Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilcabamba and Quito

For one person, living costs are similar in Vilcabamba and in Quito: $968 and $978 a month, rent and utilities included.

47

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$968

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vilcabamba and in Quito

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Vilcabamba vs $978 in Quito, rent included.

Vilcabamba $968
Quito $978

A couple spends around $1,435 per month in Vilcabamba vs $1,586 in Quito, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,435
Quito $1,586

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Vilcabamba vs $2,194 in Quito, rent included.

Vilcabamba $1,903
Quito $2,194

Vilcabamba is about 1% cheaper than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vilcabamba and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Vilcabamba 28% lower, Quito 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 $3.60

$6.08 $6.08

-40.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.17 $30.17

$55.5 $55.5

-45.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.61 $7.61

7.23%

Cappuccino

$2.22 $2.22

$3.40 $3.40

-34.71%

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

$0.99 $0.99

$1.37 $1.37

-27.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.09 $1.09

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.43 $3.43

-41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$6.06 $6.06

-40.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.14 $1.14

-11.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.60 $1.60

-3.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.58 $1.58

-3.80%

Eggs

$2.50 $2.50

$2.12 $2.12

17.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.58 $6.58

24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$5.51 $5.51

-4.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$7.65 $7.65

-5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.24 $2.24

-23.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.19 $1.19

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.33 $1.33

-11.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.13 $1.13

-4.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.24 $1.24

-26.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.02 $1.02

-1.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.92 $0.92

-19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.05 $1.05

-1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.16 $6.16

-17.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 $11.10

$10.07 $10.07

10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.58 $1.58

3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.09 $3.09

-11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.36 $0.36

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.13 $19.13

$21.37 $21.37

-10.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.53 $1.53

-14.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.49 $1.49

-33.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 $10.16

$9.84 $9.84

3.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 $0.65

$0.81 $0.81

-19.75%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

0.24%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

2.63%

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

$39.15 $39.15

$28.75 $28.75

36.17%

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

$13.28 $13.28

$17.86 $17.86

-25.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.25 $36.25

$28.20 $28.20

28.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.43 $30.43

$46.08 $46.08

-33.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 $18.73

$17.76 $17.76

5.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 $6.71

$6.34 $6.34

5.84%

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

$212 $212

$739 $739

-71.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,076 $5,076

$8,909 $8,909

-43.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$71.0 $71.0

-23.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 $41.74

$50.4 $50.4

-17.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$114 $114

-10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 $71.6

$107 $107

-33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 $387

$491 $491

-21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 $387

$309 $309

25.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 $634

$932 $932

-31.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 $581

$540 $540

7.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,199 $1,199

$1,759 $1,759

-31.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 $782

$715 $715

9.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$462 $462

$594 $594

-22.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

10.12

-0.69%

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

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 11, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vilcabamba

$387 40%

Quito

$309 31.6% 20.1% $78

Groceries & Markets

Vilcabamba

$195 20.2%

Quito

$198 20.3% 1.5% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Vilcabamba

$121 12.6%

Quito

$154 15.8% 27% $33

Eating Out

Vilcabamba

$105 10.9%

Quito

$151 15.5% 43.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilcabamba

$89 9.2%

Quito

$75 7.7% 15.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Vilcabamba

$44 4.5%

Quito

$59 6% 34% $15

Getting Around

Vilcabamba

$27 2.8%

Quito

$32 3.3% 18.6% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $387 in Vilcabamba versus $491 in Quito. 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 29% higher in Quito, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Vilcabamba versus $55.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $198 – making Vilcabamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

Same time as Vilcabamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

💱 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 Quito 460 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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quito is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,452 per month in Vilcabamba and $1,467 in Quito. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Vilcabamba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $212 per month in Vilcabamba and $739 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vilcabamba, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Quito at $978. In Vilcabamba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quito it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vilcabamba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Vilcabamba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quito makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.