Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacloban and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $771 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
Learn more

Tacloban Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index

Jump to prices

Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $771 per month in Tacloban vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

Tacloban $771
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,152 per month in Tacloban vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Tacloban $1,152
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $1,532 per month in Tacloban vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Tacloban $1,532
Cuenca $1,969

Tacloban is about 23% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tacloban and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Tacloban 43% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$3.59 $3.59

11.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.55 ₱994

$30.39 $30.39

-48.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.33 ₱149

$7.93 $7.93

-70.62%

Cappuccino

$2.31 ₱148

$2.79 $2.79

-17.20%

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

$0.68 ₱43.57

$0.76 $0.76

-10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₱23.22

$0.72 $0.72

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₱102

$1.99 $1.99

-20.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱138

$3.27 $3.27

-33.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.05 $1.05

81.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.6

$2.17 $2.17

-48.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₱51.2

$1.93 $1.93

-58.55%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱121

$2.18 $2.18

-13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ₱642

$6.76 $6.76

48.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 ₱262

$6.21 $6.21

-33.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 ₱459

$7.30 $7.30

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.02 $2.02

57.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.06 $1.06

1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱146

$1.40 $1.40

62.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ₱93.3

$1.40 $1.40

4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.53 $1.53

50.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.07 $1.07

72.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.74 $0.74

47.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.26

$1.09 $1.09

-44.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ₱119

$5.22 $5.22

-64.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ₱402

$9.89 $9.89

-36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₱68.4

$1.50 $1.50

-28.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$3.06 $3.06

-43.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.82

$0.37 $0.37

-45.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 ₱786

$24.31 $24.31

-49.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.88

$1.36 $1.36

-42.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.07

$1.12 $1.12

-80.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱119

$11.08 $11.08

-83.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₱66.2

$0.86 $0.86

20.93%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$22.8K $22.8K

-6.98%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$30.8K $30.8K

-38.91%

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

$117 ₱7,485

$40.34 $40.34

190.41%

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

$15.64 ₱999

$13.76 $13.76

13.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 ₱1,811

$26.36 $26.36

7.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 ₱2,024

$29.25 $29.25

8.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.30 ₱339

$5.13 $5.13

3.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ₱342

$7.21 $7.21

-25.66%

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

$131 ₱8,357

$229 $229

-42.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,929 ₱506.6K

$6,887 $6,887

15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.33 ₱2,066

$67.8 $67.8

-52.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,233

$46.82 $46.82

-58.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₱4,889

$120 $120

-36.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 ₱3,577

$71.5 $71.5

-21.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.2K

$541 $541

-53.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.2K

$396 $396

-51.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ₱31.8K

$731 $731

-31.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.2K

$583 $583

-40.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,586 ₱165.2K

$1,244 $1,244

107.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 ₱71.1K

$924 $924

20.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 ₱21.7K

$544 $544

-37.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.16

-35.48%

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

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tacloban

$195 25.3%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 5.9% $12

Accommodation & Living

Tacloban

$191 24.8%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 107% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacloban

$161 20.9%

Cuenca

$80 8% 50.1% $81

Eating Out

Tacloban

$83 10.8%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 30.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tacloban

$83 10.7%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 66.5% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Tacloban

$42 5.5%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 3% $1.3

Getting Around

Tacloban

$15 1.9%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 119% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $254 in Tacloban 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 60% higher in Cuenca. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Tacloban versus $30 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $207 – making Tacloban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

15:47 3:47 PM

13 h behind Tacloban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,089

495,776

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tacloban Cuenca 17,210 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacloban
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

Tacloban vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,157 per month in Tacloban 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 Tacloban, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Tacloban and $30 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 $771 in Tacloban and $1,007 in Cuenca. That makes Tacloban about 23% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Tacloban – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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