Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Ayora and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Ayora: $818 a month against $944 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Ayora
Learn more

Puerto Ayora Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

Jump to prices

Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$818

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $818 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $944 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $818
Vilcabamba $944

A couple spends around $1,329 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,411 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $1,329
Vilcabamba $1,411

A family of three spends $1,839 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,878 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $1,839
Vilcabamba $1,878

Puerto Ayora is about 13% cheaper than Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Puerto Ayora and Vilcabamba are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Ayora 39% lower, Vilcabamba 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 $3.67

$3.40 $3.40

7.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.60 $41.60

$29.51 $29.51

40.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 $6.47

$7.76 $7.76

-16.62%

Cappuccino

$2.75 $2.75

$2.12 $2.12

29.72%

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

$0.89 $0.89

$1.02 $1.02

-12.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.03 $1.03

-32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.55 $3.55

11.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.04 $1.04

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.73 $1.73

1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.53 $1.53

0.65%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$2.50 $2.50

-16.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 $6.39

$8.12 $8.12

-21.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.26 $5.26

-1.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$7.17 $7.17

1.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.83 $1.83

-1.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.28 $1.28

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.94 $0.94

30.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.07 $1.07

-3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.79 $0.79

-5.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 $0.99

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 $5.28

$5.10 $5.10

3.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$10.97 $10.97

-26.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.60 $1.60

-8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.77 $2.77

6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.34 $0.34

5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.42 $1.42

3.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.33 $1.33

-0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 $9.87

$9.81 $9.81

0.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.66 $0.66

24.24%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$23.0K $23.0K

-0.46%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$30.0K $30.0K

-0.32%

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

$34.59 $34.59

$34.74 $34.74

-0.43%

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

$13.30 $13.30

$13.23 $13.23

0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.27 $26.27

$35.80 $35.80

-26.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.25 $30.25

$30.33 $30.33

-0.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.39 $16.39

$16.56 $16.56

-1.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 $6.83

$6.78 $6.78

0.74%

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

$300 $300

$301 $301

-0.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,729 $5,729

$5,659 $5,659

1.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 $61.2

$60.1 $60.1

1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.90 $44.90

$45.32 $45.32

-0.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

-0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 $72.7

$72.5 $72.5

0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 $422

$384 $384

9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 $267

$378 $378

-29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 $815

$628 $628

29.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 $501

$585 $585

-14.24%

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)

$807 $807

$454 $454

77.90%

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 Puerto Ayora: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Ayora

$267 32.6%

Vilcabamba

$378 40.1% 41.7% $111

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Ayora

$187 22.8%

Vilcabamba

$198 21% 6.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Ayora

$129 15.8%

Vilcabamba

$129 13.7% 0% $0

Eating Out

Puerto Ayora

$108 13.2%

Vilcabamba

$101 10.7% 6.4% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Ayora

$74 9.1%

Vilcabamba

$84 8.9% 13% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Ayora

$44 5.4%

Vilcabamba

$44 4.7% 0% $0

Getting Around

Puerto Ayora

$9.5 * 1.2%

Vilcabamba

$9.4 * 1% 0.9% $0.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Puerto Ayora versus $384 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 78% higher in Puerto Ayora, 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 $42 in Puerto Ayora versus $30 in Vilcabamba. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Puerto Ayora vs $198 in Vilcabamba – so Puerto Ayora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

14:38 2:38 PM

1 h ahead of Puerto Ayora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,696

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puerto Ayora Vilcabamba 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Ayora
Vilcabamba

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

Puerto Ayora vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $818 in Puerto Ayora, $944 in Vilcabamba – Puerto Ayora comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,228 per month in Puerto Ayora and $1,416 in Vilcabamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $422 in Puerto Ayora and $384 in Vilcabamba. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Puerto Ayora and $30 in Vilcabamba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Vilcabamba, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $818 in Puerto Ayora and $944 in Vilcabamba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Puerto Ayora has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $818 in Puerto Ayora to $944 in Vilcabamba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.