Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcán and Vilcabamba

For one person, living costs are similar in Tulcán and in Vilcabamba: $920 and $943 a month, rent and utilities included.

43

Cost of Living Index in Tulcán
Learn more

Tulcán Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

Jump to prices

Tulcán

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$920

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $920 in Tulcán versus $943 in Vilcabamba.

Tulcán $920
Vilcabamba $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,503 in Tulcán versus $1,400 in Vilcabamba.

Tulcán $1,503
Vilcabamba $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,086 in Tulcán versus $1,857 in Vilcabamba.

Tulcán $2,086
Vilcabamba $1,857

Monthly costs are close between Tulcán and Vilcabamba; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulcán 32% lower, Vilcabamba 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 $5.41

$3.53 $3.53

53.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 $54.1

$29.95 $29.95

80.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 $7.44

$8.06 $8.06

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$3.29 $3.29

$2.20 $2.20

49.55%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$0.97 $0.97

48.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.07 $1.07

-2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.03 $2.03

67.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.45 $3.45

77.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.04 $1.04

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.79 $1.79

-12.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.47 $1.47

2.72%

Eggs

$2.07 $2.07

$2.48 $2.48

-16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$8.29 $8.29

-24.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.14 $5.14

0.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$7.24 $7.24

5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.87 $1.87

20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.10 $1.10

11.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.21 $1.21

4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.13 $1.13

-2.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.93 $0.93

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.09 $1.09

-6.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.81 $0.81

7.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.02 $1.02

-2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 $6.09

$5.22 $5.22

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 $8.41

$11.20 $11.20

-24.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.64 $1.64

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.78 $2.78

14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 $0.39

$0.34 $0.34

14.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.40 $1.40

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.23 $1.23

25.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 $10.05

$10.09 $10.09

-0.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.68 $0.68

27.94%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$22.9K $22.9K

1.19%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$29.8K $29.8K

-0.95%

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

$28.27 $28.27

$34.34 $34.34

-17.68%

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

$17.94 $17.94

$13.49 $13.49

32.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 $28.72

$36.53 $36.53

-21.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.61 $31.61

$30.19 $30.19

4.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.41 $14.41

$16.60 $16.60

-13.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 $6.56

$6.34 $6.34

3.47%

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

$750 $750

$341 $341

119.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,960 $8,960

$6,293 $6,293

42.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$61.1 $61.1

15.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.23 $49.23

$44.77 $44.77

9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$92.3 $92.3

23.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$72.6 $72.6

47.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 $483

$383 $383

26.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 $302

$381 $381

-20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 $786

$618 $618

27.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 $545

$572 $572

-4.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 $1,295

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 $1,087

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 $448

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 Tulcán: 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

Tulcán

$302 32.9%

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4% 26.1% $79

Groceries & Markets

Tulcán

$189 20.6%

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2% 5.3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Tulcán

$153 16.7%

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9% 20.5% $32

Eating Out

Tulcán

$144 15.7%

Vilcabamba

$104 11% 27.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulcán

$75 8.2%

Vilcabamba

$84 9% 12.6% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Tulcán

$45 4.9%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6% 4.2% $1.9

Getting Around

Tulcán

$11 * 1.2%

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9% 17.4% $1.9

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 $483 in Tulcán and $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Tulcán vs $30 in Vilcabamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $200, with Tulcán cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Tulcán

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

Same time as Tulcán

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,734

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tulcán Vilcabamba 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tulcán
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

Tulcán vs Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $1,380 in Tulcán and $1,414 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: $483 in Tulcán versus $383 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $750 in Tulcán versus $341 in Vilcabamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Vilcabamba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Tulcán gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.