Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahia de Caraquez and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $851 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
Learn more

Bahia de Caraquez Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

Jump to prices

Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$851

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bahia de Caraquez 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 Bahia de Caraquez and in Vilcabamba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $851 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $943 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $851
Vilcabamba $943

A couple spends around $1,455 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $1,400 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $1,455
Vilcabamba $1,400

A family of three spends $2,060 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $1,857 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $2,060
Vilcabamba $1,857

Bahia de Caraquez is about 10% cheaper than Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bahia de Caraquez and Vilcabamba are more affordable than the global median – Bahia de Caraquez 37% lower, Vilcabamba 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 $4.02

$3.53 $3.53

13.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 $51.5

$29.95 $29.95

71.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 $9.06

$8.06 $8.06

12.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 $2.83

$2.20 $2.20

28.64%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$0.97 $0.97

-10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.07 $1.07

-31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.03 $2.03

46.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.45 $3.45

26.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.79 $1.79

12.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.47 $1.47

0.68%

Eggs

$2.04 $2.04

$2.48 $2.48

-17.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$8.29 $8.29

-15.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.14 $5.14

-1.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 $9.19

$7.24 $7.24

26.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.87 $1.87

-17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.10 $1.10

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.21 $1.21

-15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.13 $1.13

-14.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.93 $0.93

36.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.09 $1.09

-13.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.81 $0.81

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.02 $1.02

-0.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.22 $5.22

18.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 $12.17

$11.20 $11.20

8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.64 $1.64

-4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.78 $2.78

-23.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.34 $0.34

-8.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.40 $1.40

100.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.23 $1.23

45.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.09 $10.09

20.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.68 $0.68

22.06%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

-0.60%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$29.8K $29.8K

3.91%

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

$34.50 $34.50

$34.34 $34.34

0.47%

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

$14.77 $14.77

$13.49 $13.49

9.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.09 $26.09

$36.53 $36.53

-28.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.83 $30.83

$30.19 $30.19

2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 $15.56

$16.60 $16.60

-6.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 $7.33

$6.34 $6.34

15.62%

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

$368 $368

$341 $341

7.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,720 $5,720

$6,293 $6,293

-9.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$61.1 $61.1

7.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 $41.29

$44.77 $44.77

-7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$92.3 $92.3

35.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$72.6 $72.6

29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 $365

$383 $383

-4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 $246

$381 $381

-35.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 $720

$618 $618

16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 $567

$572 $572

-0.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 $1,295

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 $1,087

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 $448

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

10.09

-0.40%

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

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: October 24, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bahia de Caraquez

$246 28.9%

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4% 55.2% $136

Groceries & Markets

Bahia de Caraquez

$201 23.7%

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2% 0.8% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Bahia de Caraquez

$147 17.2%

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9% 16.9% $25

Eating Out

Bahia de Caraquez

$123 14.5%

Vilcabamba

$104 11% 15.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahia de Caraquez

$75 8.9%

Vilcabamba

$84 9% 11.9% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Bahia de Caraquez

$45 5.4%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6% 5.8% $2.6

Getting Around

Bahia de Caraquez

$13 * 1.5%

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9% 31.5% $4.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $365 in Bahia de Caraquez 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Bahia de Caraquez versus $30 in Vilcabamba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $200 – making Vilcabamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

Same time as Bahia de Caraquez

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,963

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bahia de Caraquez Vilcabamba 430 km

From you

Bahia de Caraquez
Vilcabamba

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

Bahia de Caraquez vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $851 in Bahia de Caraquez, $943 in Vilcabamba – Bahia de Caraquez comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,276 per month in Bahia de Caraquez and $1,414 in Vilcabamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $365 in Bahia de Caraquez and $383 in Vilcabamba. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $368 per month in Bahia de Caraquez and $341 in Vilcabamba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $851 in Bahia de Caraquez and $943 in Vilcabamba. That makes Bahia de Caraquez about 10% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $851 in Bahia de Caraquez and $943 in Vilcabamba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Bahia de Caraquez has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $851 in Bahia de Caraquez to $943 in Vilcabamba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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