Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Libertad and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in La Libertad: $794 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in La Libertad
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La Libertad Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index

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La Libertad

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$794

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $794 in La Libertad versus $943 in Vilcabamba.

La Libertad $794
Vilcabamba $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,328 in La Libertad versus $1,400 in Vilcabamba.

La Libertad $1,328
Vilcabamba $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,863 in La Libertad versus $1,857 in Vilcabamba.

La Libertad $1,863
Vilcabamba $1,857

Living in La Libertad costs roughly 16% less than in Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: La Libertad 42% lower, Vilcabamba 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.21 $3.21

$3.53 $3.53

-9.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.15 $47.15

$29.95 $29.95

57.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 $5.64

$8.06 $8.06

-30.02%

Cappuccino

$2.65 $2.65

$2.20 $2.20

20.45%

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

$0.86 $0.86

$0.97 $0.97

-11.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.07 $1.07

-30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.03 $2.03

13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.45 $3.45

22.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.04 $1.04

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.79 $1.79

-8.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.47 $1.47

6.12%

Eggs

$2.07 $2.07

$2.48 $2.48

-16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$8.29 $8.29

-21.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$5.14 $5.14

1.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 $7.42

$7.24 $7.24

2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.10 $1.10

2.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.21 $1.21

-6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.13 $1.13

-14.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.93 $0.93

13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.09 $1.09

-15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.81 $0.81

-7.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.02 $1.02

8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 $5.72

$5.22 $5.22

9.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 $7.51

$11.20 $11.20

-32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.64 $1.64

-7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.78 $2.78

4.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.34 $0.34

5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.40 $1.40

-4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.23 $1.23

-4.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.36 $11.36

$10.09 $10.09

12.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.68 $0.68

16.18%

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

$22.0K $22.0K

$22.9K $22.9K

-4.00%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$29.8K $29.8K

13.89%

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

$34.39 $34.39

$34.34 $34.34

0.15%

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

$12.80 $12.80

$13.49 $13.49

-5.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.45 $25.45

$36.53 $36.53

-30.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.93 $33.93

$30.19 $30.19

12.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 $14.33

$16.60 $16.60

-13.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 $5.99

$6.34 $6.34

-5.52%

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

$287 $287

$341 $341

-15.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,343 $6,343

$6,293 $6,293

0.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$61.1 $61.1

-9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.85 $42.85

$44.77 $44.77

-4.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$92.3 $92.3

12.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.0 $76.0

$72.6 $72.6

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 $376

$383 $383

-1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 $256

$381 $381

-32.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 $837

$618 $618

35.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 $527

$572 $572

-7.81%

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 La Libertad: 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

La Libertad

$256 32.2%

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4% 49.1% $126

Groceries & Markets

La Libertad

$185 23.3%

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2% 8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

La Libertad

$125 15.8%

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9% 2.5% $3.2

Eating Out

La Libertad

$101 12.7%

Vilcabamba

$104 11% 3.3% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Libertad

$73 9.2%

Vilcabamba

$84 9% 16.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

La Libertad

$46 5.8%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6% 6.7% $3.1

Getting Around

La Libertad

$8.7 * 1.1%

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9% 2.7% $0.2

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 $376 in La Libertad and $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in La Libertad vs $30 in Vilcabamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $200, with La Libertad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 La Libertad

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

Same time as La Libertad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,881

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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La Libertad Vilcabamba 290 km

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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

La Libertad vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Libertad is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,190 in La Libertad 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: $376 in La Libertad versus $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in La Libertad versus $341 in Vilcabamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vilcabamba – a meal for two runs $30 versus $47 in La Libertad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.