Colombo vs Cuenca: cost of living for digital nomads
Colombo, Sri Lanka and Cuenca, Ecuador, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.
The short version
- Colombo is about 5% cheaper than Cuenca for a month of nomad living ($1,050 vs $1,100).
- Rent is the biggest gap: $450 in Colombo against $480 in Cuenca.
- Both score 7/10 on safety.
- Internet is faster in Cuenca: 60 Mbps typical against 40 Mbps.
- Colombo is tropical; Cuenca is temperate.
Colombo wins 3 of the measured lines; Cuenca wins 2.
| Line | Colombo | Cuenca |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly total (USD) | $1,050 | $1,100 |
| Rent | $450 | $480 |
| Food | $300 | $320 |
| Transport | $40 | $35 |
| Coworking | $90 | $90 |
| Safety (out of 10) | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Internet (Mbps) | 40 | 60 |
| Climate | tropical | temperate |
| City size | metro | mid |
| Setting | coast | mountain |
| Nomad score (out of 10) | 7/10 | 7/10 |
Compare Cuenca with
Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.