Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $681 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Loja

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Vilcabamba vs $681 in Loja, rent included.

Vilcabamba $943
Loja $681

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,074 in Loja, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,400
Loja $1,074

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,468 in Loja, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,857
Loja $1,468

Vilcabamba costs about 39% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vilcabamba and Loja are more affordable than the global median – Vilcabamba 31% lower, Loja 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 $3.53

$3.05 $3.05

15.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 $29.95

$20.66 $20.66

44.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.61 $5.61

43.67%

Cappuccino

$2.20 $2.20

$2.22 $2.22

-0.90%

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

$0.97 $0.97

$0.78 $0.78

24.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.43 $0.43

148.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.22 $1.22

66.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.23 $3.23

6.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.02 $1.02

1.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.48 $1.48

20.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.32 $1.32

11.36%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$1.92 $1.92

29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$5.60 $5.60

48.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.29 $4.29

19.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$6.07 $6.07

19.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.69 $1.69

10.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.09 $1.09

0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.20 $1.20

0.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.12 $1.12

0.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.06 $1.06

-12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.03 $1.03

5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.52 $0.52

55.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.11 $1.11

-8.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.23 $5.23

-0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 $11.20

$6.82 $6.82

64.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.53 $1.53

7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.93 $2.93

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.33 $0.33

3.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 $30.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.24 $1.24

12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.08 $1.08

13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$9.86 $9.86

2.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.74 $0.74

-8.11%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$15.0K $15.0K

52.02%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$28.5K $28.5K

4.35%

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

$34.34 $34.34

$19.98 $19.98

71.87%

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

$13.49 $13.49

$11.49 $11.49

17.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 $36.53

$27.07 $27.07

34.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.19 $30.19

$29.70 $29.70

1.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 $16.60

$15.03 $15.03

10.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$7.26 $7.26

-12.67%

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

$341 $341

$180 $180

89.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,293 $6,293

$1,965 $1,965

220.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$52.8 $52.8

15.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 $44.77

$47.86 $47.86

-6.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$79.9 $79.9

15.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 $72.6

$73.1 $73.1

-0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 $383

$240 $240

59.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 $381

$172 $172

121.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 $618

$377 $377

63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 $572

$315 $315

81.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 $1,295

$559 $559

131.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 $1,087

$324 $324

235.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 $448

$506 $506

-11.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

8.5

18.71%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4%

Loja

$172 25.3% 54.8% $209

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2%

Loja

$168 24.6% 16% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9%

Loja

$114 16.8% 6.3% $7.7

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$104 11%

Loja

$85 12.5% 18% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 9%

Loja

$59 8.6% 30.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6%

Loja

$44 6.5% 3.2% $1.4

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9%

Loja

$38 5.7% 332% $30

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 $240 in Loja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Loja, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Vilcabamba versus $21 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $168 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,617

💱 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 Loja 29 km

From you

Vilcabamba
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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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $943 in Vilcabamba, $681 in Loja – Loja comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,414 per month in Vilcabamba and $1,021 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $240 there versus $383 in Vilcabamba.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Vilcabamba and $21 in Loja. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Vilcabamba, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $943 in Vilcabamba and $681 in Loja, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Loja – 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.