Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ventanas and Cuenca, Ecuador

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, EC

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventanas: $860 a month against $1,007 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cuenca outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ventanas
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Ventanas Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Ventanas

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$860

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $860 per month in Ventanas vs $1,007 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ventanas $860
Cuenca $1,007

A couple spends around $1,437 per month in Ventanas vs $1,488 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ventanas $1,437
Cuenca $1,488

A family of three spends $2,014 per month in Ventanas vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ventanas $2,014
Cuenca $1,969

Ventanas is about 15% cheaper than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 $4.05

$3.59 $3.59

12.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 $52.5

$30.39 $30.39

72.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 $9.12

$7.93 $7.93

15.01%

Cappuccino

$2.88 $2.88

$2.79 $2.79

3.23%

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

$0.88 $0.88

$0.76 $0.76

15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.99 $1.99

53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.27 $3.27

32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.05 $1.05

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.17 $2.17

-7.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.93 $1.93

-26.94%

Eggs

$2.05 $2.05

$2.18 $2.18

-5.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 $7.08

$6.76 $6.76

4.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$6.21 $6.21

-19.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.03 $9.03

$7.30 $7.30

23.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.02 $2.02

-24.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.06 $1.06

13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.40 $1.40

-30.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.40 $1.40

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.53 $1.53

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.07 $1.07

-15.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.74 $0.74

17.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.09 $1.09

-7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 $6.15

$5.22 $5.22

17.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

$9.89 $9.89

19.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.50 $1.50

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.06 $3.06

-28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.31 $24.31

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.36 $1.36

105.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.12 $1.12

52.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 $11.89

$11.08 $11.08

7.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.86 $0.86

-3.49%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$22.8K $22.8K

2.21%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$30.8K $30.8K

0.37%

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

$33.71 $33.71

$40.34 $40.34

-16.44%

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

$14.96 $14.96

$13.76 $13.76

8.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 $25.70

$26.36 $26.36

-2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.45 $33.45

$29.25 $29.25

14.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 $15.48

$5.13 $5.13

201.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 $7.52

$7.21 $7.21

4.30%

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

$367 $367

$229 $229

60.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,718 $5,718

$6,887 $6,887

-16.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$67.8 $67.8

-2.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 $40.26

$46.82 $46.82

-14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$120 $120

4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 $90.7

$71.5 $71.5

26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 $368

$541 $541

-32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 $254

$396 $396

-35.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 $696

$731 $731

-4.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 $513

$583 $583

-12.00%

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 %)

10.05

11.16

-9.95%

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

Last update for Ventanas: 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

Ventanas

$254 29.5%

Cuenca

$396 39.4% 56.1% $142

Groceries & Markets

Ventanas

$200 23.3%

Cuenca

$207 20.6% 3.6% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Ventanas

$145 16.9%

Cuenca

$138 13.7% 5.1% $7.5

Eating Out

Ventanas

$125 14.5%

Cuenca

$108 10.8% 13.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ventanas

$74 8.7%

Cuenca

$80 8% 8.2% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Ventanas

$49 5.6%

Cuenca

$44 4.3% 10% $4.8

Getting Around

Ventanas

$13 * 1.5%

Cuenca

$33 3.3% 156% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $368 in Ventanas 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 $53 in Ventanas versus $30 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Ventanas vs $207 in Cuenca – so Ventanas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ventanas

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

Same time as Ventanas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,168

495,776

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ventanas Cuenca 170 km

From you

Ventanas
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

Ventanas vs Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuenca is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,290 per month in Ventanas 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 Ventanas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $368 there versus $541 in Cuenca.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Ventanas and $30 in Cuenca. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Cuenca, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ventanas, where all-in costs run around $860, than in Cuenca at $1,007. In Ventanas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cuenca has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $860 in Ventanas to $1,007 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.