Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Cuenca vs Manaus

Cuenca vs Manaus

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Cuenca 16% cheaper Manaus +78 Mbps Moderate / Low

Cuenca

Fernando Tapia/Unsplash

Manaus

James Cheung/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,294

Cuenca

$1,548

Manaus

Internet

110

Mbps

188

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Cuenca

Low

Manaus

Air Quality

5/5

Cuenca

5/5

Manaus

Healthcare

Moderate

Cuenca

High

Manaus

Population

331.9k

Cuenca

1.8m

Manaus

Cuenca (Ecuador) and Manaus (Brazil) 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

Cuenca edges ahead on affordability at $1294/mo compared to Manaus's $1548/mo — a 16% gap that matters over time.

For families, Cuenca costs $2675.15625/mo compared to Manaus's $1348.739735902801/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Manaus has a clear edge at 188 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Cuenca's 110 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Cuenca has a stronger safety profile than Manaus, which may be a deciding factor for solo travelers or families.

Manaus offers better healthcare infrastructure than Cuenca — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Cuenca is November (around 24 degrees, 0mm rain, score 414), while Manaus peaks in January (37 degrees, 1mm rain, score 398). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

CuencaManaus

Nomad$1,294/mo$1,548/mo

Expat$977/mo$628/mo

Local$764/mo$385/mo

Family$2,675/mo$1,349/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

CuencaManaus

City Speed

110 Mbps

188 Mbps

Country Speed110 Mbps188 Mbps

Environment & Health

CuencaManaus

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateHigh

ClimateHighModerate

Humidity8684

Quality of Life

CuencaManaus

SafetyModerateLow

HealthcareModerateHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Cuenca

Manaus

Jan

22°

3mm311

37°

1mm398

Feb

23°

7mm250

38°

1mm374

Mar

22°

3mm311

37°

3mm361

Apr

22°

8mm219

37°

4mm335

May

22°

6mm234

36°

4mm330

Jun

20°

3mm296

36°

1mm361

Jul

17°

0mm379

37°

0mm388

Aug

19°

1mm385

38°

0mm390

Sep

20°

0mm399

39°

0mm382

Oct

23°

2mm332

39°

0mm382

Nov

24°

0mm414

38°

1mm392

Dec

22°

9mm250

37°

3mm330

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 Manaus?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 188 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1348.739735902801/mo for families
Peak season in January — 37 degrees, score 398

Overall Verdict

The data favors Cuenca as the more well-rounded choice. At $1294/mo versus Manaus's $1548/mo, that is a 16% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Cuenca Manaus

ItemCuencaManausDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$10.54$3.63

66%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$34.25$22.99

33%

McMeal or equivalent combo$7.9$5.75

27%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.26$1.6

21%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.11$1.34

36%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.63$3.45

24%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.83$0.86

53%

Water (0.33L)$0.97$0.47

52%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.68$1.21

44%

White bread (500g)$0.66$1.29

49%

White rice (1kg)—$0.89

—

Eggs (12)$1.99$2.1

Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.09$3.69

28%

Beef round (1kg)$8.96$7.36

18%

Local cheese (1kg)$10.54$7.66

27%

Apples (1kg)$1.57$1.79

12%

Bananas (1kg)$1.46$0.96

34%

Oranges (1kg)$0.63$0.96

34%

Tomatoes (1kg)$3.09$1.75

43%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.63$1.41

55%

Onions (1kg)$1.12$1.31

15%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.05$0.61

42%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.02$0.67

34%

Wine, mid-range bottle$3.16$7.66

59%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.48$1.6

70%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.11$5.75

81%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.48$2.49

55%

🚌Transport7 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.11$0.73

34%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3.74—

—

Taxi per 1km$0.9—

—

Taxi 1hr waiting$18.97—

—

Gasoline (1L)$1.52$1.31

14%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$20,021.16—

—

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,074.9$24,907.08

15%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$152.79$90.69

41%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$56.2$20.07

64%

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.27

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$36.88$16.72

55%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$10.54—

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$7.64$5.75

25%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$143.69

—

International primary school/yr$3,161.24$2,299.11

27%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$59.71$32.51

46%

Summer dress (chain store)$29.86$43.11

31%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$89.57$89.41

Men's leather business shoes$77.27$73.76

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$335.29

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$182.01

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$491.76

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$478.98

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$2,212.86$1,337.32

40%

Price per m², outside centre$1,264.49$823.85

35%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,185.46$565.2

52%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.52$9.1

61%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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