Food Prices in Cuenca
Two Can Eat for About $300

We've had people email us and ask about food prices in Cuenca. We're happy to say that they're a lot cheaper than in North America.

They're not the cheapest in Ecuador, by any means. And they've been going up.

But compare what Lulie bought a few weeks ago for $65 with what that same $65 will buy you in the United States.

You'll be as pleased as we are at the cost of food in Cuenca.

What $65 Buys in Cuenca

Lulie bought the following items and quantities at Coopera, a nearby market where much of the food is organic, a few weeks ago.

• Lomo fino (beef steak), filet—$3.19/lb., total $3.19 (1 lb.)
• Lomo falda (flank steak)—$2.21/lb., total $2.21 (1 lb.)
• Pollo entero (whole chicken)—$1.40/lb., total $8.40 (6 lb.)
• Pollo fumado (smoked chicken), whole—$8.77
• Corvina (sea bass)—$2.95/lb., total $8.85 (3 lb.)

And here are the per pound prices of the fruit and vegetables she bought.

Fruit are generally more expensive than vegetables. Jeff thinks it's because they're more of a luxury item than vegetables.

• Apples (manzanas in Spanish)—$.65/lb.
• Strawberries (frutillas)—$1.25/lb.
• Lemons (limones—limón is the singular)—$.44/lb. (limes are much more common, and even cheaper)
• Grapefruit (toronjas)—$1.25/lb.
• Avocados (aguacates)—$.46/lb.
• Red leaf lettuce (lechuga roja)—$.35/lb.
• Beets (remolachas)—$.25/lb.
• Broccoli (brocoli)—$.30/lb.
• Red Onions (cebollas rojas)—$.50/lb.
• Zucchini—$.20/lb.
• Carrots (zanahorias)—$.28/lb.

Everything you see in the two pictures on this page came to $65.

What It Costs Us

Even though food costs in Cuenca have gone up noticeably since we moved here in February 2010 (we published this page on December 31, 2010), they're still very inexpensive compared to what we're used to in North America.

We spend on average about $300 a month on food. That doesn't include eating out, which comes to another $50-$100 per month, depending on how often and where we dine.

We could find most of our food for even less money if we wanted to shop at one of the indigenous markets.

But hauling everything around on a quarter-mile trek through the market gets tiring, and tiresome. So we spend a bit more than we need to for the convenience.

We'll also mention that we buy some things at Supermaxi, like asparagus at $2.00 per pound (which we've never found anywhere else), our chocolate bars, and the occasional whole wheat croissants.

Summary

If you like to cook, or you like to eat, you'll enjoy the food prices in Cuenca, almost as much as you'll enjoy the food you'll receive.

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