Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Tena

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $891 a month against $1,281 in Guayaquil, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Tena
Learn more

Tena Living Index

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,281

/mo nomad

Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guayaquil and in Tena

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

A single person spends $1,281 per month in Guayaquil vs $891 in Tena, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,281
Tena $891

A couple spends around $1,944 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,475 in Tena, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,944
Tena $1,475

A family of three spends $2,607 per month in Guayaquil vs $2,060 in Tena, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,607
Tena $2,060

Guayaquil costs about 44% more than Tena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guayaquil and Tena are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 5% lower, Tena 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 $4.10

$5.63 $5.63

-27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 $50.2

$54.8 $54.8

-8.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 $8.92

$7.58 $7.58

17.68%

Cappuccino

$2.72 $2.72

$3.34 $3.34

-18.56%

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

$0.84 $0.84

$1.43 $1.43

-41.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.05 $1.05

-39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.43 $3.43

-11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 $4.35

$6.12 $6.12

-28.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.14 $1.14

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.60 $1.60

25.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.51 $1.51

-3.97%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.08 $2.08

-0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$6.51 $6.51

4.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.42 $5.42

-5.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$7.67 $7.67

23.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.33 $2.33

-34.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.22 $1.22

-3.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.27 $1.27

-22.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.13 $1.13

-15.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.19 $1.19

7.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.08 $1.08

-15.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.87 $0.87

-4.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.93 $5.93

-1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.21 $12.21

$8.27 $8.27

47.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.58 $1.58

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.10 $3.10

-29.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.33 $0.33

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 $26.28

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.53 $1.53

84.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.75 $0.75

104.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 $12.06

$9.91 $9.91

21.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.86 $0.86

-6.98%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$23.4K $23.4K

-3.02%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$30.1K $30.1K

2.14%

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

$130 $130

$28.50 $28.50

357.68%

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

$14.70 $14.70

$17.84 $17.84

-17.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.68 $25.68

$28.34 $28.34

-9.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.56 $44.56

$29.89 $29.89

49.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.30 $27.30

$16.69 $16.69

63.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 $7.52

$6.50 $6.50

15.69%

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

$368 $368

$729 $729

-49.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,002 $9,002

$9,064 $9,064

-0.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 $65.8

$71.3 $71.3

-7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 $39.98

$50.4 $50.4

-20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$116 $116

7.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 $93.4

$109 $109

-14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 $653

$422 $422

54.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$270 $270

101.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 $976

$802 $802

21.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 $940

$507 $507

85.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 $2,009

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 $1,201

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 $613

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

10.12

-0.69%

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

Last update for Guayaquil: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tena: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$545 42.5%

Tena

$270 30.4% 50.4% $274

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 15.6%

Tena

$193 21.7% 3.6% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$171 13.3%

Tena

$75 8.4% 56.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 11.4%

Tena

$156 17.5% 7.1% $10

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$122 9.5%

Tena

$147 16.5% 20.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$60 4.7%

Tena

$43 4.8% 28% $17

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$38 3%

Tena

$6.6 * 0.7% 82.7% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $653 in Guayaquil versus $422 in Tena. 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 $50 in Guayaquil versus $55 in Tena. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Guayaquil vs $193 in Tena – so Tena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Tena

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

Same time as Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

16,669

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Guayaquil Tena 290 km

From you

Guayaquil
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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

Guayaquil vs Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guayaquil is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,922 per month in Guayaquil and $1,336 in Tena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $653 in Guayaquil.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guayaquil and $55 in Tena. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Guayaquil, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tena, where all-in costs run around $891, than in Guayaquil at $1,281. In Tena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guayaquil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Guayaquil has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $891 in Tena to $1,281 in Guayaquil. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.