Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chone and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $806 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Chone
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Chone Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index

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Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$806

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in Chone versus $943 in Vilcabamba.

Chone $806
Vilcabamba $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Chone versus $1,400 in Vilcabamba.

Chone $1,322
Vilcabamba $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,839 in Chone versus $1,857 in Vilcabamba.

Chone $1,839
Vilcabamba $1,857

Living in Chone costs roughly 15% less than in Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chone 41% lower, Vilcabamba 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 $3.55

$3.53 $3.53

0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.88 $43.88

$29.95 $29.95

46.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 $5.94

$8.06 $8.06

-26.30%

Cappuccino

$2.72 $2.72

$2.20 $2.20

23.64%

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

$0.90 $0.90

$0.97 $0.97

-7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 $0.63

$1.07 $1.07

-41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.03 $2.03

25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.45 $3.45

4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.04 $1.04

0.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 $1.79

10.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.47 $1.47

-11.56%

Eggs

$2.19 $2.19

$2.48 $2.48

-11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$8.29 $8.29

-33.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.14 $5.14

0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.23 $8.23

$7.24 $7.24

13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.87 $1.87

8.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.10 $1.10

15.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.21 $1.21

-3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.13 $1.13

9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.93 $0.93

47.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.81 $0.81

7.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.02 $1.02

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.22 $5.22

-7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$11.20 $11.20

-38.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.64 $1.64

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.78 $2.78

5.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 $0.32

$0.34 $0.34

-5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.40 $1.40

-11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.23 $1.23

17.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 $10.59

$10.09 $10.09

4.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.68 $0.68

7.35%

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

$21.4K $21.4K

$22.9K $22.9K

-6.47%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$29.8K $29.8K

1.62%

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

$35.49 $35.49

$34.34 $34.34

3.35%

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

$13.01 $13.01

$13.49 $13.49

-3.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.02 $23.02

$36.53 $36.53

-36.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.81 $29.81

$30.19 $30.19

-1.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.76 $18.76

$16.60 $16.60

13.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 $6.66

$6.34 $6.34

5.05%

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

$306 $306

$341 $341

-10.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,518 $6,518

$6,293 $6,293

3.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 $60.4

$61.1 $61.1

-1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.02 $44.02

$44.77 $44.77

-1.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 $95.8

$92.3 $92.3

3.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 $69.5

$72.6 $72.6

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 $401

$383 $383

4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 $266

$381 $381

-30.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 $766

$618 $618

23.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 $506

$572 $572

-11.41%

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 %)

10.09

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

Last update for Chone: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chone

$266 33.1%

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4% 43.1% $115

Groceries & Markets

Chone

$189 23.4%

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2% 5.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Chone

$121 15.1%

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9% 0.4% $0.5

Eating Out

Chone

$105 13%

Vilcabamba

$104 11% 0.8% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chone

$72 8.9%

Vilcabamba

$84 9% 18% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chone

$43 5.4%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6% 0.6% $0.3

Getting Around

Chone

$9.8 * 1.2%

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9% 9.2% $0.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Chone and $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Chone vs $30 in Vilcabamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $200, with Chone cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Chone

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Chone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,751

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chone Vilcabamba 410 km

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Chone
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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

Chone vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Vilcabamba. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,208 in Chone and $1,414 in Vilcabamba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $401 in Chone versus $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Vilcabamba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $806 per month in Chone versus $943 in Vilcabamba – Chone is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chone is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.