Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Ibarra

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibarra: $664 a month against $944 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Ibarra
Learn more

Ibarra Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$944

/mo nomad

Ibarra

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Ibarra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $944 in Vilcabamba versus $664 in Ibarra.

Vilcabamba $944
Ibarra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Vilcabamba versus $1,152 in Ibarra.

Vilcabamba $1,411
Ibarra $1,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,878 in Vilcabamba versus $1,639 in Ibarra.

Vilcabamba $1,878
Ibarra $1,639

Living in Vilcabamba is roughly 42% more expensive than in Ibarra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vilcabamba 30% lower, Ibarra 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 $3.40

$2.66 $2.66

27.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.51 $29.51

$25.40 $25.40

16.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 $7.76

$5.88 $5.88

31.97%

Cappuccino

$2.12 $2.12

$2.23 $2.23

-4.93%

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

$1.02 $1.02

$1.05 $1.05

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.56 $0.56

83.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.98 $1.98

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.27 $2.27

56.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.99 $0.99

5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.02 $1.02

69.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.46 $1.46

4.79%

Eggs

$2.50 $2.50

$2.13 $2.13

17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 $8.12

$3.79 $3.79

114.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$5.33 $5.33

-1.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 $7.17

$7.76 $7.76

-7.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.01 $2.01

-8.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.20 $1.20

-5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.33 $1.33

-3.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.92 $0.92

21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.48 $0.48

95.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.02 $1.02

4.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.70 $0.70

12.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.03 $1.03

-3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.02 $3.02

68.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 $10.97

$8.73 $8.73

25.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.53 $1.53

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.15 $3.15

-12.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.37 $0.37

-8.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.52 $1.52

-6.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.47 $1.47

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.81 $9.81

$9.82 $9.82

-0.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.69 $0.69

-4.35%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$22.9K $22.9K

0.37%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

0.20%

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

$34.74 $34.74

$28.33 $28.33

22.63%

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

$13.23 $13.23

$14.95 $14.95

-11.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 $35.80

$18.29 $18.29

95.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.33 $30.33

$29.75 $29.75

1.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.56 $16.56

$16.24 $16.24

1.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 $6.78

$6.64 $6.64

2.11%

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

$301 $301

$111 $111

170.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,659 $5,659

$8,911 $8,911

-36.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$59.7 $59.7

0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.32 $45.32

$45.20 $45.20

0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$91.6 $91.6

18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 $72.5

$50.6 $50.6

43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 $384

$228 $228

68.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 $378

$178 $178

112.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$817 $817

-23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 $585

$508 $508

15.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,287 $1,287

$759 $759

69.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 $1,093

$625 $625

74.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 $454

$603 $603

-24.76%

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 31, 2026

Last update for Ibarra: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$378 40.1%

Ibarra

$178 26.9% 52.9% $200

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$198 21%

Ibarra

$173 26.1% 12.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$129 13.7%

Ibarra

$111 16.7% 13.7% $18

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$101 10.7%

Ibarra

$87 13% 14.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 8.9%

Ibarra

$62 9.3% 26.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$44 4.7%

Ibarra

$43 6.5% 2% $0.9

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$9.4 * 1%

Ibarra

$10 * 1.6% 9.4% $0.9

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 $384 in Vilcabamba and $228 in Ibarra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibarra pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30 in Vilcabamba vs $25 in Ibarra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $173 per month, with Ibarra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ibarra

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,666

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Vilcabamba Ibarra 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vilcabamba
Ibarra

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 Ibarra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibarra wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Vilcabamba. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ibarra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Vilcabamba. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $384 in Vilcabamba versus $228 in Ibarra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $301 in Vilcabamba versus $111 in Ibarra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibarra – a meal for two runs $25 versus $30 in Vilcabamba. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $664 in Ibarra versus $944 in Vilcabamba, a $800 budget is realistic in Ibarra but tight or insufficient in Vilcabamba. The gap between the two cities makes Ibarra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.