Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montanita and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $893 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$893

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $893 per month in Montanita vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

Montanita $893
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,344 per month in Montanita vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Montanita $1,344
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $1,796 per month in Montanita vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Montanita $1,796
Cuenca $1,969

Montanita is about 11% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montanita and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Montanita 34% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 $3.44

$3.59 $3.59

-4.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.67 $27.67

$30.39 $30.39

-8.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 $7.30

$7.93 $7.93

-7.94%

Cappuccino

$2.40 $2.40

$2.79 $2.79

-13.98%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$0.76 $0.76

11.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.72 $0.72

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.99 $1.99

-1.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.27 $3.27

9.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.05 $1.05

7.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.17 $2.17

-21.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.93 $1.93

-22.28%

Eggs

$2.10 $2.10

$2.18 $2.18

-3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.76 $6.76

-20.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.21 $6.21

-12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.30 $7.30

-12.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.02 $2.02

3.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.06 $1.06

15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.40 $1.40

-22.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.40 $1.40

-22.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.53 $1.53

-6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.07 $1.07

-4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.74 $0.74

-33.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.09 $1.09

-6.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 $6.10

$5.22 $5.22

16.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$9.89 $9.89

-0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.50 $1.50

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.06 $3.06

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.37 $0.37

-2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.56 $23.56

$24.31 $24.31

-3.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.36 $1.36

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.12 $1.12

-8.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 $10.03

$11.08 $11.08

-9.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.86 $0.86

-27.91%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$22.8K $22.8K

8.89%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$30.8K $30.8K

-8.32%

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

$40.55 $40.55

$40.34 $40.34

0.52%

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

$13.96 $13.96

$13.76 $13.76

1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.87 $30.87

$26.36 $26.36

17.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 $29.86

$29.25 $29.25

2.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.43 $14.43

$5.13 $5.13

181.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 $7.33

$7.21 $7.21

1.66%

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

$256 $256

$229 $229

11.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,690 $5,690

$6,887 $6,887

-17.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$67.8 $67.8

-18.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 $42.86

$46.82 $46.82

-8.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$120 $120

-16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$71.5 $71.5

4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 $336

$541 $541

-37.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 $321

$396 $396

-19.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 $622

$731 $731

-14.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 $503

$583 $583

-13.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,245 $1,245

$1,244 $1,244

0.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,013 $1,013

$924 $924

9.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 $544

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

-10.39%

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

Last update for Montanita: 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

Montanita

$321 35.9%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 23.6% $76

Groceries & Markets

Montanita

$186 20.8%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 11.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Montanita

$123 13.8%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 12% $15

Eating Out

Montanita

$101 11.3%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 7.1% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montanita

$85 9.6%

Cuenca

$80 8% 5.8% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Montanita

$45 5%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 1.9% $0.9

Getting Around

Montanita

$32 3.6%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 3.5% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $336 in Montanita 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 $28 in Montanita versus $30 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $207 – making Montanita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Montanita

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

Same time as Montanita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Montanita Cuenca 230 km

From you

Montanita
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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

Montanita 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 groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,339 per month in Montanita 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 Montanita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Montanita and $30 in Cuenca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $893 in Montanita and $1,007 in Cuenca. That’s a gap of about 13%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Montanita, where all-in costs run around $893, than in Cuenca at $1,007. In Montanita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For expats, Montanita is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 13% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.