Cuenca vs Caracas
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Cuenca cheaper — −81%
Family groceries
✓in Cuenca cheaper — −38%
Ready-made house
✓in Cuenca cheaper — −69%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per month✓Cuenca$350–720$350–720cheaper by 81%Caracas$750–4,900$750–4,900Family groceries
per month✓Cuenca$362$362cheaper by 38%Caracas$582$582Winter
averageCuenca10–19 °C10–19 °CCaracas13–29 °C13–29 °CPrecipitation
per yearCuenca876 mm876 mmCaracas912.8 mm912.8 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Cuenca$121,250–284,750$121,250–284,750cheaper by 69%Caracas$72k – 1.25M$72k – 1.25M
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Housing
Cuenca
A house with three or more bedrooms in the canton of Cuenca on RE/MAX listings is mostly 121-285k dollars, median 180k. An apartment with three or more bedrooms: median 192k.
SpecialistRE/MAX Ecuador: all active listings of houses for sale (the site's open data) · checked 6 Oct 2026
A three-bedroom apartment on RE/MAX listings is 350-540 dollars a month, a furnished two-bedroom up to 720. There are few listings, only 8 apartments.
SpecialistRE/MAX Ecuador: all active listings of apartments for rent (the site's open data) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Caracas
An apartment with three or more bedrooms by listings: 750-4900 dollars a month, median about 1600. The east is the most expensive: Campo Alegre, La Castellana, El Rosal.
SpecialistRent-A-House: apartments for rent with three or more bedrooms, Distrito Metropolitano (Caracas), pages 1-3 · checked 6 Oct 2026
An apartment with three or more bedrooms by listings: from 72k to 1.25 million dollars, median about 170k. Most often 80-200k for 76-155 m².
SpecialistRent-A-House: apartments for sale with three or more bedrooms, Distrito Metropolitano (Caracas), pages 1-2 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Cuenca
In INEC's official basket for a family of four in Cuenca, food and drinks cost 362 dollars a month (August 2026), of which 42 is eating out.
OfficialINEC: basic family consumption basket (CFBC) by city, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
INEC's poverty line for a family of four is 370 dollars a month. INEC's basic basket for four in Cuenca is 894, the dearest in the country, with 219 for rent.
OfficialINEC: bulletin on income poverty, ENEMDU, December 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Caracas
The Cendas food basket for a family of five cost 727.89 dollars a month in July 2026; pro rata for four, about 580. Plus 13.5 for drinking water.
SpecialistEl Diario: Cendas-FVM, family food basket in July 2026 at 727.89 dollars · checked 6 Oct 2026
Family and kids
Cuenca
Nothing yet
Caracas
Private schools in Caracas charge 70-360 dollars a month for 2026-2027, plus an enrolment fee of 225-1560 dollars. Payment in bolivars at the BCV rate is accepted.
SpecialistEl Diario: private schools of Greater Caracas, fees for the 2026-2027 school year · checked 6 Oct 2026
Healthcare
Cuenca
The IESS social security Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga is a third-level hospital with adult and paediatric ICU. It treats IESS members and patients of the public network.
OfficialIESS: Hospital de Especialidades José Carrasco Arteaga, home page · checked 6 Oct 2026
Caracas
Nothing yet
Transport
Cuenca
Mariscal La Mar airport is right in the city, on Avenida España. The flight to Quito takes about 55 minutes, to Guayaquil 35. Runway 1900 m at about 2530 m altitude.
OfficialCuenca airport (CORPAC): technical data · checked 6 Oct 2026
Caracas
After the earthquakes, Maiquetía airport resumed commercial flights on 1 September 2026, but with limited capacity. To the city, use only a pre-booked taxi.
OfficialUK Foreign Office: Venezuela travel advice, Warnings and insurance (updated 2 September 2026) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Cuenca
In June-August nights are 9-10 degrees and days 19-20. These are the coolest months; the rest of the year days are 20-22 and nights 10-11.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cuenca 1981-2010 · checked 6 Oct 2026
About 880 mm a year, and it rains often: 12 to 21 days a month. Driest in July-August (20-28 mm), wettest in March-April.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cuenca 1981-2010 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Caracas
About 910 mm a year. Dry from January to March (11-15 mm a month); the rainy season runs from May to October, with 80-135 mm a month and 13-19 rainy days.
OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Caracas · checked 6 Oct 2026
There is no winter as a season. The coolest month is January: about 13 degrees at night, 29 by day. All year round 28-32 degrees by day, 13-18 at night.
OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Caracas · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Cuenca
Cuenca is not in the state of emergency zone from 15 Sep 2026: in Azuay province only the canton of Camilo Ponce Enríquez is included. Forest fires are frequent in Azuay.
OfficialUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for Ecuador · checked 6 Oct 2026
Caracas
On 24 June 2026 two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 badly damaged La Guaira and parts of Caracas. The risk of further tremors remains.
OfficialUK Foreign Office: Venezuela travel advice, Safety and security · checked 6 Oct 2026
The Russian Foreign Ministry names Catia, Petare, Antímano, La Vega, Caricuao, El Paraíso and 23 de Enero as especially dangerous. Evening walks are risky almost everywhere.
OfficialRussian Foreign Ministry Consular Department: information about Venezuela (transport, crime) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Cuenca
Netlife sells 850 Mbit/s fibre for 33.93 dollars a month including tax, 16.96 on promotion. The municipal ETAPA sells plans from 19.99 dollars plus taxes.
SpecialistNetlife: home fibre-optic internet plans · checked 6 Oct 2026
Caracas
Median fixed internet speed in Venezuela is 127 Mbit/s, mobile 28 (Speedtest, August 2026). CANTV sells fibre up to 1 Gbit/s. When power goes, so does connectivity.
SpecialistSpeedtest Global Index: Venezuela, median speeds, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Cuenca
Electricity is 0.091-0.105 dollars per kWh by block plus 1.41 a month. 300 kWh comes to about 30 dollars before the street lighting and fire service charges.
OfficialRegistro Oficial No. 380, 9th supplement: resolution ARCONEL-009/2026, electricity tariffs for October-December 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Water is 0.60 dollars per m³ up to 10 m³, then 0.70, plus 3.32 a month; sewerage is half the water bill. 15 m³ comes to about 19 dollars (2024 tariff).
OfficialETAPA EP: water and sewerage tariffs 2024 (brochure "Conoce nuestras tarifas") · checked 6 Oct 2026
Caracas
Outages are the main problem: the country is short of up to 4000 MW, and in half of it power is cut for 4-12 hours a day. Tap water is not drunk; drinking water costs 13.5 dollars.
SpecialistCrónica Uno: the 14,000-megawatt gap, Venezuela's electricity deficit, 3 October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
