Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $656 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
Learn more

Machala Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Machala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Vilcabamba versus $656 in Machala.

Vilcabamba $943
Machala $656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Vilcabamba versus $1,046 in Machala.

Vilcabamba $1,400
Machala $1,046

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Vilcabamba versus $1,435 in Machala.

Vilcabamba $1,857
Machala $1,435

Living in Vilcabamba is roughly 44% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vilcabamba 31% lower, Machala 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 $3.53

$2.81 $2.81

25.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 $29.95

$25.28 $25.28

18.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.21 $5.21

54.70%

Cappuccino

$2.20 $2.20

$2.68 $2.68

-17.91%

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

$0.97 $0.97

$0.86 $0.86

12.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.72 $0.72

48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.69 $3.69

-6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.05 $1.05

70.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.91 $0.91

61.54%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$1.49 $1.49

66.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$3.23 $3.23

156.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.17 $4.17

23.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$4.72 $4.72

53.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.47 $1.47

27.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.59 $0.59

86.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.77 $0.77

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.58 $0.58

94.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.41 $0.41

126.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.48 $0.48

127.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.39 $0.39

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 $0.99

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.37 $4.37

19.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 $11.20

$7.64 $7.64

46.60%

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

$2.22 $2.22

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.09 $22.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.53 $1.53

-8.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.73 $1.73

-28.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$8.11 $8.11

24.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.61 $0.61

11.48%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$17.7K $17.7K

29.13%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$22.0K $22.0K

35.21%

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

$34.34 $34.34

$52.2 $52.2

-34.20%

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

$13.49 $13.49

$14.97 $14.97

-9.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 $36.53

$26.58 $26.58

37.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.19 $30.19

$42.15 $42.15

-28.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 $16.60

$29.74 $29.74

-44.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$4.89 $4.89

29.65%

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

$341 $341

$133 $133

156.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,293 $6,293

$5,675 $5,675

10.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$64.5 $64.5

-5.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 $44.77

$39.94 $39.94

12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$80.9 $80.9

14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 $72.6

$68.6 $68.6

5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 $383

$190 $190

101.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 $381

$133 $133

186.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 $618

$353 $353

75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 $572

$264 $264

116.21%

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

$444 $444

0.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

101.80%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Last update for Machala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4%

Machala

$133 20.3% 65.1% $248

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2%

Machala

$135 20.6% 32.2% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9%

Machala

$114 17.4% 6.2% $7.6

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$104 11%

Machala

$94 14.3% 9.5% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 9%

Machala

$94 14.3% 11.1% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6%

Machala

$52 7.9% 21.2% $9.1

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9%

Machala

$34 5.1% 278% $25

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 $190 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Vilcabamba vs $25 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $135 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,260

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Vilcabamba Machala 140 km

From you

Vilcabamba
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,414 in Vilcabamba and $984 in Machala to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $383 in Vilcabamba versus $190 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% 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 $656 in Machala – Machala is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Machala 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.