Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Ayora and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Ayora: $841 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Ayora
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Puerto Ayora Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index

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Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$841

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $841 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $841
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,370 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $1,370
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $1,898 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $1,898
Cuenca $1,969

Puerto Ayora is about 16% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Puerto Ayora and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Ayora 38% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 $3.66

$3.59 $3.59

1.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.00 $42.00

$30.39 $30.39

38.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 $7.51

$7.93 $7.93

-5.30%

Cappuccino

$2.75 $2.75

$2.79 $2.79

-1.43%

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

$0.88 $0.88

$0.76 $0.76

15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.72 $0.72

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.99 $1.99

28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.27 $3.27

17.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.05 $1.05

1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.17 $2.17

-19.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.93 $1.93

-21.24%

Eggs

$2.13 $2.13

$2.18 $2.18

-2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$6.76 $6.76

-3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$6.21 $6.21

-13.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$7.30 $7.30

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.02 $2.02

-10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.06 $1.06

2.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.40 $1.40

-12.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.40 $1.40

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.53 $1.53

-21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.07 $1.07

-0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.74 $0.74

-5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.09 $1.09

-5.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.22 $5.22

-1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$9.89 $9.89

-18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.50 $1.50

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.06 $3.06

-0.33%

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)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.36 $1.36

2.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.12 $1.12

15.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 $10.18

$11.08 $11.08

-8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.86 $0.86

-18.60%

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

$20.9K $20.9K

$22.8K $22.8K

-8.67%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$30.8K $30.8K

12.14%

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

$34.00 $34.00

$40.34 $40.34

-15.72%

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

$11.45 $11.45

$13.76 $13.76

-16.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.26 $26.26

$26.36 $26.36

-0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 $31.96

$29.25 $29.25

9.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.85 $17.85

$5.13 $5.13

247.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 $7.08

$7.21 $7.21

-1.80%

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

$327 $327

$229 $229

42.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,955 $4,955

$6,887 $6,887

-28.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$67.8 $67.8

-19.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.38 $45.38

$46.82 $46.82

-3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$120 $120

-7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 $79.8

$71.5 $71.5

11.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 $475

$541 $541

-12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 $283

$396 $396

-28.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 $697

$731 $731

-4.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$583 $583

-6.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,244 $1,244

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$924 $924

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 $808

$544 $544

48.48%

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 Puerto Ayora: 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

Puerto Ayora

$283 33.7%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 39.9% $113

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Ayora

$188 22.3%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 10.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Ayora

$131 15.6%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 5.2% $6.8

Eating Out

Puerto Ayora

$112 13.3%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 3.1% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Ayora

$72 8.5%

Cuenca

$80 8% 12.2% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Ayora

$46 5.5%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 5.3% $2.5

Getting Around

Puerto Ayora

$9.2 * 1.1%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 256% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Puerto Ayora 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 48% higher in Puerto Ayora, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Puerto Ayora versus $30 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Puerto Ayora vs $207 in Cuenca – so Puerto Ayora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

20:01 8:01 PM

1 h ahead of Puerto Ayora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,696

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

Puerto Ayora Cuenca 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Ayora
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

Puerto Ayora vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,262 per month in Puerto Ayora 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 Puerto Ayora, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $475 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Puerto Ayora and $30 in Cuenca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $841 in Puerto Ayora and $1,007 in Cuenca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.