Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Cuenca vs Maracay

Cuenca vs Maracay

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Cuenca 20% cheaper Cuenca +27 Mbps Moderate / N/A

Cuenca

Fernando Tapia/Unsplash

Maracay

Jorge Salvador/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,294

Cuenca

$1,625

Maracay

Internet

110

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Cuenca

N/A

Maracay

Air Quality

5/5

Cuenca

5/5

Maracay

Healthcare

Moderate

Cuenca

N/A

Maracay

Population

331.9k

Cuenca

419.1k

Maracay

Cuenca (Ecuador) and Maracay (Venezuela) 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 20% less than Maracay at $1625/mo, adding up to $3972 over a year.

For families, Cuenca costs $2675.15625/mo compared to Maracay's $1761.875/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Cuenca has a clear edge at 110 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Maracay's 83 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Cuenca and Maracay.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Cuenca is November (around 24 degrees, 0mm rain, score 414), while Maracay peaks in February (35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 357). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

CuencaMaracay

Nomad$1,294/mo$1,625/mo

Expat$977/mo$1,037/mo

Local$764/mo$503/mo

Family$2,675/mo$1,762/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

CuencaMaracay

City Speed

110 Mbps

83 Mbps

Country Speed110 Mbps83 Mbps

Environment & Health

CuencaMaracay

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity8672

Quality of Life

CuencaMaracay

SafetyModerateN/A

HealthcareModerateN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Cuenca

Maracay

Jan

22°

3mm311

35°

0mm337

Feb

23°

7mm250

35°

0mm357

Mar

22°

3mm311

38°

0mm337

Apr

22°

8mm219

37°

0mm337

May

22°

6mm234

37°

1mm322

Jun

20°

3mm296

34°

3mm259

Jul

17°

0mm379

34°

3mm264

Aug

19°

1mm385

35°

2mm285

Sep

20°

0mm399

35°

2mm290

Oct

23°

2mm332

36°

1mm295

Nov

24°

0mm414

35°

1mm328

Dec

22°

9mm250

34°

0mm344

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 Maracay?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1761.875/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 419.1k residents
Peak season in February — 35 degrees, score 357

Overall Verdict

The data favors Cuenca as the more well-rounded choice. At $1294/mo versus Maracay's $1625/mo, that is a 20% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Cuenca Maracay

ItemCuencaMaracayDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$10.54$6.5

38%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$34.25$30

12%

McMeal or equivalent combo$7.9$6.88

13%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.26$1.35

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.11$1.3

38%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.63$2.25

14%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.83$1.12

39%

Water (0.33L)$0.97$0.82

15%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.68$1.38

51%

White bread (500g)$0.66$2.23

70%

White rice (1kg)—$1.09

—

Eggs (12)$1.99$1.27

36%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.09$3.91

23%

Beef round (1kg)$8.96$4.32

52%

Local cheese (1kg)$10.54$4.71

55%

Apples (1kg)$1.57$4.17

62%

Bananas (1kg)$1.46$0.44

70%

Oranges (1kg)$0.63$0.88

28%

Tomatoes (1kg)$3.09$0.88

72%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.63$0.69

Onions (1kg)$1.12$1.51

26%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.05$0.57

46%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.02$0.5

51%

Wine, mid-range bottle$3.16$7

55%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.48$1.27

62%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.11$1.92

42%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.48$3

45%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.11$0.25

77%

Monthly transport pass—$9

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3.74$1.86

50%

Taxi per 1km$0.9$2

55%

Taxi 1hr waiting$18.97$8

58%

Gasoline (1L)$1.52$0.5

67%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$20,021.16$25,000

20%

Toyota Corolla (new)$21,074.9$30,000

30%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$152.79$10

93%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$56.2$40

29%

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.07

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$36.88$27.5

25%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$10.54$7.5

29%

Cinema, 1 ticket$7.64$4.5

41%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$30

—

International primary school/yr$3,161.24$6,280

50%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$59.71$41.43

31%

Summer dress (chain store)$29.86$35

15%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$89.57$70.83

21%

Men's leather business shoes$77.27$66.08

14%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$175

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$125

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$325

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$225

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$2,212.86$375

83%

Price per m², outside centre$1,264.49$290

77%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,185.46$250

79%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.52$27

87%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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