Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Cuenca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $990 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $49,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $990 in Cuenca, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Cuenca $990

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $1,480 in Cuenca, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Cuenca $1,480

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Cuenca $1,969

New York, NY costs about 419% more than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 284% above the global median, while Cuenca is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$3.48 $3.48

660.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$29.45 $29.45

303.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$7.85 $7.85

83.82%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$2.67 $2.67

145.32%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$0.78 $0.78

392.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.71 $0.71

322.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$2.03 $2.03

307.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$3.27 $3.27

207.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.06 $1.06

23.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.13 $2.13

130.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.87 $1.87

282.89%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.19 $2.19

170.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$6.87 $6.87

177.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$6.13 $6.13

183.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$7.26 $7.26

160.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.06 $2.06

237.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.05 $1.05

98.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.36 $1.36

348.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.39 $1.39

400.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.47 $1.47

170.75%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.07 $1.07

314.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.79 $0.79

255.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.08 $1.08

132.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$5.39 $5.39

257.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$10.08 $10.08

95.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.53 $1.53

101.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.94 $2.94

25.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.37 $0.37

716.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$15.70 $15.70

788.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.36 $1.36

125.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.08 $1.08

97.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$10.85 $10.85

279.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.88 $0.88

26.14%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

38.02%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$28.8K $28.8K

-11.74%

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

$217 $217

$39.66 $39.66

448.39%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$13.65 $13.65

442.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$26.80 $26.80

170.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$29.54 $29.54

307.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$5.18 $5.18

1191.31%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$7.24 $7.24

208.29%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$229 $229

1398.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$6,919 $6,919

784.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$66.0 $66.0

15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$46.74 $46.74

18.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$124 $124

-3.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$73.0 $73.0

78.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$544 $544

727.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$386 $386

716.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$716 $716

1131.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$610 $610

806.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,222 $1,222

1486.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$835 $835

709.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$562 $562

841.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.16

-38.89%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Cuenca

$386 39.2% 87.8% $2.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Cuenca

$206 20.9% 62.2% $340

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Cuenca

$106 10.8% 74.9% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 78% $284

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Cuenca

$139 14.1% 19% $33

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 85.5% $141

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 73.3% $121

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $544 in Cuenca. 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 842% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in New York, NY versus $29.00 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $206 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

02:21 2:21 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Cuenca 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 419%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $1,486 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuenca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in New York, NY and $29.00 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 $5,142 in New York, NY and $990 in Cuenca. That's a gap of about 419%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $990, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuenca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cuenca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.