Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasaje and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasaje: $864 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Pasaje
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Pasaje Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Pasaje

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$864

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $864 per month in Pasaje vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

Pasaje $864
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,428 per month in Pasaje vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Pasaje $1,428
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $1,993 per month in Pasaje vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Pasaje $1,993
Cuenca $1,969

Pasaje is about 14% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pasaje and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Pasaje 37% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 $3.88

$3.59 $3.59

8.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 $52.3

$30.39 $30.39

72.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 $9.14

$7.93 $7.93

15.26%

Cappuccino

$2.91 $2.91

$2.79 $2.79

4.30%

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

$0.86 $0.86

$0.76 $0.76

13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.72 $0.72

1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.99 $1.99

48.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.27 $3.27

32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.05 $1.05

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.17 $2.17

-10.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.93 $1.93

-27.46%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$2.18 $2.18

-4.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$6.76 $6.76

1.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$6.21 $6.21

-17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$7.30 $7.30

22.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.02 $2.02

-27.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.06 $1.06

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.40 $1.40

-27.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.40 $1.40

-31.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.53 $1.53

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.07 $1.07

-14.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.74 $0.74

17.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.09 $1.09

-6.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 $5.91

$5.22 $5.22

13.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 $11.99

$9.89 $9.89

21.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.50 $1.50

4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.06 $3.06

-30.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.37 $0.37

5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.36 $1.36

105.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.12 $1.12

54.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.91 $11.91

$11.08 $11.08

7.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.86 $0.86

-3.49%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$22.8K $22.8K

0.60%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$30.8K $30.8K

1.18%

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

$33.84 $33.84

$40.34 $40.34

-16.11%

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

$15.11 $15.11

$13.76 $13.76

9.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.30 $26.30

$26.36 $26.36

-0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.99 $30.99

$29.25 $29.25

5.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 $15.24

$5.13 $5.13

197.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 $7.52

$7.21 $7.21

4.30%

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

$368 $368

$229 $229

60.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,688 $5,688

$6,887 $6,887

-17.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$67.8 $67.8

-2.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 $39.84

$46.82 $46.82

-14.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 $124

$120 $120

2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 $91.0

$71.5 $71.5

27.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 $411

$541 $541

-24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 $263

$396 $396

-33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 $710

$731 $731

-2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 $505

$583 $583

-13.30%

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 %)

10.05

11.16

-9.95%

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

Last update for Pasaje: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasaje

$263 30.5%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 50.5% $133

Groceries & Markets

Pasaje

$198 23%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 4.3% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Pasaje

$144 16.7%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 4.4% $6.4

Eating Out

Pasaje

$123 14.3%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 12.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasaje

$75 8.7%

Cuenca

$80 8% 6.9% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Pasaje

$46 5.3%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 5.2% $2.4

Getting Around

Pasaje

$13 * 1.5%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 152% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Pasaje 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 $52 in Pasaje versus $30 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Pasaje vs $207 in Cuenca – so Pasaje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Pasaje

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

Same time as Pasaje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,860

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

Pasaje Cuenca 100 km

From you

Pasaje
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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

Pasaje vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,296 per month in Pasaje 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 Pasaje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Pasaje and $30 in Cuenca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $864 in Pasaje and $1,007 in Cuenca. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cuenca has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $864 in Pasaje to $1,007 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.