Cuenca at a glance
- Cuenca ranks 7th of 9 priced cities in Ecuador on cost: $671 a month in essentials, 116% above Riobamba, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $546 covers that 0.8×.
- 92.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at parish level.
- PM2.5 averages 6 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 9 Ecuador cities we track, so every row says whether Cuenca is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $671 | $640 | $31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $366 | $250 | 1.46× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $467 | $300 | 1.56× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $111 | $104 | $7 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $98 | $128 | 1.31× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $66 | $78 | $12 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $30 | $20 | 1.50× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $546 | $491 | $55 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $555 | $428 | 1.30× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $676 | $738 | $62 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Cuenca, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.50 | $3.50 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $30.00 | $50.00 | 1.67× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.00 | $7.25 | $0.75 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.57 | $2.65 | $0.08 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.00 | $2.00 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.50 | $3.75 | $0.25 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.78 | $0.88 | $0.10 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.66 | $0.66 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.03 | $1.07 | $0.04 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.63 | $1.63 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.83 | $1.44 | 1.27× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.25 | $2.09 | $0.16 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $5.46 | $5.46 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.44 | $5.15 | $0.29 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.90 | $1.67 | $0.23 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.09 | $1.08 | $0.01 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.33 | $1.00 | 1.33× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.58 | $1.19 | 1.33× as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.05 | $0.95 | $0.10 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.13 | $1.00 | $0.13 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.35 | $0.35 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $30.00 | $21.00 | 1.43× as much |
| Taxi start | $1.00 | $1.50 | 1.50× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.12 | $1.75 | 1.56× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.83 | $0.83 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $38.96 | $51.67 | 1.33× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $27.13 | $27.13 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $12.21 | $15.00 | $2.79 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $30.62 | $30.66 | $0.04 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.00 | $7.00 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Cuenca has 92.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (parish level). That is the 5th-highest of 10 Ecuador cities we track. Ecuador's national figure is 102, so Cuenca runs 9 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Cuenca ranks against every city we track
Cuenca sits ahead of 88% of the 898 cities we track on clean air. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 86% of 892. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 21% of 545.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Cuenca sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: David C. S., CC BY-SA 4.0.
