Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machala and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $655 a month against $944 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

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Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$655

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $655 in Machala versus $944 in Vilcabamba.

Machala $655
Vilcabamba $944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,044 in Machala versus $1,411 in Vilcabamba.

Machala $1,044
Vilcabamba $1,411

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,433 in Machala versus $1,878 in Vilcabamba.

Machala $1,433
Vilcabamba $1,878

Living in Machala costs roughly 31% less than in Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machala 52% lower, Vilcabamba 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 $2.80

$3.40 $3.40

-17.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.64 $24.64

$29.51 $29.51

-16.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 $5.27

$7.76 $7.76

-32.09%

Cappuccino

$2.71 $2.71

$2.12 $2.12

27.83%

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

$0.91 $0.91

$1.02 $1.02

-10.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.03 $1.03

-33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.03 $2.03

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.55 $3.55

8.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.04 $1.04

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.73 $1.73

-39.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.53 $1.53

-38.56%

Eggs

$1.45 $1.45

$2.50 $2.50

-42.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$8.12 $8.12

-58.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$5.26 $5.26

-20.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$7.17 $7.17

-33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.83 $1.83

-19.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.14 $1.14

-43.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.28 $1.28

-43.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.12 $1.12

-52.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 $0.38

$0.94 $0.94

-59.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.07 $1.07

-51.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.79 $0.79

-50.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.99 $0.99

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 $4.31

$5.10 $5.10

-15.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$10.97 $10.97

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.60 $1.60

-6.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.77 $2.77

-20.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.34 $0.34

-2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.17 $22.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.42 $1.42

3.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.33 $1.33

11.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 $7.89

$9.81 $9.81

-19.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.66 $0.66

-3.03%

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

$18.1K $18.1K

$23.0K $23.0K

-21.53%

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

$21.9K $21.9K

$30.0K $30.0K

-27.05%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$34.74 $34.74

50.17%

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

$14.95 $14.95

$13.23 $13.23

13.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.06 $26.06

$35.80 $35.80

-27.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.32 $43.32

$30.33 $30.33

42.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.54 $30.54

$16.56 $16.56

84.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 $5.03

$6.78 $6.78

-25.81%

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

$135 $135

$301 $301

-55.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,038 $9,038

$5,659 $5,659

59.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 $66.5

$60.1 $60.1

10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 $40.79

$45.32 $45.32

-10.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$108 $108

-26.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 $67.8

$72.5 $72.5

-6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 $192

$384 $384

-50.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 $131

$378 $378

-65.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 $354

$628 $628

-43.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 $262

$585 $585

-55.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,287 $1,287

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 $1,093

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 $454

-0.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

-50.45%

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

Last update for Machala: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machala

$136 20.7%

Vilcabamba

$198 21% 46.2% $63

Accommodation & Living

Machala

$131 20.1%

Vilcabamba

$378 40.1% 188% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Machala

$115 17.5%

Vilcabamba

$129 13.7% 12.3% $14

Eating Out

Machala

$95 14.4%

Vilcabamba

$101 10.7% 7.1% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machala

$93 14.2%

Vilcabamba

$84 8.9% 10.1% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Machala

$53 8.2%

Vilcabamba

$44 4.7% 17.8% $9.5

Getting Around

Machala

$32 4.9%

Vilcabamba

$9.4 * 1% 70.8% $23

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 $192 in Machala and $384 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25 in Machala vs $30 in Vilcabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $136 vs $198 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Machala

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

Same time as Machala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,260

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Machala Vilcabamba 140 km

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Machala
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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

Machala vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $983 in Machala and $1,416 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: $192 in Machala versus $384 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Vilcabamba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $655 per month in Machala versus $944 in Vilcabamba – Machala is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Machala 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.