Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Bahia de Caraquez

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $873 a month against $944 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
Learn more

Bahia de Caraquez Living Index

Jump to prices

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$944

/mo nomad

Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $944 per month in Vilcabamba vs $873 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Vilcabamba $944
Bahia de Caraquez $873

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,437 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,411
Bahia de Caraquez $1,437

A family of three spends $1,878 per month in Vilcabamba vs $2,002 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,878
Bahia de Caraquez $2,002

Vilcabamba costs about 8% more than Bahia de Caraquez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Vilcabamba and Bahia de Caraquez are more affordable than the global median – Vilcabamba 30% lower, Bahia de Caraquez 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 $3.40

$3.97 $3.97

-14.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.51 $29.51

$53.2 $53.2

-44.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 $7.76

$8.82 $8.82

-12.02%

Cappuccino

$2.12 $2.12

$2.79 $2.79

-24.01%

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

$1.02 $1.02

$0.92 $0.92

10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.68 $0.68

51.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.98 $2.98

-31.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.20 $4.20

-15.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.21 $1.21

-14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.01 $2.01

-13.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.41 $1.41

8.51%

Eggs

$2.50 $2.50

$2.08 $2.08

20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 $8.12

$6.89 $6.89

17.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$5.21 $5.21

0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 $7.17

$8.99 $8.99

-20.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.52 $1.52

20.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.16 $1.16

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.02 $1.02

25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.95 $0.95

17.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.27 $1.27

-25.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.92 $0.92

16.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.83 $0.83

-4.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.93 $0.93

6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.83 $5.83

-12.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 $10.97

$11.84 $11.84

-7.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.54 $1.54

3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.19 $2.19

26.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.71 $2.71

-47.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.72 $1.72

-22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.81 $9.81

$11.85 $11.85

-17.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.84 $0.84

-21.43%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$22.5K $22.5K

2.08%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

-3.43%

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

$34.74 $34.74

$33.68 $33.68

3.15%

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

$13.23 $13.23

$15.13 $15.13

-12.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 $35.80

$26.40 $26.40

35.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.33 $30.33

$29.48 $29.48

2.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.56 $16.56

$16.45 $16.45

0.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 $6.78

$7.64 $7.64

-11.26%

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

$301 $301

$375 $375

-19.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,659 $5,659

$5,635 $5,635

0.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$66.0 $66.0

-8.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.32 $45.32

$41.24 $41.24

9.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$125 $125

-13.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 $72.5

$92.4 $92.4

-21.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 $384

$414 $414

-7.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 $378

$274 $274

38.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$834 $834

-24.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 $585

$509 $509

14.97%

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 %)

10.09

10.05

0.40%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$378 40.1%

Bahia de Caraquez

$274 31.3% 27.7% $105

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$198 21%

Bahia de Caraquez

$199 22.8% 0.4% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$129 13.7%

Bahia de Caraquez

$146 16.8% 13.5% $17

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$101 10.7%

Bahia de Caraquez

$121 13.9% 19.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 8.9%

Bahia de Caraquez

$75 8.6% 10.2% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$44 4.7%

Bahia de Caraquez

$45 5.1% 2% $0.9

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$9.4 * 1%

Bahia de Caraquez

$13 * 1.5% 34.1% $3.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $384 in Vilcabamba versus $414 in Bahia de Caraquez. 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 $30 in Vilcabamba versus $53 in Bahia de Caraquez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $199 – making Vilcabamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,963

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vilcabamba Bahia de Caraquez 430 km

From you

Vilcabamba
Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $944 in Vilcabamba, $873 in Bahia de Caraquez – Bahia de Caraquez comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,416 per month in Vilcabamba and $1,309 in Bahia de Caraquez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $384 in Vilcabamba and $414 in Bahia de Caraquez. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $301 per month in Vilcabamba and $375 in Bahia de Caraquez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $944 in Vilcabamba and $873 in Bahia de Caraquez. That makes Bahia de Caraquez about 8% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $944 in Vilcabamba and $873 in Bahia de Caraquez, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Bahia de Caraquez has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $873 in Bahia de Caraquez 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.