Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montanita and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $894 a month against $944 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

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Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$894

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $894 in Montanita versus $944 in Vilcabamba.

Montanita $894
Vilcabamba $944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,349 in Montanita versus $1,411 in Vilcabamba.

Montanita $1,349
Vilcabamba $1,411

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,805 in Montanita versus $1,878 in Vilcabamba.

Montanita $1,805
Vilcabamba $1,878

Living in Montanita costs roughly 5% less than in Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Montanita 34% lower, Vilcabamba 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$3.40 $3.40

1.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.46 $28.46

$29.51 $29.51

-3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 $7.47

$7.76 $7.76

-3.74%

Cappuccino

$2.52 $2.52

$2.12 $2.12

18.87%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$1.02 $1.02

-14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.03 $1.03

-34.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.03 $2.03

0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.55 $3.55

1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.04 $1.04

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.73 $1.73

-6.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.53 $1.53

1.96%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$2.50 $2.50

-12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$8.12 $8.12

-31.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$5.26 $5.26

3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$7.17 $7.17

-14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.83 $1.83

13.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.14 $1.14

5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.28 $1.28

-15.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.94 $0.94

53.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.07 $1.07

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.79 $0.79

-39.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 $6.18

$5.10 $5.10

21.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.87 $9.87

$10.97 $10.97

-10.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.60 $1.60

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.77 $2.77

-11.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.63 $23.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.42 $1.42

3.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.33 $1.33

-25.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 $9.96

$9.81 $9.81

1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.66 $0.66

-4.55%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$23.0K $23.0K

7.20%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$30.0K $30.0K

-5.09%

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

$39.32 $39.32

$34.74 $34.74

13.18%

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

$13.65 $13.65

$13.23 $13.23

3.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 $30.74

$35.80 $35.80

-14.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.35 $30.35

$30.33 $30.33

0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.74 $14.74

$16.56 $16.56

-10.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 $7.39

$6.78 $6.78

9.00%

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

$254 $254

$301 $301

-15.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,701 $5,701

$5,659 $5,659

0.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$60.1 $60.1

-6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.64 $43.64

$45.32 $45.32

-3.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 $99.0

$108 $108

-8.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 $75.9

$72.5 $72.5

4.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 $342

$384 $384

-10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 $322

$378 $378

-15.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 $632

$628 $628

0.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 $507

$585 $585

-13.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,259 $1,259

$1,287 $1,287

-2.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,013 $1,013

$1,093 $1,093

-7.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 $454

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 Montanita: November 1, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montanita

$322 36%

Vilcabamba

$378 40.1% 17.7% $57

Groceries & Markets

Montanita

$184 20.6%

Vilcabamba

$198 21% 7.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Montanita

$124 13.8%

Vilcabamba

$129 13.7% 4.2% $5.3

Eating Out

Montanita

$104 11.6%

Vilcabamba

$101 10.7% 2.4% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montanita

$84 9.4%

Vilcabamba

$84 8.9% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Montanita

$45 5.1%

Vilcabamba

$44 4.7% 2.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Montanita

$31 3.5%

Vilcabamba

$9.4 * 1% 69.9% $22

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 $342 in Montanita and $384 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28 in Montanita vs $30 in Vilcabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $198 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Montanita

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

Same time as Montanita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Montanita Vilcabamba 320 km

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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

Montanita vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is about 5% 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 $1,341 in Montanita 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: $342 in Montanita versus $384 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $254 in Montanita versus $301 in Vilcabamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montanita – a meal for two runs $28 versus $30 in Vilcabamba. 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.