Summary of cost of living in Cuenca, Ecuador:
Restaurants | Edit | Range |
---|---|---|
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 3.50 $ | |
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 30.00 $ | |
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 8.00 $ | |
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 2.50 $ | |
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.50 $ | |
Cappuccino (regular) | 2.48 $ | |
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 1.02 $ | |
Water (12 oz small bottle) | 0.64 $ | |
Markets | Edit | |
Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.44 $ | |
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 1.35 $ | |
Rice (white), (1 lb) | 0.67 $ | |
Eggs (regular) (12) | 1.86 $ | |
Local Cheese (1 lb) | 2.53 $ | |
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 2.85 $ | |
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 2.88 $ | |
Apples (1 lb) | 0.60 $ | |
Banana (1 lb) | 0.45 $ | |
Oranges (1 lb) | 0.64 $ | |
Tomato (1 lb) | 0.48 $ | |
Potato (1 lb) | 0.53 $ | |
Onion (1 lb) | 0.50 $ | |
Lettuce (1 head) | 0.54 $ | |
Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 1.01 $ | |
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 8.50 $ | |
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.79 $ | |
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.44 $ | |
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 6.00 $ | |
Transportation | Edit | |
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 0.35 $ | |
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 26.00 $ | |
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 0.65 $ | |
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 1.43 $ | |
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 13.50 $ | |
Gasoline (1 gallon) | 2.39 $ | |
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 30,000.00 $ | |
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 29,000.00 $ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit | |
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 38.90 $ | |
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 14.33 $ | |
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 31.19 $ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit | |
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 29.00 $ | |
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 8.57 $ | |
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 6.50 $ | |
Childcare | Edit | |
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 255.00 $ | |
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 5,650.00 $ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit | |
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 53.33 $ | |
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 54.17 $ | |
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 91.00 $ | |
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 66.67 $ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit | |
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 341.67 $ | |
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 294.38 $ | |
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 662.50 $ | |
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 537.08 $ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit | |
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 120.77 $ | |
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 122.32 $ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit | |
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 503.33 $ | |
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.32 |
Cost of Living in Pasaje | 98.25 miles |
Cost of Living in Santa Rosa | 107.50 miles |
Cost of Living in Guayaquil | 122.54 miles |
Cost of Living in Loja | 130.63 miles |
Cost of Living in Salinas | 196.18 miles |
Cost of Living in Latacunga | 225.28 miles |
Cost of Living in Puerto Lopez | 241.89 miles |
Cost of Living in Manta | 242.44 miles |
DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Cuenca |
PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Cuenca |
ItalianoCosto della Vita a Cuenca |
FrançaisCoût de la Vie à Cuenca |
EspañolCosto de Vida en Cuenca |
Armed robberies were nearly unheard of in Cuenca before (1) Venezuelan economic refugees started to arrive in Cuenca; (2) Colombian refugees started to arrive in Cuenca when the drug cartels started to terrorize people in rural areas of Colombia; and (3) the pandemic hit Ecuador in March 2020. Recently, though, there has been a marked increase in armed robberies, some by men wielding steel rebar rods, some at knife-point and some at gun-point, with only one fatality reported at this time (thought to be due to a drug deal gone bad).
Currently, as Ecuador's government struggles to strengthen its economy and attract foreign investment to create more jobs; and the pandemic continues to subside in Cuenca (currently "a model for the world" for pandemic recovery, per Paul Elliot of Imperial College, London, on 9 September 2021); and the number of Cuenca's police officers continue to increase as the city grows, it is optimistically expected that the high safety rating for Cuenca will return to its pre-pandemic levels.
By the way, do not let the comment below by "Anonymous" (January 7, 2019) dissuade you from visiting or moving to Cuenca. There are some perennially disgruntled people who have moved to Cuenca, perhaps thinking they will be happier in Cuenca than in their country of birth, but, finding they are not, they make negative comments about Cuenca and Ecuador that are not necessarily founded in their personal experiences or fact or reality. I moved to Cuenca from the U.S. in 2018, and, personally, I love living in Cuenca. The only thing I regret about my move to this beautiful city is that I didn't do it sooner!
Regarding the cost of living in Cuenca, although it is possible for a person to live in Cuenca for less than $800 per month, do not expect to find a house to rent for less than approximately $1,000 per month (and the house may not have a yard). I know of 2 one-bedroom apartments located in arguable the two best neighborhoods of Cuenca that currently rent for $600/mo and $325/mo, respectively. The difference in rental rates, as in any city in any country, is based on the age, size and location of each property and their individual amenities, as well as the amenities provided in the buildings in which these 2 rental apartments are located.
Paying the bare minimum for utilities (electricity, gas, water, satellite TV, and Internet) runs about a total of $129/mo. Groceries from a US-style supermarket for one person will cost about $400/mo, although there are less expensive alternatives for purchase foods and other products at one of the several large "mercados" in the city.
Transportation by taxi, bus or the Tranvia (Cuenca's electric rail that runs east/west through the city) is a bargain, with a minimum taxi fare of $1.50 (soon to be $2.00) and the Tranvia or bus minimum fares of $.35 per ride for passengers under the age of 65 and $.175 (that's 17-1/2 cents) per ride for passengers older than 65.
Health care insurance is purchased differently in Ecuador than in the States. At this time, there is only 1 "US-style" insurance company in Cuenca (that I'm aware of) that requires monthly payments and pays for health care expenses up to $1 million once the selected deductible amount has been paid by the insured. This is somewhat more expensive than the traditional "Ecuadorian-style" insurance plans.
With a traditional, stable Ecuadorian health care insurance company, health care insurance is purchased at a level that the purchaser anticipates may be needed in the event of a catastrophic health event or if the purchaser has a pre-existing condition that requires frequent check-ups, dialysis, expensive medications, etc. If the selected price level of insurance is exceeded in the insurance coverage year, the costs in excess of the insurance amount selected must be paid out of the insured's own pocket. Also, if pre-existing conditions exist, there is a 1 to 6 month waiting period, depending on the insurance provider chosen, before the insurance coverage to come into force.
For example, buying insurance from Confiamed, a reputable and stable insurance company based in Quito, a healthy person of 65 years of age or older with no pre-existing conditions may purchase a policy for a $35,000 limit, a cost that this person does not expect to be exceed for health care during the 1-year term of the insurance policy. The insurance premium for this amount of health insurance, which covers most costs for health care and provides a discount for medications, is $211.07 per month.
At the $35,000 level, the monthly payment will not go up until the purchaser turns 80 years of age. However, a higher monthly premium will be required if a higher insurance limit (such as $50,000 or higher) is chosen in a subsequent year. Fortunately, health care costs in Ecuador are generally much lower for operations, tests, X-rays, preventive procedures (such as colonoscopies), and medications here in Ecuador.
I hope whoever is reading this text finds some of this information helpful. Although others may find their experiences and observations to be different, these are some of mine.