Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Cuenca vs Havana

Cuenca vs Havana

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Cuenca 29% cheaper Cuenca +107 Mbps Moderate / Moderate

Cuenca

Fernando Tapia/Unsplash

Havana

Spencer Everett/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,294

Cuenca

$1,816

Havana

Internet

110

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Cuenca

Moderate

Havana

Air Quality

5/5

Cuenca

5/5

Havana

Healthcare

Moderate

Cuenca

Moderate

Havana

Population

331.9k

Cuenca

2.2m

Havana

Cuenca (Ecuador) and Havana (Cuba) are both in Latin America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

The monthly savings are substantial — Cuenca at $1294/mo costs 29% less than Havana at $1816/mo, adding up to $6264 over a year.

For families, Cuenca costs $2675.15625/mo compared to Havana's $2495.7375/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Cuenca has a clear edge at 110 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Havana's 3 Mbps (#198).

Quality of Life

Both Cuenca and Havana share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Cuenca and Havana.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Cuenca is November (around 24 degrees, 0mm rain, score 414), while Havana peaks in February (26 degrees, 0mm rain, score 444). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

CuencaHavana

Nomad$1,294/mo$1,816/mo

Expat$977/mo$1,215/mo

Local$764/mo$713/mo

Family$2,675/mo$2,496/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

CuencaHavana

City Speed

110 Mbps

3 Mbps#198

Country Speed110 Mbps3 Mbps

Environment & Health

CuencaHavana

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateModerate

ClimateHighHigh

Humidity8680

Quality of Life

CuencaHavana

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareModerateModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Cuenca

Havana

Jan

22°

3mm311

30°

0mm429

Feb

23°

7mm250

26°

0mm444

Mar

22°

3mm311

32°

0mm429

Apr

22°

8mm219

33°

0mm444

May

22°

6mm234

38°

0mm392

Jun

20°

3mm296

36°

7mm357

Jul

17°

0mm379

38°

2mm400

Aug

19°

1mm385

38°

5mm372

Sep

20°

0mm399

38°

4mm377

Oct

23°

2mm332

32°

1mm383

Nov

24°

0mm414

31°

0mm442

Dec

22°

9mm250

28°

0mm429

Who Should Choose Cuenca?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1294
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 110 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2675.15625/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 331.9k residents
Peak season in November — 24 degrees, score 414

Who Should Choose Havana?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2495.7375/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.2m residents
Peak season in February — 26 degrees, score 444

Overall Verdict

The data favors Cuenca as the more well-rounded choice. At $1294/mo versus Havana's $1816/mo, that is a 29% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Cuenca Havana

ItemCuencaHavanaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$10.54$10

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$34.25$40

14%

McMeal or equivalent combo$7.9$7

11%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.26$1.91

34%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.11$2.5

16%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.63$3

12%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.83$2.28

20%

Water (0.33L)$0.97$1.63

40%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.68$3.52

81%

White bread (500g)$0.66$1.18

44%

White rice (1kg)—$1.85

—

Eggs (12)$1.99$1.64

18%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.09$6.07

16%

Beef round (1kg)$8.96$11.59

23%

Local cheese (1kg)$10.54$4.85

54%

Apples (1kg)$1.57$6.24

75%

Bananas (1kg)$1.46$1.1

25%

Oranges (1kg)$0.63$1.12

44%

Tomatoes (1kg)$3.09$2.05

34%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.63$1.82

65%

Onions (1kg)$1.12$2.34

52%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.05$0.86

18%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.02$0.98

Wine, mid-range bottle$3.16$10

68%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.48$1.49

68%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.11$1.71

35%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.48$3.5

36%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.11$0.1

91%

Monthly transport pass—$20

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3.74$1

73%

Taxi per 1km$0.9$0.5

44%

Taxi 1hr waiting$18.97$15

21%

Gasoline (1L)$1.52$1.14

25%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$20,021.16$80,000

75%

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,074.9$81,500

74%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$152.79$37.14

76%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$56.2$165

66%

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.26

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$36.88$16.67

55%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$10.54$13.75

23%

Cinema, 1 ticket$7.64$1.12

85%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$70

—

International primary school/yr$3,161.24$15,166.67

79%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$59.71$55.5

Summer dress (chain store)$29.86$44.33

33%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$89.57$79.17

12%

Men's leather business shoes$77.27$78

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$532.86

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$222.5

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$1,625

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$730

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$2,212.86$490.89

78%

Price per m², outside centre$1,264.49$268.23

79%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,185.46$35.75

97%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.52$5.73

39%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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