Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Galapagos Islands and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

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Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $884 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $943 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $884
Vilcabamba $943

A couple spends around $1,336 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $1,400 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $1,336
Vilcabamba $1,400

A family of three spends $1,789 per month in the Galapagos Islands vs $1,857 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Galapagos Islands $1,789
Vilcabamba $1,857

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 $3.54

$3.53 $3.53

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.52 $27.52

$29.95 $29.95

-8.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 $7.27

$8.06 $8.06

-9.80%

Cappuccino

$2.50 $2.50

$2.20 $2.20

13.64%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$0.97 $0.97

-12.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.07 $1.07

-38.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.03 $2.03

0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.45 $3.45

2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.04 $1.04

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.79 $1.79

-9.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.47 $1.47

6.80%

Eggs

$2.17 $2.17

$2.48 $2.48

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$8.29 $8.29

-34.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$5.14 $5.14

7.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$7.24 $7.24

-14.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.87 $1.87

8.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.10 $1.10

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.21 $1.21

-10.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.13 $1.13

-5.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.93 $0.93

55.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.09 $1.09

-5.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.81 $0.81

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.02 $1.02

-2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 $5.86

$5.22 $5.22

12.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.92 $9.92

$11.20 $11.20

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.64 $1.64

-7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.78 $2.78

-8.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.34 $0.34

8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.14 $24.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.40 $1.40

5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.23 $1.23

-17.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.92 $9.92

$10.09 $10.09

-1.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.68 $0.68

-2.94%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$22.9K $22.9K

10.56%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$29.8K $29.8K

-4.61%

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

$39.48 $39.48

$34.34 $34.34

14.97%

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

$13.57 $13.57

$13.49 $13.49

0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 $31.19

$36.53 $36.53

-14.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.46 $29.46

$30.19 $30.19

-2.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 $14.80

$16.60 $16.60

-10.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 $7.18

$6.34 $6.34

13.25%

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

$253 $253

$341 $341

-25.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,750 $5,750

$6,293 $6,293

-8.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$61.1 $61.1

-8.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.02 $43.02

$44.77 $44.77

-3.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 $98.0

$92.3 $92.3

6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 $75.9

$72.6 $72.6

4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 $340

$383 $383

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 $314

$381 $381

-17.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 $633

$618 $618

2.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 $499

$572 $572

-12.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,218 $1,218

$1,295 $1,295

-5.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$998 $998

$1,087 $1,087

-8.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 $448

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

-0.89%

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

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: 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

Galapagos Islands

$314 35.5%

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4% 21.6% $68

Groceries & Markets

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.9%

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2% 8.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9%

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9% 0.7% $0.9

Eating Out

Galapagos Islands

$103 11.7%

Vilcabamba

$104 11% 0.7% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5%

Vilcabamba

$84 9% 0.2% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Galapagos Islands

$44 5%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6% 2.2% $1

Getting Around

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6%

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9% 72.3% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in the Galapagos Islands 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 $28 in the Galapagos Islands versus $30 in Vilcabamba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $200 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

14:42 2:42 PM

1 h ahead of the Galapagos Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Galapagos Islands Vilcabamba 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Galapagos Islands
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

Galapagos Islands vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $884 in the Galapagos Islands, $943 in Vilcabamba – Galapagos Islands comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,326 per month in the Galapagos Islands 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 the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $383 in Vilcabamba.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $884 in the Galapagos Islands and $943 in Vilcabamba. That makes Galapagos Islands about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $253 per month in the Galapagos Islands and $341 in Vilcabamba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $884 in the Galapagos Islands and $943 in Vilcabamba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward the Galapagos Islands – 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.