Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portoviejo and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $877 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
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Portoviejo Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$877

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $877 per month in Portoviejo vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

Portoviejo $877
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Portoviejo vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Portoviejo $1,400
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $1,924 per month in Portoviejo vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Portoviejo $1,924
Cuenca $1,969

Portoviejo is about 13% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Portoviejo and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Portoviejo 36% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 $4.06

$3.59 $3.59

13.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 $51.6

$30.39 $30.39

69.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 $8.95

$7.93 $7.93

12.86%

Cappuccino

$2.93 $2.93

$2.79 $2.79

5.02%

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

$0.94 $0.94

$0.76 $0.76

23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 $0.67

$0.72 $0.72

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.99 $1.99

46.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.27 $3.27

27.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.05 $1.05

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.17 $2.17

-6.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.93 $1.93

-24.87%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$2.18 $2.18

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$6.76 $6.76

2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$6.21 $6.21

-18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$7.30 $7.30

28.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.02 $2.02

-24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.06 $1.06

8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.40 $1.40

-29.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.40 $1.40

-31.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.53 $1.53

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.07 $1.07

-7.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.74 $0.74

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.09 $1.09

-13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 $6.04

$5.22 $5.22

15.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$9.89 $9.89

23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.06 $3.06

-28.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.37 $0.37

-8.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.36 $1.36

96.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.12 $1.12

59.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.17 $12.17

$11.08 $11.08

9.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.86 $0.86

2.33%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$22.8K $22.8K

0.62%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

0.05%

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

$33.95 $33.95

$40.34 $40.34

-15.84%

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

$14.67 $14.67

$13.76 $13.76

6.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.33 $26.33

$26.36 $26.36

-0.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.57 $31.57

$29.25 $29.25

7.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 $16.27

$5.13 $5.13

217.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 $7.54

$7.21 $7.21

4.58%

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

$375 $375

$229 $229

63.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,671 $5,671

$6,887 $6,887

-17.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 $65.2

$67.8 $67.8

-3.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 $41.29

$46.82 $46.82

-11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$120 $120

2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 $92.4

$71.5 $71.5

29.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 $415

$541 $541

-23.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$396 $396

-31.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 $914

$731 $731

25.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$583 $583

-26.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,019 $1,019

$1,244 $1,244

-18.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 $789

$924 $924

-14.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$331 $331

$544 $544

-39.10%

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 Portoviejo: 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

Portoviejo

$273 31.2%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 45% $123

Groceries & Markets

Portoviejo

$201 22.9%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 3.2% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Portoviejo

$145 16.5%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 4.8% $7

Eating Out

Portoviejo

$124 14.1%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 12.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portoviejo

$75 8.5%

Cuenca

$80 8% 7.4% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Portoviejo

$47 5.3%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 6.4% $3

Getting Around

Portoviejo

$13 * 1.5%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 153% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Portoviejo 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.

Salaries run about 64% higher in Cuenca. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Portoviejo versus $30 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $201 in Portoviejo vs $207 in Cuenca – so Portoviejo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

17:27 5:27 PM

Same time as Portoviejo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,641

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

Portoviejo Cuenca 260 km

From you

Portoviejo
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

Portoviejo vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,316 per month in Portoviejo 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 Portoviejo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $415 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

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

Groceries cost about 3% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $877 in Portoviejo 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 $877 in Portoviejo to $1,007 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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