Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $608 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index

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Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$608

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambato and in Vilcabamba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambato and in Vilcabamba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $608 per month in Ambato vs $943 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Ambato $608
Vilcabamba $943

A couple spends around $995 per month in Ambato vs $1,400 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Ambato $995
Vilcabamba $1,400

A family of three spends $1,381 per month in Ambato vs $1,857 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Ambato $1,381
Vilcabamba $1,857

Ambato is about 35% cheaper than Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ambato and Vilcabamba are more affordable than the global median – Ambato 55% lower, Vilcabamba 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 $3.40

$3.53 $3.53

-3.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 $30.33

$29.95 $29.95

1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 $5.33

$8.06 $8.06

-33.87%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$2.20 $2.20

26.82%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.97 $0.97

-19.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.07 $1.07

-30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.03 $2.03

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.45 $3.45

-8.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.04 $1.04

-2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.79 $1.79

-45.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.47 $1.47

6.80%

Eggs

$1.68 $1.68

$2.48 $2.48

-32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$8.29 $8.29

-33.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$5.14 $5.14

-40.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$7.24 $7.24

-46.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.87 $1.87

-32.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.10 $1.10

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 $1.21

-18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.13 $1.13

-13.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.93 $0.93

-15.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.09 $1.09

-6.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.81 $0.81

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.02 $1.02

-4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 $5.17

$5.22 $5.22

-0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 $8.54

$11.20 $11.20

-23.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.64 $1.64

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.78 $2.78

1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.34 $0.34

-8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.23 $14.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.40 $1.40

-5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.23 $1.23

-8.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.76 $9.76

$10.09 $10.09

-3.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.68 $0.68

27.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.0K $23.0K

$22.9K $22.9K

0.67%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.9K $27.9K

$29.8K $29.8K

-6.09%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$39.83 $39.83

$34.34 $34.34

15.99%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.37 $13.37

$13.49 $13.49

-0.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 $26.68

$36.53 $36.53

-26.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.37 $30.37

$30.19 $30.19

0.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.06 $16.06

$16.60 $16.60

-3.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 $4.60

$6.34 $6.34

-27.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$216 $216

$341 $341

-36.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,489 $2,489

$6,293 $6,293

-60.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.01 $47.01

$61.1 $61.1

-23.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 $34.46

$44.77 $44.77

-23.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 $72.2

$92.3 $92.3

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 $55.1

$72.6 $72.6

-24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 $181

$383 $383

-52.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 $127

$381 $381

-66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 $379

$618 $618

-38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$572 $572

-52.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,136 $1,136

$1,295 $1,295

-12.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$889 $889

$1,087 $1,087

-18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$672 $672

$448 $448

50.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

-10.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ambato: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$146 24%

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2% 36.6% $53

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$127 21%

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4% 199% $254

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.3%

Vilcabamba

$104 11% 5.3% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$94 15.5%

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9% 29.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$80 13.1%

Vilcabamba

$84 9% 5.6% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$40 6.5%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6% 8.3% $3.3

Getting Around

Ambato

$22 3.7%

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9% 60.3% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $181 in Ambato versus $383 in Vilcabamba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 50% higher in Ambato, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Ambato versus $30 in Vilcabamba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $146 vs $200 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

Same time as Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Ambato Vilcabamba 340 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ambato vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vilcabamba costs about 55% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $912 per month in Ambato and $1,414 in Vilcabamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambato, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $181 there versus $383 in Vilcabamba.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $608 in Ambato and $943 in Vilcabamba. That makes Ambato about 35% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Vilcabamba, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $608, than in Vilcabamba at $943. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vilcabamba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ambato – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.