Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portoviejo and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $877 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
Learn more

Portoviejo Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

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Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$877

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $877 in Portoviejo versus $943 in Vilcabamba.

Portoviejo $877
Vilcabamba $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Portoviejo versus $1,400 in Vilcabamba.

Portoviejo $1,400
Vilcabamba $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,924 in Portoviejo versus $1,857 in Vilcabamba.

Portoviejo $1,924
Vilcabamba $1,857

Living in Portoviejo costs roughly 7% less than in Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portoviejo 36% lower, Vilcabamba 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 $4.06

$3.53 $3.53

15.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 $51.6

$29.95 $29.95

72.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 $8.95

$8.06 $8.06

11.04%

Cappuccino

$2.93 $2.93

$2.20 $2.20

33.18%

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

$0.94 $0.94

$0.97 $0.97

-3.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.07 $1.07

-37.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.03 $2.03

43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.45 $3.45

20.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.79 $1.79

12.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.47 $1.47

-1.36%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$2.48 $2.48

-13.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$8.29 $8.29

-16.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.14 $5.14

-1.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$7.24 $7.24

29.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.87 $1.87

-18.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.10 $1.10

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 $1.21

-18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.13 $1.13

-15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.93 $0.93

31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.09 $1.09

-9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.81 $0.81

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 $6.04

$5.22 $5.22

15.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$11.20 $11.20

9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.64 $1.64

-8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.78 $2.78

-21.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.40 $1.40

90.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.23 $1.23

45.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.17 $12.17

$10.09 $10.09

20.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.68 $0.68

29.41%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$22.9K $22.9K

0.49%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$29.8K $29.8K

3.65%

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

$33.95 $33.95

$34.34 $34.34

-1.14%

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

$14.67 $14.67

$13.49 $13.49

8.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.33 $26.33

$36.53 $36.53

-27.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.57 $31.57

$30.19 $30.19

4.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 $16.27

$16.60 $16.60

-1.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 $7.54

$6.34 $6.34

18.93%

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

$375 $375

$341 $341

10.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,671 $5,671

$6,293 $6,293

-9.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 $65.2

$61.1 $61.1

6.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 $41.29

$44.77 $44.77

-7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$92.3 $92.3

33.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 $92.4

$72.6 $72.6

27.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 $415

$383 $383

8.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$381 $381

-28.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 $914

$618 $618

47.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 $430

$572 $572

-24.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,019 $1,019

$1,295 $1,295

-21.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 $789

$1,087 $1,087

-27.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$331 $331

$448 $448

-25.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

10.09

-0.40%

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

Last update for Portoviejo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portoviejo

$273 31.2%

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4% 39.5% $108

Groceries & Markets

Portoviejo

$201 22.9%

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2% 0.6% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Portoviejo

$145 16.5%

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9% 16% $23

Eating Out

Portoviejo

$124 14.1%

Vilcabamba

$104 11% 16% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portoviejo

$75 8.5%

Vilcabamba

$84 9% 12.6% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Portoviejo

$47 5.3%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6% 8.1% $3.8

Getting Around

Portoviejo

$13 * 1.5%

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9% 31.2% $4

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 $415 in Portoviejo and $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilcabamba pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Portoviejo vs $30 in Vilcabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $200 per month, with Vilcabamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

Same time as Portoviejo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,641

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Portoviejo Vilcabamba 380 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

Portoviejo vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portoviejo wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Vilcabamba. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Portoviejo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Portoviejo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $415 in Portoviejo versus $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $877 per month in Portoviejo versus $943 in Vilcabamba – Portoviejo is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Vilcabamba – a meal for two runs $30 versus $52 in Portoviejo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Portoviejo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Portoviejo wins on affordability, Vilcabamba on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.