Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cumbaya and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $889 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cuenca outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Cumbaya
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Cumbaya Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Cumbaya

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$889

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cumbaya and in Cuenca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cumbaya and in Cuenca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

Cumbaya $889
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Cumbaya $1,464
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $2,038 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Cumbaya $2,038
Cuenca $1,969

Cumbaya is about 12% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cumbaya and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Cumbaya 35% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 $5.37

$3.59 $3.59

49.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 $55.0

$30.39 $30.39

81.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 $7.66

$7.93 $7.93

-3.40%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$2.79 $2.79

19.35%

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

$1.43 $1.43

$0.76 $0.76

88.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.72 $0.72

51.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.99 $1.99

71.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.27 $3.27

87.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.05 $1.05

3.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.17 $2.17

-29.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.93 $1.93

-21.76%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$2.18 $2.18

-4.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$6.76 $6.76

-3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$6.21 $6.21

-14.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 $7.50

$7.30 $7.30

2.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.02 $2.02

8.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.06 $1.06

11.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.40 $1.40

-5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.40 $1.40

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.53 $1.53

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.07 $1.07

-3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.74 $0.74

21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.09 $1.09

-4.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 $5.82

$5.22 $5.22

11.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.56 $8.56

$9.89 $9.89

-13.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.50 $1.50

4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.06 $3.06

1.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.37 $0.37

-2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.36 $1.36

11.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.12 $1.12

37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$11.08 $11.08

-10.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.86 $0.86

-3.49%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$22.8K $22.8K

0.11%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$30.8K $30.8K

-1.88%

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

$28.72 $28.72

$40.34 $40.34

-28.81%

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

$17.72 $17.72

$13.76 $13.76

28.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.01 $28.01

$26.36 $26.36

6.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.41 $27.41

$29.25 $29.25

-6.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.61 $14.61

$5.13 $5.13

184.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 $6.74

$7.21 $7.21

-6.52%

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

$736 $736

$229 $229

221.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,063 $9,063

$6,887 $6,887

31.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$67.8 $67.8

2.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.69 $49.69

$46.82 $46.82

6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$120 $120

-4.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$71.5 $71.5

48.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 $377

$541 $541

-30.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 $274

$396 $396

-30.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 $825

$731 $731

12.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 $498

$583 $583

-14.60%

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 %)

10.12

11.16

-9.32%

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

Last update for Cumbaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cumbaya

$274 30.8%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 44.9% $123

Groceries & Markets

Cumbaya

$191 21.5%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 8.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Cumbaya

$153 17.2%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 10% $15

Eating Out

Cumbaya

$145 16.3%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 25.4% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cumbaya

$74 8.4%

Cuenca

$80 8% 8.1% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Cumbaya

$41 4.6%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 6.8% $2.8

Getting Around

Cumbaya

$11 * 1.2%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 208% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $377 in Cumbaya versus $541 in Cuenca. 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 $55 in Cumbaya versus $30 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $191 in Cumbaya vs $207 in Cuenca – so Cumbaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cumbaya

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

Same time as Cumbaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cumbaya Cuenca 310 km

From you

Cumbaya
Cuenca

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

Cumbaya vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,334 per month in Cumbaya and $1,510 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cumbaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $377 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Cumbaya and $30 in Cuenca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $889 in Cumbaya and $1,007 in Cuenca. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cumbaya costs $889 versus $1,007 in Cuenca. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.