Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tena and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $891 a month against $944 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

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Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$891

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $891 per month in Tena vs $944 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Tena $891
Vilcabamba $944

A couple spends around $1,475 per month in Tena vs $1,411 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Tena $1,475
Vilcabamba $1,411

A family of three spends $2,060 per month in Tena vs $1,878 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Tena $2,060
Vilcabamba $1,878

Tena is about 6% cheaper than Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tena and Vilcabamba are more affordable than the global median – Tena 34% lower, Vilcabamba 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 $5.63

$3.40 $3.40

65.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 $54.8

$29.51 $29.51

85.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 $7.58

$7.76 $7.76

-2.32%

Cappuccino

$3.34 $3.34

$2.12 $2.12

57.55%

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

$1.43 $1.43

$1.02 $1.02

40.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.03 $1.03

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.03 $2.03

68.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.55 $3.55

72.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.04 $1.04

9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.73 $1.73

-7.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.53 $1.53

-1.31%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$2.50 $2.50

-16.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$8.12 $8.12

-19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$5.26 $5.26

3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 $7.67

$7.17 $7.17

6.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.83 $1.83

27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.14 $1.14

7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.28 $1.28

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.12 $1.12

0.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.94 $0.94

26.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.07 $1.07

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.79 $0.79

10.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.99 $0.99

1.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.93 $5.93

$5.10 $5.10

16.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.27 $8.27

$10.97 $10.97

-24.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.60 $1.60

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.77 $2.77

11.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.34 $0.34

-2.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.42 $1.42

7.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.33 $1.33

-43.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.91 $9.91

$9.81 $9.81

1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.66 $0.66

30.30%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$23.0K $23.0K

1.61%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$30.0K $30.0K

0.29%

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

$28.50 $28.50

$34.74 $34.74

-17.96%

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

$17.84 $17.84

$13.23 $13.23

34.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 $28.34

$35.80 $35.80

-20.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.89 $29.89

$30.33 $30.33

-1.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.69 $16.69

$16.56 $16.56

0.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 $6.50

$6.78 $6.78

-4.13%

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

$729 $729

$301 $301

141.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,064 $9,064

$5,659 $5,659

60.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 $71.3

$60.1 $60.1

18.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$45.32 $45.32

11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$108 $108

6.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$72.5 $72.5

50.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 $422

$384 $384

9.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 $270

$378 $378

-28.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 $802

$628 $628

27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 $507

$585 $585

-13.34%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.09

0.30%

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

Last update for Tena: November 3, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tena

$270 30.4%

Vilcabamba

$378 40.1% 39.9% $108

Groceries & Markets

Tena

$193 21.7%

Vilcabamba

$198 21% 2.7% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Tena

$156 17.5%

Vilcabamba

$129 13.7% 17.4% $27

Eating Out

Tena

$147 16.5%

Vilcabamba

$101 10.7% 31.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tena

$75 8.4%

Vilcabamba

$84 8.9% 12.2% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Tena

$43 4.8%

Vilcabamba

$44 4.7% 2.3% $1

Getting Around

Tena

$6.6 * 0.7%

Vilcabamba

$9.4 * 1% 42.4% $2.8

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 Tena 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Tena versus $30 in Vilcabamba. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Tena vs $198 in Vilcabamba – so Tena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Tena

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

Same time as Tena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,669

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tena Vilcabamba 400 km

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Tena
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

Tena vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vilcabamba is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,336 per month in Tena 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 Tena and $384 in Vilcabamba. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $891 in Tena and $944 in Vilcabamba. That makes Tena about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $729 per month in Tena and $301 in Vilcabamba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Vilcabamba has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $891 in Tena 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.