Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Cumbaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $889 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Cumbaya
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Cumbaya Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Cumbaya

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Cumbaya

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Vilcabamba vs $889 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Vilcabamba $943
Cumbaya $889

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,464 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,400
Cumbaya $1,464

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Vilcabamba vs $2,038 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,857
Cumbaya $2,038

Vilcabamba costs about 6% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vilcabamba and Cumbaya are more affordable than the global median – Vilcabamba 31% lower, Cumbaya 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 $3.53

$5.37 $5.37

-34.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 $29.95

$55.0 $55.0

-45.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.66 $7.66

5.22%

Cappuccino

$2.20 $2.20

$3.33 $3.33

-33.93%

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

$0.97 $0.97

$1.43 $1.43

-32.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.09 $1.09

-1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.42 $3.42

-40.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$6.12 $6.12

-43.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.09 $1.09

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.54 $1.54

16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.51 $1.51

-2.65%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$2.08 $2.08

19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$6.51 $6.51

27.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.31 $5.31

-3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$7.50 $7.50

-3.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.20 $2.20

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.18 $1.18

-6.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.33 $1.33

-9.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.12 $1.12

0.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.26 $1.26

-26.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.03 $1.03

5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.90 $0.90

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.04 $1.04

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.82 $5.82

-10.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 $11.20

$8.56 $8.56

30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.57 $1.57

4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.10 $3.10

-10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.36 $0.36

-5.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.51 $1.51

-7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.54 $1.54

-20.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$9.93 $9.93

1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.83 $0.83

-18.07%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

0.02%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$30.2K $30.2K

-1.62%

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

$34.34 $34.34

$28.72 $28.72

19.57%

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

$13.49 $13.49

$17.72 $17.72

-23.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 $36.53

$28.01 $28.01

30.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.19 $30.19

$27.41 $27.41

10.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 $16.60

$14.61 $14.61

13.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$6.74 $6.74

-5.93%

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

$341 $341

$736 $736

-53.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,293 $6,293

$9,063 $9,063

-30.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$69.8 $69.8

-12.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 $44.77

$49.69 $49.69

-9.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$115 $115

-19.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 $72.6

$107 $107

-31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 $383

$377 $377

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 $381

$274 $274

39.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 $618

$825 $825

-25.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 $572

$498 $498

14.87%

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 %)

10.09

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 Cumbaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4%

Cumbaya

$274 30.8% 28.2% $108

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2%

Cumbaya

$191 21.5% 4.2% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9%

Cumbaya

$153 17.2% 25.8% $31

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$104 11%

Cumbaya

$145 16.3% 39.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 9%

Cumbaya

$74 8.4% 11.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6%

Cumbaya

$41 4.6% 4.6% $2

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9%

Cumbaya

$11 * 1.2% 19.7% $1.8

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 $377 in Cumbaya. 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 $55 in Cumbaya. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Vilcabamba vs $191 in Cumbaya – so Cumbaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Cumbaya

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Cumbaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vilcabamba costs about 6% more than Cumbaya, 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 $1,334 in Cumbaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $383 in Vilcabamba and $377 in Cumbaya. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Vilcabamba and $55 in Cumbaya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Vilcabamba, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $943 in Vilcabamba and $889 in Cumbaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cumbaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $889 in Cumbaya to $943 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.