Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Cuenca

For one person, living costs are similar in Quito and in Cuenca: $978 and $989 a month, rent and utilities included.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $978 per month in Quito vs $989 in Cuenca, rent included.

Quito $978
Cuenca $989

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Quito vs $1,482 in Cuenca, rent included.

Quito $1,586
Cuenca $1,482

A family of three spends $2,194 per month in Quito vs $1,976 in Cuenca, rent included.

Quito $2,194
Cuenca $1,976

Quito is about 1% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quito and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Quito 28% lower, Cuenca 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 $6.08

$3.59 $3.59

69.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$29.50 $29.50

88.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$7.79 $7.79

-2.31%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$2.65 $2.65

28.30%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$0.83 $0.83

65.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.71 $0.71

53.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.04 $2.04

68.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.18 $3.18

90.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.01 $1.01

12.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.17 $2.17

-26.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.87 $1.87

-15.51%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$2.27 $2.27

-6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$7.09 $7.09

-7.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.90 $5.90

-6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$7.47 $7.47

2.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.03 $2.03

10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.09 $1.09

9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.36 $1.36

-2.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.40 $1.40

-19.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.54 $1.54

-19.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.08 $1.08

-5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.75 $0.75

22.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.13 $1.13

-7.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.29 $5.29

16.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.51 $1.51

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.99 $2.99

3.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 $21.37

$15.94 $15.94

34.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.36 $1.36

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.07 $1.07

39.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.83 $10.83

-9.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.87 $0.87

-6.90%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$24.5K $24.5K

-13.28%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$29.6K $29.6K

-5.88%

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

$28.75 $28.75

$39.83 $39.83

-27.82%

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

$17.86 $17.86

$13.33 $13.33

33.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 $28.20

$26.61 $26.61

5.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 $46.08

$30.02 $30.02

53.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$5.18 $5.18

242.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$7.22 $7.22

-12.19%

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

$739 $739

$227 $227

226.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,909 $8,909

$6,764 $6,764

31.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 $71.0

$67.8 $67.8

4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$46.84 $46.84

7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$125 $125

-8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$71.5 $71.5

49.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 $491

$529 $529

-7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 $309

$386 $386

-20.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 $932

$709 $709

31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 $540

$608 $608

-11.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,759 $1,759

$1,221 $1,221

44.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$857 $857

-16.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 $594

$561 $561

5.89%

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 Quito: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$309 31.6%

Cuenca

$386 39.1% 25.1% $77

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.3%

Cuenca

$208 21% 4.9% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$154 15.8%

Cuenca

$140 14.2% 9.2% $14

Eating Out

Quito

$151 15.5%

Cuenca

$107 10.8% 29.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.7%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 6.6% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 24.3% $14

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.3%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 24.2% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $491 in Quito versus $529 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 6% higher in Quito, 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 $55.0 in Quito versus $30.00 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Quito vs $208 in Cuenca – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

Same time as Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Quito vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,467 per month in Quito and $1,483 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, 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 $55.0 in Quito and $30.00 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 $978 in Quito and $989 in Cuenca. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Cuenca at $989. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – 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 Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cuenca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.