Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Cuenca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $989 a month against $2,432 in St. Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in St. Thomas
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St. Thomas Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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St. Thomas

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,432

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,432 per month in St. Thomas vs $989 in Cuenca, rent included.

St. Thomas $2,432
Cuenca $989

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in St. Thomas vs $1,482 in Cuenca, rent included.

St. Thomas $3,274
Cuenca $1,482

A family of three spends $4,117 per month in St. Thomas vs $1,976 in Cuenca, rent included.

St. Thomas $4,117
Cuenca $1,976

St. Thomas costs about 146% more than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

St. Thomas sits 80% above the global median, while Cuenca is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.05 CA$29.76

$3.59 $3.59

486.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 CA$88.5

$29.50 $29.50

112.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$7.79 $7.79

46.08%

Cappuccino

$3.32 CA$4.69

$2.65 $2.65

25.28%

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

$2.19 CA$3.10

$0.83 $0.83

163.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$0.71 $0.71

123.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$7.10

$2.04 $2.04

146.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 CA$8.33

$3.18 $3.18

85.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 CA$2.95

$1.01 $1.01

105.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$2.17 $2.17

20.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.27

$1.87 $1.87

99.47%

Eggs

$3.09 CA$4.37

$2.27 $2.27

36.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 CA$14.05

$7.09 $7.09

40.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.43 CA$21.81

$5.90 $5.90

161.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.20 CA$27.15

$7.47 $7.47

157.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.46

$2.03 $2.03

90.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.75

$1.09 $1.09

13.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.94

$1.36 $1.36

156.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.61

$1.40 $1.40

183.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 CA$4.76

$1.54 $1.54

118.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.08 $1.08

184.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$0.75 $0.75

280.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.06

$1.13 $1.13

29.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CA$15.52

$5.29 $5.29

107.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 CA$18.01

$10.07 $10.07

26.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.39

$1.51 $1.51

58.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.99 $2.99

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$0.36 $0.36

525.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 CA$82.9

$15.94 $15.94

268.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 CA$3.26

$1.36 $1.36

69.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.07 $1.07

51.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.70 CA$30.68

$10.83 $10.83

100.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.59

$0.87 $0.87

29.89%

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

$24.5K $24.5K

14.38%

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

$19.7K CA$27.9K

$29.6K $29.6K

-33.50%

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

$123 CA$174

$39.83 $39.83

209.77%

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

$42.76 CA$60.5

$13.33 $13.33

220.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 CA$78.4

$26.61 $26.61

108.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.43 CA$62.8

$30.02 $30.02

48.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.32 CA$28.72

$5.18 $5.18

292.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 CA$14.61

$7.22 $7.22

43.07%

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

$399 CA$564

$227 $227

75.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K CA$23.5K

$6,764 $6,764

146.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$75.7

$67.8 $67.8

-21.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.84 CA$50.7

$46.84 $46.84

-23.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 CA$116

$125 $125

-34.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 CA$128

$71.5 $71.5

26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 CA$1,622

$529 $529

116.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 CA$1,792

$386 $386

228.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 CA$2,537

$709 $709

153.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 CA$2,078

$608 $608

141.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,187 CA$5,919

$1,221 $1,221

242.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,561 CA$5,034

$857 $857

315.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,970 CA$4,198

$561 $561

429.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

11.16

-55.29%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. Thomas

$1.3K 52.1%

Cuenca

$386 39.1% 69.5% $881

Groceries & Markets

St. Thomas

$387 15.9%

Cuenca

$208 21% 46.4% $180

Eating Out

St. Thomas

$294 12.1%

Cuenca

$107 10.8% 63.8% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Thomas

$222 9.1%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 64% $142

Clothing & Footwear

St. Thomas

$118 4.9%

Cuenca

$140 14.2% 18.7% $22

Getting Around

St. Thomas

$78 3.2%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 69.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

St. Thomas

$65 2.7%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 31.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,148 in St. Thomas 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 430% higher in St. Thomas, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in St. Thomas versus $30.00 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $208 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 St. Thomas

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

12:48 12:48 PM

1 h behind St. Thomas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,909

495,776

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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St. Thomas Cuenca 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

St. Thomas
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

St. Thomas vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. Thomas is pricier by about 146%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,648 per month in St. Thomas 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 Cuenca, 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 $63.0 in St. Thomas 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 $2,432 in St. Thomas and $989 in Cuenca. That's a gap of about 146%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $989, than in St. Thomas at $2,432. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Thomas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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