---
title: "Montañita vs Vilcabamba for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/montanita-vs-vilcabamba
description: "Under balanced weights Montañita edges it, 60 to 58, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Montañita is stronger on getting there & around; Vilcabamba on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Montañita vs Vilcabamba for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Montañita edges it, 60 to 58, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Montañita is stronger on getting there & around; Vilcabamba on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Getting there & around.** Montañita leads on getting there & around, 44 to 15, against Vilcabamba. Non-stop airport destinations: 18 vs 1.
- **Climate.** Vilcabamba leads on climate, 100 to 83, against Montañita. Comfortable months: 10 vs 12.
- **Air quality.** Montañita leads on air quality, 80 to 73, against Vilcabamba. PM2.5: 14 µg/m³ vs 17.1 µg/m³.

Where they are close: within five points on internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.

**Pick Montañita if you want** more flights and easier getting around.

**Pick Vilcabamba if you want** a longer comfortable season (12 months against 10).

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Montañita | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 48 | 48 | tie |
| Safety | 23 | 23 | tie |
| Healthcare | 71 | 71 | tie |
| Internet | 61 | 59 | Montañita |
| Visa ease | 78 | 78 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 44 | 15 | Montañita |
| Climate | 83 | 100 | Vilcabamba |
| Air quality | 80 | 73 | Montañita |
| Quality of life | 52 | 52 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Montañita | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,350 | $1,350 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Montañita | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 38.94 | 38.94 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 54.4 | 54.4 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 78 | 78 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 74 yrs | 74 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Montañita | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 19.1 Mbps | 18.8 Mbps | Montañita |
| Upload | 24.6 Mbps | 15.8 Mbps | Montañita |

## Visa

| Metric | Montañita | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) | Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,446/mo | $1,446/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Montañita | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 18 | 1 | Montañita |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Montañita | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 10 | 12 | Vilcabamba |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 14 µg/m³ | 17.1 µg/m³ | Montañita |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Montañita or Vilcabamba?

Vilcabamba is cheaper: about $1,350 per month versus $1,350 for one person.

### Is Montañita or Vilcabamba safer?

Montañita scores higher on safety (23 vs 23), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Montañita or Vilcabamba?

Montañita: a measured median of 19.1 Mbps versus 18.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Montañita](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/montanita) · [Vilcabamba](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/vilcabamba). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/montanita-vs-vilcabamba