Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and the Galapagos Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $710 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 the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in the Galapagos Islands

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 the Galapagos Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $943 per month in Vilcabamba vs $884 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Vilcabamba $943
Galapagos Islands $884

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,336 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,400
Galapagos Islands $1,336

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,789 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,857
Galapagos Islands $1,789

Vilcabamba costs about 7% more than the Galapagos Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 $3.53

$3.54 $3.54

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 $29.95

$27.52 $27.52

8.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.27 $7.27

10.87%

Cappuccino

$2.20 $2.20

$2.50 $2.50

-12.00%

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

$0.97 $0.97

$0.85 $0.85

14.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.66 $0.66

62.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.04 $2.04

-0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.54 $3.54

-2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.09 $1.09

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.62 $1.62

10.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.57 $1.57

-6.37%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$2.17 $2.17

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$5.42 $5.42

52.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.55 $5.55

-7.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$6.21 $6.21

16.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.02 $2.02

-7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.16 $1.16

-5.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.08 $1.08

12.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.07 $1.07

5.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.45 $1.45

-35.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.03 $1.03

5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.51 $0.51

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 $0.99

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.86 $5.86

-10.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 $11.20

$9.92 $9.92

12.90%

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

$2.53 $2.53

9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.37 $0.37

-8.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.14 $24.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.48 $1.48

-5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.01 $1.01

21.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$9.92 $9.92

1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.66 $0.66

3.03%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

-9.55%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$28.4K $28.4K

4.83%

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

$34.34 $34.34

$39.48 $39.48

-13.02%

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

$13.49 $13.49

$13.57 $13.57

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 $36.53

$31.19 $31.19

17.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.19 $30.19

$29.46 $29.46

2.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 $16.60

$14.80 $14.80

12.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$7.18 $7.18

-11.70%

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

$341 $341

$253 $253

34.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,293 $6,293

$5,750 $5,750

9.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$55.7 $55.7

9.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 $44.77

$43.02 $43.02

4.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$98.0 $98.0

-5.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 $72.6

$75.9 $75.9

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 $383

$340 $340

12.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 $381

$314 $314

21.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 $618

$633 $633

-2.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 $572

$499 $499

14.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 $1,295

$1,218 $1,218

6.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 $1,087

$998 $998

8.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 $448

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

0.90%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4%

Galapagos Islands

$314 35.5% 17.8% $68

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2%

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.9% 7.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9%

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9% 0.7% $0.9

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$104 11%

Galapagos Islands

$103 11.7% 0.7% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 9%

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5% 0.2% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6%

Galapagos Islands

$44 5% 2.2% $1

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9%

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6% 261% $23

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 $340 in the Galapagos Islands. 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 $28 in the Galapagos Islands. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $184 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

02:18 2:18 AM

1 h behind Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Vilcabamba Galapagos Islands 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vilcabamba
Galapagos Islands

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 Galapagos Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $943 in Vilcabamba, $884 in the Galapagos Islands – Galapagos Islands comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,414 per month in Vilcabamba and $1,326 in the Galapagos Islands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $383 in Vilcabamba.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $943 in Vilcabamba and $884 in the Galapagos Islands. That makes Galapagos Islands about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $341 per month in Vilcabamba and $253 in the Galapagos Islands. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $943 in Vilcabamba and $884 in the Galapagos Islands, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward the Galapagos Islands – 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.