Quevedo vs Havana
Single · Comfortable · $3,000/mo
Havana is approximately 50% less expensive than Quevedo based on cost of living including rent. This makes Havana a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Havana has a FIRE Score of 85/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 64.94, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Havana is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
Side by side
Best in rowEcuador
Quevedo
Cuba
Havana
Estimates from published local prices. N/A means no figure is published for that city.
About these cities
About Quevedo
Quevedo is a cheap, low-elevation tropical city of 178 thousand where a one-bedroom outside the center runs $280/mo and a single adult can live on roughly $900/mo, so your money goes far. The catch is that it is not built for outsiders: the expat community is effectively nonexistent, English proficiency is limited, and the nearest airport sits 275 km away. With a digital nomad score of 51/100 and only 20 Mbps average internet, remote workers should look elsewhere. Retirees on the Ecuador Rentista Visa, which requires $1,446/mo, will find the numbers easy but the social scene thin.
About Ecuador
A one-bedroom near the city center runs $372.58 a month, less than a parking spot in most US downtowns, and covers you well below the $1,446 monthly income the Jubilado visa requires. That gap is the whole pitch: cheap, legal, permanent residency within reach on modest Social Security income. But the Safety Index sits at 37.5 with a Safety Index of 37.5, so this works only if you vet neighborhoods hard and skip the flashy expat compounds.
Havana costs roughly 19% less than Quevedo. Quevedo leads on digital nomad infrastructure. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Havana is approximately 50% less expensive than Quevedo based on cost of living including rent. This makes Havana a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Havana has a FIRE Score of 85/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 64.94, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Havana is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Quevedo
Quevedo is a cheap, low-elevation tropical city of 178 thousand where a one-bedroom outside the center runs $280/mo and a single adult can live on roughly $900/mo, so your money goes far. The catch is that it is not built for outsiders: the expat community is effectively nonexistent, English proficiency is limited, and the nearest airport sits 275 km away. With a digital nomad score of 51/100 and only 20 Mbps average internet, remote workers should look elsewhere. Retirees on the Ecuador Rentista Visa, which requires $1,446/mo, will find the numbers easy but the social scene thin.
About Ecuador
A one-bedroom near the city center runs $372.58 a month, less than a parking spot in most US downtowns, and covers you well below the $1,446 monthly income the Jubilado visa requires. That gap is the whole pitch: cheap, legal, permanent residency within reach on modest Social Security income. But the Safety Index sits at 37.5 with a Safety Index of 37.5, so this works only if you vet neighborhoods hard and skip the flashy expat compounds.
$2,404/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Havana
Havana is a cheap city on paper and a complicated one in practice. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment outside the center runs about $214 a month, and a three-bedroom in the same zone lands near $542. Move downtown and those figures climb to roughly $254 and $979. Utilities add around $47, internet about $90, a mobile plan $39, and a monthly transit pass $23. A single adult can live on a budget tier of about $520 a month with rent included, or step up to $669 mid-range and $753 for a comfortable setup. Excluding rent, one person spends near $450 and a family of four around $1,400. Meals out are almost free by American standards: $4 at an inexpensive restaurant, $28 for a three-course dinner for two, and a cappuccino for a dollar. The catch is income. The average local net salary sits near $33 a month, which means the cost of living index of 32 against New York tells you almost nothing about how Cubans actually get by. The city scores 85 overall for expats, 87 for early retirement, 71 for retirees, and 67 for digital nomads. A safety index of 65 and a crime index of 32 make the streets calmer than most Latin American capitals of 2.1 million people. Air quality is decent. Internet averages around 30 Mbps, workable but not fast. English is common in tourist zones and rare elsewhere, so Spanish pays for itself fast. The airport code is HAV. Havana rewards people who arrive with realistic expectations and a tolerance for bureaucracy, shortages, and slow repairs.
About Cuba
Rock-bottom rent near $340/mo suits only the most adventurous, cash-flexible budget retiree willing to trade legal certainty for savings, since no retirement or digital nomad visa exists and a pathway to residency is difficult. Low crime numbers get undercut by weak healthcare (39.8) and limited English-speaking doctors. Bad fit: anyone needing formal residency, reliable internet, or care for chronic health conditions.
$2,373/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Battle of Lifestyles
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| Metric | Quevedo | Havana |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $380 | $254.03 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $280 | $214.4 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $750 | $884.35 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $550 | $541.89 |
| Safety Index | 20.59 | 64.94 |
| Internet Speed | 20Mbps | 30Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Quevedo | Havana |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $590/mo | $627/mo |
| Excluding rent | $310/mo | $413/mo |
| Rent | $280/mo | $214/mo |
| Groceries | $126/mo | $147/mo |
| Dining out | $55.00/mo | $37.00/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $54.00/mo | $30.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $75.00/mo | $176/mo |
| Transport | N/A | $23.00/mo |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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