.85%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ioannina: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cuenca
$692
Ioannina
$323 53.4% $369
Groceries & Markets
Cuenca
$301
Ioannina
$266 11.5% $35
Eating Out
Cuenca
$222
Ioannina
$264 19.2% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuenca
$198
Ioannina
$266 34.6% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Cuenca
$155
Ioannina
$143 7.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Cuenca
$57
Ioannina
$62 9.1% $5.2
Getting Around
Cuenca
$46
Ioannina
$67 44.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $879 in Cuenca versus $462 in Ioannina. 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 30% higher in Cuenca. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Cuenca versus $33 in Ioannina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $266 – making Ioannina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Cuenca
🇬🇷 Ioannina
🕒 Local time
05:30 5:30 AM
06:30 6:30 AM
1 h ahead of Cuenca
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
53,512
89,061
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuenca Ioannina 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cuenca
  • Ioannina

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 Ioannina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cuenca and in Ioannina compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,670 in Cuenca, $1,391 in Ioannina – Ioannina comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Cuenca compared to Ioannina?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,505 per month in Cuenca and $2,087 in Ioannina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cuenca and Ioannina?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ioannina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $462 there versus $879 in Cuenca.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cuenca and Ioannina?
Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Cuenca and $329 in Ioannina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $2,000 go in Cuenca compared to Ioannina?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,670 in Cuenca and $1,391 in Ioannina, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Cuenca or Ioannina?
Families tend to lean toward Ioannina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Cuenca or Ioannina safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Cuenca and Ioannina?
If budget matters most, go with Ioannina. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cuenca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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