Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $968 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$968

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Manta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Vilcabamba versus $678 in Manta.

Vilcabamba $968
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,435 in Vilcabamba versus $1,157 in Manta.

Vilcabamba $1,435
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Vilcabamba versus $1,636 in Manta.

Vilcabamba $1,903
Manta $1,636

Living in Vilcabamba is roughly 43% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vilcabamba 28% lower, Manta 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 $3.60

$2.96 $2.96

21.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.17 $30.17

$52.2 $52.2

-42.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.39 $5.39

51.39%

Cappuccino

$2.22 $2.22

$2.92 $2.92

-23.97%

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

$0.99 $0.99

$0.52 $0.52

90.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.38 $0.38

178.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.97 $2.97

-31.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.72 $3.72

-3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.03 $1.03

-1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.91 $1.91

-19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.98 $0.98

55.10%

Eggs

$2.50 $2.50

$2.13 $2.13

17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 $8.16

$2.98 $2.98

173.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$2.98 $2.98

77.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$6.83 $6.83

5.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.97 $0.97

76.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.78 $0.78

35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.71 $0.71

66.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.78 $0.78

38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.52 $0.52

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.48 $0.48

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.69 $0.69

7.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.99 $0.99

4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.08 $4.08

25.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 $11.10

$6.89 $6.89

61.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.03 $1.03

59.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.20 $2.20

24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.50 $0.50

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.13 $19.13

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.70 $1.70

-22.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.74 $1.74

-43.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 $10.16

$9.27 $9.27

9.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 $0.65

$0.72 $0.72

-9.72%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$20.7K $20.7K

3.08%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$30.8K $30.8K

-7.03%

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

$39.15 $39.15

$97.1 $97.1

-59.69%

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

$13.28 $13.28

$11.13 $11.13

19.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.25 $36.25

$25.84 $25.84

40.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.43 $30.43

$20.23 $20.23

50.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 $18.73

$34.58 $34.58

-45.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 $6.71

$4.89 $4.89

37.22%

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

$212 $212

$369 $369

-42.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,076 $5,076

$5,783 $5,783

-12.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$55.2 $55.2

-1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 $41.74

$40.87 $40.87

2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$101 $101

1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 $71.6

$61.8 $61.8

15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 $387

$303 $303

27.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 $387

$141 $141

173.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 $634

$917 $917

-30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 $581

$334 $334

73.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,199 $1,199

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 $782

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$462 $462

$474 $474

-2.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$387 40%

Manta

$141 20.9% 63.5% $245

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$195 20.2%

Manta

$143 21.1% 26.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$121 12.6%

Manta

$116 17.2% 4.2% $5.1

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$105 10.9%

Manta

$101 14.9% 4.3% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$89 9.2%

Manta

$134 19.8% 51.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$44 4.5%

Manta

$30 4.4% 31.5% $14

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$27 2.8%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 53.8% $14

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 $387 in Vilcabamba and $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manta pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Vilcabamba vs $52.0 in Manta. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $143, with Manta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,553

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vilcabamba Manta 400 km

From you

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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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Manta. 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: $387 in Vilcabamba versus $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $212 in Vilcabamba versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $30.00 in Vilcabamba. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Manta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Vilcabamba and Manta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Vilcabamba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.