Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Libertad and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in La Libertad: $794 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in La Libertad
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La Libertad Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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La Libertad

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$794

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Libertad 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 La Libertad and in Cuenca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $794 per month in La Libertad vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

La Libertad $794
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,328 per month in La Libertad vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

La Libertad $1,328
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $1,863 per month in La Libertad vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

La Libertad $1,863
Cuenca $1,969

La Libertad is about 21% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both La Libertad and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – La Libertad 42% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.21 $3.21

$3.59 $3.59

-10.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.15 $47.15

$30.39 $30.39

55.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 $5.64

$7.93 $7.93

-28.88%

Cappuccino

$2.65 $2.65

$2.79 $2.79

-5.02%

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

$0.86 $0.86

$0.76 $0.76

13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.72 $0.72

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.99 $1.99

16.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.27 $3.27

29.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.05 $1.05

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.17 $2.17

-24.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.93 $1.93

-19.17%

Eggs

$2.07 $2.07

$2.18 $2.18

-5.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$6.76 $6.76

-4.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$6.21 $6.21

-15.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 $7.42

$7.30 $7.30

1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.02 $2.02

-7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.06 $1.06

6.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.40 $1.40

-19.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.40 $1.40

-30.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.53 $1.53

-30.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.07 $1.07

-14.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.74 $0.74

1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.09 $1.09

1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 $5.72

$5.22 $5.22

9.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 $7.51

$9.89 $9.89

-24.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.50 $1.50

0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.06 $3.06

-5.23%

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)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.36 $1.36

-1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.12 $1.12

5.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.36 $11.36

$11.08 $11.08

2.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.86 $0.86

-8.14%

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

$22.0K $22.0K

$22.8K $22.8K

-3.87%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$30.8K $30.8K

9.94%

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

$34.39 $34.39

$40.34 $40.34

-14.75%

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

$12.80 $12.80

$13.76 $13.76

-6.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.45 $25.45

$26.36 $26.36

-3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.93 $33.93

$29.25 $29.25

16.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 $14.33

$5.13 $5.13

179.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 $5.99

$7.21 $7.21

-16.92%

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

$287 $287

$229 $229

25.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,343 $6,343

$6,887 $6,887

-7.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$67.8 $67.8

-18.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.85 $42.85

$46.82 $46.82

-8.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$120 $120

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.0 $76.0

$71.5 $71.5

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 $376

$541 $541

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 $256

$396 $396

-35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 $837

$731 $731

14.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 $527

$583 $583

-9.57%

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 %)

10.09

11.16

-9.59%

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

Last update for La Libertad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Libertad

$256 32.2%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 55% $141

Groceries & Markets

La Libertad

$185 23.3%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 12% $22

Clothing & Footwear

La Libertad

$125 15.8%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 10.4% $13

Eating Out

La Libertad

$101 12.7%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 7.5% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Libertad

$73 9.2%

Cuenca

$80 8% 10.8% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

La Libertad

$46 5.8%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 4.9% $2.3

Getting Around

La Libertad

$8.7 * 1.1%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 278% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $376 in La Libertad 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 $47 in La Libertad versus $30 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in La Libertad vs $207 in Cuenca – so La Libertad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 La Libertad

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

Same time as La Libertad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,881

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

La Libertad Cuenca 220 km

From you

La Libertad
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

La Libertad vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,190 per month in La Libertad 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 La Libertad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $376 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in La Libertad and $30 in Cuenca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in La Libertad, where all-in costs run around $794, than in Cuenca at $1,007. In La Libertad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.