Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Cotacachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $717 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
Learn more

Cotacachi Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Cotacachi

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 Cotacachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Vilcabamba versus $717 in Cotacachi.

Vilcabamba $943
Cotacachi $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Vilcabamba versus $1,170 in Cotacachi.

Vilcabamba $1,400
Cotacachi $1,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Vilcabamba versus $1,623 in Cotacachi.

Vilcabamba $1,857
Cotacachi $1,623

Living in Vilcabamba is roughly 32% more expensive than in Cotacachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vilcabamba 31% lower, Cotacachi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 $3.53

$3.88 $3.88

-9.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 $29.95

$25.87 $25.87

15.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.58 $4.58

75.98%

Cappuccino

$2.20 $2.20

$2.21 $2.21

-0.45%

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

$0.97 $0.97

$1.36 $1.36

-28.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.80 $0.80

33.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.97 $1.97

3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.01 $4.01

-13.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.10 $1.10

-5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.53 $1.53

16.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.52 $1.52

-3.29%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$2.11 $2.11

17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$6.40 $6.40

29.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.27 $5.27

-2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$7.46 $7.46

-2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.21 $2.21

-15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.14 $1.14

-3.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.32 $1.32

-8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.10 $1.10

2.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.24 $1.24

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.06 $1.06

2.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.83 $0.83

-2.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.03 $1.03

-0.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.46 $4.46

17.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 $11.20

$7.35 $7.35

52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.51 $1.51

8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.05 $3.05

-8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.45 $0.45

-24.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.03 $15.03

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.24 $1.24

12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.97 $0.97

26.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$9.89 $9.89

2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.77 $0.77

-11.69%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$22.7K $22.7K

0.84%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$29.9K $29.9K

-0.42%

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

$34.34 $34.34

$29.09 $29.09

18.05%

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

$13.49 $13.49

$12.57 $12.57

7.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 $36.53

$26.27 $26.27

39.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.19 $30.19

$30.56 $30.56

-1.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 $16.60

$10.16 $10.16

63.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$6.52 $6.52

-2.76%

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

$341 $341

$76.0 $76.0

348.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,293 $6,293

$2,952 $2,952

113.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$41.41 $41.41

47.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 $44.77

$42.47 $42.47

5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$95.1 $95.1

-2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 $72.6

$59.2 $59.2

22.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 $383

$264 $264

44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 $381

$190 $190

100.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 $618

$473 $473

30.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 $572

$414 $414

37.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 $1,295

$598 $598

116.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 $1,087

$517 $517

110.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 $448

$433 $433

3.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

10.12

-0.30%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cotacachi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4%

Cotacachi

$190 26.5% 50.2% $191

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2%

Cotacachi

$187 26.1% 6.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9%

Cotacachi

$107 15% 12% $15

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$104 11%

Cotacachi

$98 13.6% 6% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 9%

Cotacachi

$68 9.5% 19.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6%

Cotacachi

$44 6.1% 1.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9%

Cotacachi

$23 3.2% 157% $14

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 $383 in Vilcabamba and $264 in Cotacachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilcabamba pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30 in Vilcabamba vs $26 in Cotacachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $187 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,238

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Vilcabamba Cotacachi 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vilcabamba
Cotacachi

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 Cotacachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $943 in Vilcabamba and $717 in Cotacachi, so Cotacachi is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Vilcabamba, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $383 in Vilcabamba versus $264 in Cotacachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Vilcabamba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Vilcabamba versus $717 in Cotacachi – Cotacachi is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

For families, Cotacachi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vilcabamba, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vilcabamba and Cotacachi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cotacachi wins on affordability, Vilcabamba on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.