Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Manglaralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Manglaralto: $895 a month against $943 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $580 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Manglaralto
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Manglaralto Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$943

/mo nomad

Manglaralto

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Manglaralto

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Vilcabamba vs $895 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Vilcabamba $943
Manglaralto $895

A couple spends around $1,400 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,456 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,400
Manglaralto $1,456

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Vilcabamba vs $2,018 in Manglaralto, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,857
Manglaralto $2,018

Vilcabamba costs about 5% more than Manglaralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Vilcabamba and Manglaralto are more affordable than the global median – Vilcabamba 31% lower, Manglaralto 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 $3.53

$4.08 $4.08

-13.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 $29.95

$52.2 $52.2

-42.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 $8.06

$9.18 $9.18

-12.20%

Cappuccino

$2.20 $2.20

$2.92 $2.92

-24.66%

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

$0.97 $0.97

$0.93 $0.93

4.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.70 $0.70

52.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.93 $2.93

-30.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.28 $4.28

-19.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.22 $1.22

-14.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.91 $1.91

-6.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.40 $1.40

5.00%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$2.04 $2.04

21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$6.80 $6.80

21.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.05 $5.05

1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$9.26 $9.26

-21.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.51 $1.51

23.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.18 $1.18

-6.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.02 $1.02

18.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.96 $0.96

17.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.28 $1.28

-27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.98 $0.98

11.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.83 $0.83

-2.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.97 $0.97

5.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.87 $5.87

-11.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 $11.20

$11.99 $11.99

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.50 $1.50

9.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.20 $2.20

26.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.39 $0.39

-12.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.69 $2.69

-47.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.79 $1.79

-31.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$11.76 $11.76

-14.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.89 $0.89

-23.60%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$22.7K $22.7K

0.82%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$30.7K $30.7K

-3.01%

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

$34.34 $34.34

$34.62 $34.62

-0.81%

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

$13.49 $13.49

$9.91 $9.91

36.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 $36.53

$25.90 $25.90

41.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.19 $30.19

$30.39 $30.39

-0.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 $16.60

$15.84 $15.84

4.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 $6.34

$7.36 $7.36

-13.86%

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

$341 $341

$376 $376

-9.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,293 $6,293

$5,680 $5,680

10.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 $61.1

$66.5 $66.5

-8.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 $44.77

$41.25 $41.25

8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$123 $123

-24.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 $72.6

$92.1 $92.1

-21.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 $383

$466 $466

-17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 $381

$297 $297

28.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 $618

$850 $850

-27.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 $572

$535 $535

6.85%

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

10.05

0.40%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manglaralto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$381 40.4%

Manglaralto

$297 33.3% 22% $84

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$200 21.2%

Manglaralto

$199 22.2% 0.5% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$122 12.9%

Manglaralto

$145 16.2% 19.1% $23

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$104 11%

Manglaralto

$125 14% 20.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 9%

Manglaralto

$70 7.9% 16.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$43 4.6%

Manglaralto

$45 5% 5.3% $2.3

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$8.9 * 0.9%

Manglaralto

$13 * 1.5% 48% $4.3

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 $466 in Manglaralto. 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 $52 in Manglaralto. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Vilcabamba vs $199 in Manglaralto – so Manglaralto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Manglaralto

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 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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Vilcabamba Manglaralto 320 km

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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 Manglaralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vilcabamba is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,414 per month in Vilcabamba and $1,342 in Manglaralto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vilcabamba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $383 there versus $466 in Manglaralto.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Vilcabamba and $52 in Manglaralto. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $341 per month in Vilcabamba and $376 in Manglaralto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Manglaralto has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $895 in Manglaralto 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.