Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $608 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Ambato

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vilcabamba and in Ambato actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $943 per month in Vilcabamba vs $608 in Ambato, rent included.

Vilcabamba $943
Ambato $608

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Vilcabamba vs $995 in Ambato, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,400
Ambato $995

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,381 in Ambato, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,857
Ambato $1,381

Vilcabamba costs about 55% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vilcabamba and Ambato are more affordable than the global median – Vilcabamba 31% lower, Ambato 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 $3.53

$3.40 $3.40

3.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 $29.95

$30.33 $30.33

-1.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.33 $5.33

51.22%

Cappuccino

$2.20 $2.20

$2.79 $2.79

-21.15%

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

$0.97 $0.97

$0.78 $0.78

24.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.74 $0.74

44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.94 $1.94

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.16 $3.16

9.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.01 $1.01

2.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.97 $0.97

84.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.57 $1.57

-6.37%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$1.68 $1.68

47.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$5.55 $5.55

49.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.05 $3.05

68.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$3.90 $3.90

85.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.27 $1.27

47.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.88 $0.88

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.99 $0.99

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.98 $0.98

15.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.79 $0.79

17.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.02 $1.02

6.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.72 $0.72

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.97 $0.97

5.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.17 $5.17

0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 $11.20

$8.54 $8.54

31.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.53 $1.53

7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.81 $2.81

-1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.31 $0.31

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.23 $14.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.33 $1.33

5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.12 $1.12

9.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$9.76 $9.76

3.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.87 $0.87

-21.84%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$23.0K $23.0K

-0.67%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

6.48%

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

$34.34 $34.34

$39.83 $39.83

-13.78%

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

$13.49 $13.49

$13.37 $13.37

0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 $36.53

$26.68 $26.68

36.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.19 $30.19

$30.37 $30.37

-0.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 $16.60

$16.06 $16.06

3.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$4.60 $4.60

37.83%

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

$341 $341

$216 $216

57.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,293 $6,293

$2,489 $2,489

152.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$47.01 $47.01

29.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 $44.77

$34.46 $34.46

29.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$72.2 $72.2

27.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 $72.6

$55.1 $55.1

31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 $383

$181 $181

112.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 $381

$127 $127

199.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 $618

$379 $379

62.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 $572

$273 $273

109.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 $1,295

$1,136 $1,136

14.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 $1,087

$889 $889

22.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 $448

$672 $672

-33.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

12.11%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4%

Ambato

$127 21% 66.6% $254

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2%

Ambato

$146 24% 26.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9%

Ambato

$94 15.5% 22.9% $28

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$104 11%

Ambato

$99 16.3% 5% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 9%

Ambato

$80 13.1% 5.3% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6%

Ambato

$40 6.5% 7.7% $3.3

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 152% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $383 in Vilcabamba versus $181 in Ambato. 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 50% higher in Ambato, 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 $30 in Vilcabamba versus $30 in Ambato. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Vilcabamba vs $146 in Ambato – so Ambato wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vilcabamba Ambato 340 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

Vilcabamba vs Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vilcabamba costs about 55% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,414 per month in Vilcabamba and $912 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambato, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $181 there versus $383 in Vilcabamba.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $943 in Vilcabamba and $608 in Ambato. That makes Ambato about 35% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Vilcabamba, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $608, than in Vilcabamba at $943. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vilcabamba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ambato – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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