Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cumbaya and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $889 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cumbaya, Ecuador
Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Cumbaya
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$889
/mo nomad
Vilcabamba
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$943
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $889 per month in Cumbaya vs $943 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $889
  • Vilcabamba $943

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,400 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $1,464
  • Vilcabamba $1,400

A family of three spends $2,038 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,857 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $2,038
  • Vilcabamba $1,857

Cumbaya is about 6% cheaper than Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cumbaya and Vilcabamba are more affordable than the global median – Cumbaya 35% lower, Vilcabamba 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.37 $5.37
$3.53 $3.53
52.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.0 $55.0
$29.95 $29.95
83.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.66 $7.66
$8.06 $8.06
-4.96%
Cappuccino
$3.33 $3.33
$2.20 $2.20
51.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 $1.43
$0.97 $0.97
47.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.07 $1.07
1.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 $3.42
$2.03 $2.03
68.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 $6.12
$3.45 $3.45
77.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.04 $1.04
4.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.79 $1.79
-13.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.47 $1.47
2.72%
Eggs
$2.08 $2.08
$2.48 $2.48
-16.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.51 $6.51
$8.29 $8.29
-21.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 $5.31
$5.14 $5.14
3.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.50 $7.50
$7.24 $7.24
3.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.87 $1.87
17.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 $1.18
$1.10 $1.10
7.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.21 $1.21
9.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.13 $1.13
-0.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 $1.26
$0.93 $0.93
35.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.09 $1.09
-5.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 $0.90
$0.81 $0.81
11.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.02 $1.02
1.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.82 $5.82
$5.22 $5.22
11.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.56 $8.56
$11.20 $11.20
-23.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.64 $1.64
-4.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$2.78 $2.78
11.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 $0.36
$0.34 $0.34
5.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.40 $1.40
7.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.23 $1.23
25.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.93 $9.93
$10.09 $10.09
-1.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$0.68 $0.68
22.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K $22.9K
$22.9K $22.9K
-0.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K $30.2K
$29.8K $29.8K
1.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.72 $28.72
$34.34 $34.34
-16.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.72 $17.72
$13.49 $13.49
31.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.01 $28.01
$36.53 $36.53
-23.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.41 $27.41
$30.19 $30.19
-9.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.61 $14.61
$16.60 $16.60
-11.99%
Cinema Ticket
$6.74 $6.74
$6.34 $6.34
6.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 $736
$341 $341
116.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,063 $9,063
$6,293 $6,293
44.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 $69.8
$61.1 $61.1
14.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.69 $49.69
$44.77 $44.77
10.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 $115
$92.3 $92.3
24.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$72.6 $72.6
46.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 $377
$383 $383
-1.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$274 $274
$381 $381
-28.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$825 $825
$618 $618
33.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$498 $498
$572 $572
-12.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,295 $1,295
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,087 $1,087
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cumbaya
Vilcabamba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$448 $448
-
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 Cumbaya: 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
Cumbaya
$274
Vilcabamba
$381 39.4% $108
Groceries & Markets
Cumbaya
$191
Vilcabamba
$200 4.3% $8.3
Clothing & Footwear
Cumbaya
$153
Vilcabamba
$122 20.5% $31
Eating Out
Cumbaya
$145
Vilcabamba
$104 28.4% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cumbaya
$74
Vilcabamba
$84 13.3% $9.9
Sport & Entertainment
Cumbaya
$41
Vilcabamba
$43 4.8% $2
Getting Around
Cumbaya
$11 *
Vilcabamba
$8.9 * 16.4% $1.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $377 in Cumbaya 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 $55 in Cumbaya versus $30 in Vilcabamba. Groceries tell a different story – $191 in Cumbaya vs $200 in Vilcabamba – so Cumbaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Cumbaya
🇪🇨 Vilcabamba
🕒 Local time
14:42 2:42 PM
14:42 2:42 PM
Same time as Cumbaya
🌤 Weather
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cumbaya Vilcabamba 460 km
From you
  • Cumbaya
  • 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
Cumbaya vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cumbaya or Vilcabamba?
Vilcabamba costs about 6% more than Cumbaya, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cumbaya and in Vilcabamba?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,334 per month in Cumbaya and $1,414 in Vilcabamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Cumbaya compared to Vilcabamba?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $377 in Cumbaya and $383 in Vilcabamba. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do dining costs compare in Cumbaya and in Vilcabamba?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Cumbaya and $30 in Vilcabamba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Cumbaya or in Vilcabamba?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Vilcabamba, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Cumbaya or in Vilcabamba?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $889 in Cumbaya and $943 in Vilcabamba. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cumbaya or Vilcabamba?
It depends on your priorities. Cumbaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $889 in Cumbaya to $943 in Vilcabamba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Cumbaya compared to Vilcabamba?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Cumbaya vs other spots: cost of living compared

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