Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loja and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $676 a month against $968 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

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Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$676

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $676 per month in Loja vs $968 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Loja $676
Vilcabamba $968

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Loja vs $1,435 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Loja $1,067
Vilcabamba $1,435

A family of three spends $1,459 per month in Loja vs $1,903 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Loja $1,459
Vilcabamba $1,903

Loja is about 30% cheaper than Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Loja and Vilcabamba are more affordable than the global median – Loja 50% lower, Vilcabamba 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 $3.08

$3.60 $3.60

-14.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.71 $20.71

$30.17 $30.17

-31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 $5.44

$8.16 $8.16

-33.33%

Cappuccino

$2.22 $2.22

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

$0.77 $0.77

$0.99 $0.99

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 $0.45

$1.06 $1.06

-57.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.02 $2.02

-39.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.58 $3.58

-11.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.01 $1.01

-1.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.54 $1.54

-1.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.52 $1.52

-13.16%

Eggs

$1.92 $1.92

$2.50 $2.50

-23.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$8.16 $8.16

-29.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.28 $5.28

-21.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$7.20 $7.20

-17.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.71 $1.71

-1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.06 $1.06

-0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.08 $1.08

-0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.91 $0.91

16.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.00 $1.00

7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.74 $0.74

-31.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.03 $1.03

9.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 $5.23

$5.11 $5.11

2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$11.10 $11.10

-38.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.64 $1.64

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.74 $2.74

11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.34 $0.34

-8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.33 $30.33

$19.13 $19.13

58.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.31 $1.31

-3.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.99 $0.99

10.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.16 $10.16

-2.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.65 $0.65

20.00%

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

$14.8K $14.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

-30.41%

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$28.6K $28.6K

0.29%

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

$19.65 $19.65

$39.15 $39.15

-49.81%

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

$11.63 $11.63

$13.28 $13.28

-12.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 $26.57

$36.25 $36.25

-26.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.27 $30.27

$30.43 $30.43

-0.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 $14.88

$18.73 $18.73

-20.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 $7.46

$6.71 $6.71

11.18%

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

$183 $183

$212 $212

-13.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,017 $2,017

$5,076 $5,076

-60.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$54.5 $54.5

-3.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.03 $47.03

$41.74 $41.74

12.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$102 $102

-22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 $71.2

$71.6 $71.6

-0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 $237

$387 $387

-38.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 $170

$387 $387

-56.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 $389

$634 $634

-38.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 $310

$581 $581

-46.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$554 $554

$1,199 $1,199

-53.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$323 $323

$782 $782

-58.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 $496

$462 $462

7.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

10.05

-15.42%

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

Last update for Loja: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Loja

$170 25.2%

Vilcabamba

$387 40% 127% $217

Groceries & Markets

Loja

$167 24.7%

Vilcabamba

$195 20.2% 16.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Loja

$113 16.7%

Vilcabamba

$121 12.6% 7.9% $8.9

Eating Out

Loja

$85 12.6%

Vilcabamba

$105 10.9% 24% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Loja

$58 8.6%

Vilcabamba

$89 9.2% 53.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Loja

$45 6.7%

Vilcabamba

$44 4.5% 3% $1.3

Getting Around

Loja

$38 5.7%

Vilcabamba

$27 2.8% 30% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Loja versus $387 in Vilcabamba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Loja, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Loja versus $30.00 in Vilcabamba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $195 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Loja

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

Same time as Loja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,617

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Loja Vilcabamba 29 km

From you

Loja
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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

Loja vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $676 in Loja, $968 in Vilcabamba – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,014 per month in Loja and $1,452 in Vilcabamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Loja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $183 per month in Loja and $212 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 $676 in Loja and $968 in Vilcabamba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Loja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Loja. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vilcabamba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.