Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotacachi and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $717 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
Learn more

Cotacachi Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

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Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$717

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Cotacachi versus $943 in Vilcabamba.

Cotacachi $717
Vilcabamba $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,170 in Cotacachi versus $1,400 in Vilcabamba.

Cotacachi $1,170
Vilcabamba $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,623 in Cotacachi versus $1,857 in Vilcabamba.

Cotacachi $1,623
Vilcabamba $1,857

Living in Cotacachi costs roughly 24% less than in Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cotacachi 47% lower, Vilcabamba 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 $3.88

$3.53 $3.53

9.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.87 $25.87

$29.95 $29.95

-13.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 $4.58

$8.06 $8.06

-43.18%

Cappuccino

$2.21 $2.21

$2.20 $2.20

0.45%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.97 $0.97

40.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.07 $1.07

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.03 $2.03

-2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.45 $3.45

16.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.04 $1.04

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.79 $1.79

-14.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.47 $1.47

3.40%

Eggs

$2.11 $2.11

$2.48 $2.48

-14.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$8.29 $8.29

-22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$5.14 $5.14

2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$7.24 $7.24

3.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.87 $1.87

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.10 $1.10

3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.21 $1.21

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.13 $1.13

-2.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.93 $0.93

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.09 $1.09

-2.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.81 $0.81

2.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.02 $1.02

0.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 $4.46

$5.22 $5.22

-14.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$11.20 $11.20

-34.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.64 $1.64

-7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.78 $2.78

9.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 $0.45

$0.34 $0.34

32.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.03 $15.03

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.40 $1.40

-11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.23 $1.23

-21.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.89 $9.89

$10.09 $10.09

-1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.68 $0.68

13.24%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

-0.84%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$29.8K $29.8K

0.42%

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

$29.09 $29.09

$34.34 $34.34

-15.29%

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

$12.57 $12.57

$13.49 $13.49

-6.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.27 $26.27

$36.53 $36.53

-28.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.56 $30.56

$30.19 $30.19

1.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.16 $10.16

$16.60 $16.60

-38.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 $6.52

$6.34 $6.34

2.84%

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

$76.0 $76.0

$341 $341

-77.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,952 $2,952

$6,293 $6,293

-53.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.41 $41.41

$61.1 $61.1

-32.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.47 $42.47

$44.77 $44.77

-5.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 $95.1

$92.3 $92.3

3.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 $59.2

$72.6 $72.6

-18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 $264

$383 $383

-31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 $190

$381 $381

-50.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 $473

$618 $618

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 $414

$572 $572

-27.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$598 $598

$1,295 $1,295

-53.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$517 $517

$1,087 $1,087

-52.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 $433

$448 $448

-3.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.09

0.30%

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

Last update for Cotacachi: 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

Cotacachi

$190 26.5%

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4% 101% $191

Groceries & Markets

Cotacachi

$187 26.1%

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2% 6.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Cotacachi

$107 15%

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9% 13.6% $15

Eating Out

Cotacachi

$98 13.6%

Vilcabamba

$104 11% 6.4% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotacachi

$68 9.5%

Vilcabamba

$84 9% 24.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cotacachi

$44 6.1%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6% 1.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Cotacachi

$23 3.2%

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9% 61.1% $14

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 $264 in Cotacachi and $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilcabamba pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $26 in Cotacachi vs $30 in Vilcabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $200 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

Same time as Cotacachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,238

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cotacachi Vilcabamba 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cotacachi
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

Cotacachi vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $717 in Cotacachi and $943 in Vilcabamba, so Cotacachi is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Cotacachi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $264 in Cotacachi versus $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Vilcabamba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $717 per month in Cotacachi versus $943 in Vilcabamba – Cotacachi is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Cotacachi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cotacachi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vilcabamba, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cotacachi and Vilcabamba are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cotacachi wins on affordability, Vilcabamba on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.