Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $894 a month against $944 in Vilcabamba, rent and utilities included – about $600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vilcabamba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$944

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Montanita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $944 in Vilcabamba versus $894 in Montanita.

Vilcabamba $944
Montanita $894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Vilcabamba versus $1,349 in Montanita.

Vilcabamba $1,411
Montanita $1,349

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,878 in Vilcabamba versus $1,805 in Montanita.

Vilcabamba $1,878
Montanita $1,805

Living in Vilcabamba is roughly 6% more expensive than in Montanita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vilcabamba 30% lower, Montanita 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 $3.40

$3.45 $3.45

-1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.51 $29.51

$28.46 $28.46

3.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 $7.76

$7.47 $7.47

3.88%

Cappuccino

$2.12 $2.12

$2.52 $2.52

-15.87%

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

$1.02 $1.02

$0.87 $0.87

17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.67 $0.67

53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.05 $2.05

-0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.59 $3.59

-1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.09 $1.09

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.62 $1.62

6.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.56 $1.56

-1.92%

Eggs

$2.50 $2.50

$2.18 $2.18

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 $8.12

$5.60 $5.60

45.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$5.46 $5.46

-3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 $7.17

$6.14 $6.14

16.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.08 $2.08

-12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.20 $1.20

-5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.08 $1.08

18.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.09 $1.09

2.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.44 $1.44

-34.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.08 $1.08

-0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.48 $0.48

64.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 $5.10

$6.18 $6.18

-17.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 $10.97

$9.87 $9.87

11.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 $1.52

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.44 $2.44

13.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.63 $23.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.47 $1.47

-3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 $1.33

$0.99 $0.99

34.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.81 $9.81

$9.96 $9.96

-1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.63 $0.63

4.76%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$24.7K $24.7K

-6.72%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$28.5K $28.5K

5.36%

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

$34.74 $34.74

$39.32 $39.32

-11.65%

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

$13.23 $13.23

$13.65 $13.65

-3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 $35.80

$30.74 $30.74

16.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.33 $30.33

$30.35 $30.35

-0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.56 $16.56

$14.74 $14.74

12.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 $6.78

$7.39 $7.39

-8.25%

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

$301 $301

$254 $254

18.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,659 $5,659

$5,701 $5,701

-0.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$56.1 $56.1

7.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.32 $45.32

$43.64 $43.64

3.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$99.0 $99.0

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 $72.5

$75.9 $75.9

-4.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 $384

$342 $342

12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 $378

$322 $322

17.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$632 $632

-0.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 $585

$507 $507

15.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,287 $1,287

$1,259 $1,259

2.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 $1,093

$1,013 $1,013

7.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 $454

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.09

0.90%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 31, 2026

Last update for Montanita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$378 40.1%

Montanita

$322 36% 15% $57

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$198 21%

Montanita

$184 20.6% 6.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$129 13.7%

Montanita

$124 13.8% 4.1% $5.3

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$101 10.7%

Montanita

$104 11.6% 2.5% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$84 8.9%

Montanita

$84 9.4% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$44 4.7%

Montanita

$45 5.1% 2.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$9.4 * 1%

Montanita

$31 3.5% 232% $22

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 $342 in Montanita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Vilcabamba vs $28 in Montanita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $184 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Vilcabamba Montanita 320 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 Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,416 in Vilcabamba and $1,341 in Montanita 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: $384 in Vilcabamba versus $342 in Montanita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $301 in Vilcabamba versus $254 in Montanita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montanita – a meal for two runs $28 versus $30 in Vilcabamba. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.