Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quevedo and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Quevedo: $864 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cuenca outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Quevedo
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Quevedo Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Quevedo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$864

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Quevedo $864
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,459 per month in Quevedo vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Quevedo $1,459
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $2,054 per month in Quevedo vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Quevedo $2,054
Cuenca $1,969

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 $5.49

$3.59 $3.59

52.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 $54.0

$30.39 $30.39

77.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 $7.54

$7.93 $7.93

-4.92%

Cappuccino

$3.34 $3.34

$2.79 $2.79

19.71%

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

$1.42 $1.42

$0.76 $0.76

86.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.72 $0.72

47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.99 $1.99

77.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.27 $3.27

81.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.05 $1.05

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.17 $2.17

-27.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.93 $1.93

-20.73%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.18 $2.18

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$6.76 $6.76

-3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$6.21 $6.21

-13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$7.30 $7.30

3.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.02 $2.02

10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.06 $1.06

16.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.40 $1.40

-6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.40 $1.40

-19.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.53 $1.53

-20.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.07 $1.07

-3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.74 $0.74

24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.09 $1.09

-5.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.22 $5.22

12.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 $8.44

$9.89 $9.89

-14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.50 $1.50

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.06 $3.06

3.27%

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)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.36 $1.36

13.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.12 $1.12

30.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.17 $10.17

$11.08 $11.08

-8.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$22.8K $22.8K

1.30%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$30.8K $30.8K

-1.43%

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

$28.24 $28.24

$40.34 $40.34

-30.00%

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

$17.70 $17.70

$13.76 $13.76

28.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.48 $28.48

$26.36 $26.36

8.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.67 $29.67

$29.25 $29.25

1.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 $16.14

$5.13 $5.13

214.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 $6.75

$7.21 $7.21

-6.38%

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

$753 $753

$229 $229

228.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,114 $9,114

$6,887 $6,887

32.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$67.8 $67.8

3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$46.82 $46.82

7.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$120 $120

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$71.5 $71.5

48.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 $401

$541 $541

-25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 $243

$396 $396

-38.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 $869

$731 $731

18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 $505

$583 $583

-13.27%

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 %)

10.12

11.16

-9.32%

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

Last update for Quevedo: 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

Quevedo

$243 28.2%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 62.9% $153

Groceries & Markets

Quevedo

$193 22.3%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 7.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Quevedo

$154 17.8%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 10.5% $16

Eating Out

Quevedo

$146 16.9%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 25.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quevedo

$74 8.6%

Cuenca

$80 8% 8.1% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Quevedo

$43 5%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 1.2% $0.5

Getting Around

Quevedo

$10 * 1.2%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 221% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Quevedo 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 $54 in Quevedo versus $30 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Quevedo vs $207 in Cuenca – so Quevedo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quevedo

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

Same time as Quevedo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,000

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quevedo Cuenca 210 km

From you

Quevedo
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

Quevedo vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,296 per month in Quevedo 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 Quevedo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $401 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Quevedo and $30 in Cuenca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $864 in Quevedo and $1,007 in Cuenca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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