how much to live decently in ecuador

kathryn47 wrote:

fixed income will be very low, minimum required I think $1000.00 US, but we are Canadians from Quebec.

Ecuador cost-of-living is lower than in CR, partly due to CR being closer to the US and Canada.

See COL numbers by city in Ecuador at www.numbeo.com

$900US per month in fixed income is the mínimum for a couple seeking a pensioner residency visa in Ecuador.

cccmedia in Quito

Here are some tips on cost-of-living savings in Ecuador....

1.  If living in a city, rent outside Gringolandia.  Here in the capital, for instance, the high-price areas include Mariscal, La Carolina and Gonzalo Suárez.  Outside these areas you can rent an Expat-friendly apartment for $300-400 if you avoid doing it over the Internet and bargain a little.  If the apartment is furnished or is a shorter-term rental, you may pay more.

2. Grocery-shop in Spanish-language markets.  Inspect those frutas, though -- as some could be over-ripe.  Some ítems will not be available in such mercados and you will supplement your mercancías at 'Maxi or Tía or Akí.

3. Eat lunch sometimes at the low-cost mom 'n pop eateries -- two or three bucks for a multi-course bargain.

4. Do you need to buy a stove?  Maybe not.  A $20 double-burner countertop unit, supplemented by a $60 George Foreman-style grill, might be enough.  Some single Expats live without a sofá or couch. 

cccmedia in Quito

I do appréciate all this info , we would not like to live in a big city ,probably near cost line (good beach ) nice clean little village .
Do you kno some ,or maybe I should post this on forum ?

Thank you very much ,,have a nice day 

There are people here from the coast who will be glad to help you.  There is also on Facebook a forum called Ecuador ExPats Two (have to join) that is centered on the coast.  Nice folks there too and people who may not be on this site.

Ask in both places.  I live in Cuenca and have no idea about the coast.

Be careful of the Puerto towns and sleepy fishing villages.

Lack of infrastructure, few or no supermarkets.  Lesser healthcare.

Use the Search Expat.com rectangle above to locate existing beach threads.

cccmedia in Quito

Je n'ai pas encore demanagé à Ecuador, mais j'ai l'intention d'y aller cet été quand j'aurais vendu ma maison.  Je pense que vous pourriez vivre votre retraite en paix et harmonie à Ecuador, et sans trop d'argent.  Mon régime de retraite ne m'accordera pas le même montant que le votre (ce sera moins), mais je demanagerai sans peur (j'ai aussi un peu mis à côté pour les voyages et les extras.).

HelenPivoine

kathryn47 wrote:

Hello everyone ,
like many babyboumers living in the cold we whant  to find a nice place in the sun . I have been reading alot on Costa Rica and it does not seem to be such inexpensive anymore. Apparently food , gaz and electricity have tripled if not more in the last couple of years . What about Ecuador ? Is the cost of living a bit lower ,the same ?
Are fixed incomme will be very low ,minimum required , I think $1000.00 US  ,but we are Canadians from Quebec.

Would appreciate any input from someone living there ,

Thank you

PS.   Sorry for my spelling ,first language is french.

Currently it is $800 plus $100 per dependent, unsubstantiated current rumor is it is going up to $900 plus $100 per dependent.  Ecuador uses US dollars, and the current strong US dollar has reduced the value of Canadian dollars, so being borderline eligible could become problematic if the Canadian dollar keeps losing value compared to the US dollar,  Good Luck.

Helen Pivoine wrote:

Je n'ai pas encore demanagé à Ecuador, mais j'ai l'intention d'y aller cet été quand j'aurais vendu ma maison.  Je pense que vous pourriez vivre votre retraite en paix et harmonie à Ecuador, et sans trop d'argent.  Mon régime de retraite ne m'accordera pas le même montant que le votre (ce sera moins), mais je demanagerai sans peur (j'ai aussi un peu mis à côté pour les voyages et les extras.).

HelenPivoine

Helen, keep your credibility up by posting in the correct language of this forum, English.

Helen you may want to paste your French into Google translate from French to English. I do it all the time.

Bonjour Mme Pivoine , en passant ce sont mes fleurs préférées    Je demeure au nord de Joliette dans un petit village ,  Nous avons mon mari et moi tous les deux 68 ans et ne recevrons que notre pension de veillesse avec supplément de revenu garantie qui sera retiré si nous ne demeurons plus au Canada alors je ne sais meme pas si nous serons illiglibles mais je reve de demeurer en Ecuador un jour . C'est pourquoi je fais des recherches mais je commence a me décourager en voyant toute la paparasserie exigée . Moi aussi j'aimerai ammené mon chat adoré .
Partez-vs bientot pour votre voyage de reconnaissance ? 
Nous pensons allez passer quelques semaines  cette hiver au Costa Rica  pour voir ce pays avant d'aller aussi a Ecuador car je ne pense pas que nous pourrons partir définitivement avant 2 ans .mais je sais que si nous avons un autre hiver tellement froid et long comme l'an passé ,je voudrais certainement partir plus vite !!
Je vous souhaite bonne chance et bon voyage et peux-etre en revenant pourriez -vous nous parlez des régions que vous avez visitées .

oups I am new here and was answering to someone who had written in french and so answered in same language but just saw a notice that we have to write in english ,pls accept my apologies

thank you for info . Yes , canadian $ to US $ makes big difference ,I kno buy on line and when you add shipping and exchange rate not such a great deal anymore . I would not be supprised if minimum amount goes up ,more and more people retiring and looking to live in these countries ,so gouverment se this coming .

Hi everybody,

Can we please make sure that we are only answering in english on this anglophone forum?

Do note that it will help all the members here to understand when reading this thread.

Thanks for your consideration

Priscilla

oups I am new here and was answering to someone who had written in french and so answered in same language but just saw a notice that we have to write in english ,pls accept my apologies

As a couple, count on needing USD 1,500 to 2,000 (more like the latter) to live a bit comfortably, pay for health care and Spanish lessons.

Tough question -- Ecuador is a developing country and in the 5 years I have been here, costs have been steadily going up.  Food, rent especially are moving higher and higher.  I lived 4 years in QUito and 6 months in Cuenca.  THEy have comparable costs.   In some cases , increases  are significant... your income and lifestyle dictate what amount you can spend so first, sort out the reality of your budget and then go from there. If you are frugal here, eat at home, grow some food or generally LIVE SIMPLY two people can live quite well on $2000.  People need to remember that TRAVEL back and forth is costly and often do not figure that into the budget they create.   YOu need to make a trip here FIRST before deciding. If there is not enough money for that, you may want to rethink the plan to relocate or save more money..

Suerte --   You need $800 USD to apply for many residency visas here.  Start from there...  OOOPs, did not read through the many responses below-- but kathryn47, I wish you luck!

thank you for taking time to answer, We realize that it will be difficult to move to Ecuador or retire to any other warm country for that matter .US dollard so strong now. So we will try instead to spend a couple of months each year in warm climates during our coldest months ,and where plane tickets are not so expensive .Costa Rica ,Panama ect...


Still hope that maybe we could do it somehow , you are lucky guys , Never kno maybe I will win loto or inherate !!!!

Enjoy

And then there was the guy who went and visited houses near the rural fincas.  He knocked on doors until he found a family he could talk into a room for himself in exchange for planting and tending a large garden of fruits and vegetables.  In this way there was food and juice beverages he could share in with the family.

He walked into town if he needed something there.  He took no fancy trips out of the area.  He watched the family TV, although sometimes he didn't have a choice of which program to view.  He adopted the Ecuadorian way of having clothes and shoes mended, and almost never bought anything new.

Eight times a month he volunteers at a local church or the orphanage and in this way keeps annually renewing his non-immigrant visa.

He lives his days frugally tending the garden, able to live in Ecuador on a budget of $99 a month, his health needs covered by the lowest level of government healthcare, which is free.

cccmedia in Quito

The above story may be apocryphal.

Take your time... and continue doing doing  the necessary research -- hope to meet you, Kathryn47 and your partner someday!

Much good luck, S. Schloth

Hi fellow Canadians,
I have lived in Cuenca Ecuador for 23 months and have spent approximately $800 US per month, but I have moved into a less expensive house so my costs will likely go down to around $650 to $700 per month..  I have internet and TV satellite which cost about $53 a month combined.  (TV about $30, internet about $22)  I used the TV as a Spanish learning tool, but there is some English programming.  I even have heard a rare French program, but they are rare. I also subscribe to Netflix.

My food budget is anywhere from $90 to $150 depending on what I choose to eat.  I eat a lot of chicken, but also some pork, beef and fish plus a lot of veggies.  I eat very well.

Health costs can vary depending on what health concerns you have.  Being Canadian we are used to free health care, but it does cost here.  A private doctor charges $30 for a visit, but drugs are cheaper by far.  Dentistry is cheaper here too.  I got an excellent cleaning for $25. 

Restaurant meals cost what you want to pay. A typical Ecuadorian lunch can cost as little as $1.50, but high end restaurants can be $40. Average cost for an Ecuadorian lunch is probably around $2.50 and  a more typical North American meal around $5 or $6.  Bus travel costs $0.25 a ride, no transfers except for a few select changes at the two terminals.  If you are 65 or over, the bus costs $0.12 per ride, but you have to get a senior's card at Terminal Terrestre.

My utilities cost about $20 per month (water, hydro)  I use about $3 worth of propane a month to cook and heat my water.  My rent presently is $200 per month for a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom house with parking, unfurnished.  It is a block from a bus route and in an totally Ecuadorian neighbourhood.  I used to pay $350 plus a condo fee of $30 for a beautiful apartment outside of El Centro so my monthly costs will likely go down even more once the cost of moving and setting up is complete.

Trips to towns outside of Cuenca by bus are very inexpensive: typically about $1 to $1.50 per hour of travel.

I am single, a non drinker and non smoker so I do not know the cost of these items.  I live frugally but well.  I take advantage of free concerts, fiestas and parks.  I shop both mercados, tiendas and larger north american like stores.

Hope this helps you with the decision as to whether this is the place for you.

I agree it takes about $1000 US$ per month to live modestly with comfort.  You will be pushed to get a nice apartment for less than $450, often unfurnished so about $1500 is needed for the basics. Nice and furnished will be about $650. Food and taxis and small extras will come to about $400 depending on how frugal you are, and the rest maybe for eating out, medical / vet expenses. I have had to use a facilitator quite a lot as I wait for my Spanish to improve, and at $15 per hour, they can mount up.
Re wanting warmth, you should do an online search to compare Cuenca (8,400 ft) to the coast which is warm but often overcast and humid.  Although I don't know for myself, I understand the coast is cheaper to live than Cuenca
Otherwise, I am sure you can find somewhere here where temp. and cost of living are just what you want. you might just need to do a bit of research and travelling when you get  here. Good luck

We came back from Ecuador near Manta. We were there for 3 months
From our experience you would need about $ 1,500US $ plus rent to lead an average middle class lifestyle
Yes you can do it on less, but that would mean giving up things we like here in Canada.
Manta on the coast is more expensive than inland

We were in Manta right on the Pacific ocean, the rents would be at least $ 1,500 or more

Very helpful and encouraging info for many planning to spend time in Ecuador. Curious though, are you still in Ecuador and if so do you still live in the same area?

The Gringotree has just published their 2015 Cuenca cost of Living Survey.

This is directed to Retired Pilgrim:

Must be a pretty casual place for $200/mth?   Although you must have liked it enough to accept it.

How did you find a place for $200/mth?   That is almost unheard of now. The typical is more like what you were paying.

I have two friend who pay $250 for three bedroom, one and a half bathrooms, nice living rooms and dining areas.  We all live in totally Ecuadorian neighbourhoods and are the only gringos around the areas we live in.  Word of mouth was how we found our places.  One friend was offered a place free of charge because the house was sitting empty while the owners live in the States.  He did not take it because it was way out of the city.

I found my place from one of these friends who has the same landlord as I do.  When the owner's son married the place I rent came available.  It is not ultramodern, but has a good size kitchen with lots of cupboard and counter space, two large bedrooms and one smaller one.  The bathroom is small by Canadian standards but has everything I need as a single person.  I have six breakers in my electrical panel so the place has ample circuits for modern equipment.  The parking area could accommodate two cars, but I use it as a patio for sitting out, reading and watching my plants grow..  I have everything I want and need. I have a space heater for colder nights although most of my neighbours do not.  Guess they are just tougher than I am.

Congratulations, Pilgrim, on getting a deal...and thanks for sharing with the forum how you did it.

Your post should be read by every eager Expat who thinks they can get a rental deal in advance from North America or elsewhere...by simply scouring the Internet.

cccmedia in Quito

I think the title for this Forum ought to be:   HOW TO LIVE " SIMPLY" IN ECUADOR (or anywhere else for that matter)
"Decently" is  subjective -- what is decent, anyway?  What is 'decent' for you is maybe not 'decent' for me, yes?

Retired pilgrim says he lives simply and well.  He is frugal and looks for good and reasonable "deals" and has fun doing that... Seems this is his objective, end of story. These are my two cents..

Myself I live the same way as RT and it is great!   I do not obsess about " cheap" or worry endlessly about what money I do have -- just know my budget ( limited because I have property I have to pay for and maintain in the States) and make it work for me!     Life is pretty wonderful...

Cheers,  sueb4bs

I had an interesting observation recently.

Over the past few years, we've befriended our online Spanish instructor, based out of Quito, and we visited Ecuador in the late winter. Like most, one of our first impressions was that so many items or services seemed to be so inexpensive, like taxis, food, rentals, etc.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when Ximena (our friend/instructor) came to the US to visit us. So guess what one of her first impressions was? That's right, how "inexpensive" things are. Specifically, quality clothing and all things related to technology.

Those on the forum who actually live between the two countries can elaborate more, but it's my observation that items or services whose cost is primarily derived from "hands on" (human) time/labor/craftsmanship are much less expensive in Ecuador. Items whose production value is primarily based in manufacturing, bulk production, assembly line, etc. are much less expensive in the US.

I suppose in the end, the cost to live "decently" in Ecuador depends a lot on which goods/services you rely on the most to live "decently".

"I suppose in the end, the cost to live "decently" in Ecuador depends a lot on which goods/services you rely on the most to live "decently"."

I would agree entirely.

Ecuador isn't an inexpensive place to live if you like up-to-date technology. If you are willing to accept technology that is one year or more older then you can get some that is reasonably priced.

Also cars are very expensive in comparison. This is probably one of the reasons why most expats choose not to have one. Although an argument to the positive is that if you do buy a car here you will experience much less depreciation as you would experience in North America. Even fairly old cars command a high price.

Rent is the the most costly for most people. And here, it is possible to secure a very comfortable living space for much less than you would pay in North America. But as this changes (which it seems to be doing), Ecuador will become less attractive, just like Costa Rica has become.

Unfortunately, all the great and inexpensive living spaces are disappearing from the face of the earth. Oh well, life is what it is.

It's pretty much the same in Colombia from what I've seen.  Labor is cheap, materials are expensive, especially anything imported, relatively speaking.  Especially imported vehicles and technology, because there is a high import tax on many items from the outside.  In general food is available with no problems but higher as a percentage of income (for the relatively "rich" gringos from outside it may not seem this way).  Also the basic foodstuffs seem very cheap (again, to the outsider) and there is a wonderful variety of fruits we just don't see in the US.

For instance today in the US at Kroger they are advertising granulated cane sugar at $2.29 USD for 2 lbs. while in Colombia at La 14 it's 2200 pesos for 1 kg.  which is about $0.88 USD for 2.2 lbs.  I just paid $3.48 USD for a dozen jumbo eggs at Walmart, and at La 14 they are at 4650 pesos which is about $1.80 USD.

My wife's middle-class family in building their home in Cali, Colombia utilized the services of a carpenter/cabinetmaker to custom-build cabinets for the kitchen and bath - something I could not do here in the US except at an exorbitant price!

As a rough rule of thumb which of course YMMV, it's possible to have about the same standard of living in Colombia/Ecuador for about half the cost of the US - realizing that it's still somewhat apples-oranges since many things we take for granted in the US are not to be found in South America, where the infrastructure may be seriously lacking in many respects.

Although this link uses data from 2009, it still provides a good idea of what your purchasing power is relative to the majority of the population in various South American countries.

http://cedlas.econo.unlp.edu.ar/esp/dis … ngreso.php

Under "Tu Perfil" you must fill in all fields (but only the first field for country is relevant for the calculation).

Under "Tu Percepcion Inicial" you are invited to estimate your perception of where you stand percentage-wise in the distribution of income.

Under "Ingreso Laboral Personal" you input your monthly income in the local currency.  Press the "Calcular" button to see where you stand on the scale below.

The last section "Ingreso Per Capita Familiar" asks for total household income and calculates where your family stands in those terms.

On the north coast, an hour north of Esmaraldes, I live in a small town for about $300 a month when I'm there by myself, but I'm a budget backpacker type and I own instead of paying rent. When my wife and kids are there with me I spend about $2000. When I'm in Quito I spend about $1000 solo and $3000 when with the family.

To compare that with the US... when I'm in the states I'm in one of the most expensive places... the N Dakota oil fields. I live alone like a monk on about $3000 a month.

I recently visited a small place - Karana (approximately 2 months old located at Guayas y Pichincha Esq.) that sells filled chocolates of various flavors as well as a wonderful cup of hot chocolate made from melted chocolate. Highly recommended.

While I was there I overheard the owners speaking with another Ecuadorian about purchasing wood flooring. I asked the person why they were selling laminated wood flooring here. The reply was that solid wood flooring was much more expensive these days. Things are a changing.

jessekimmerling wrote:

On the north coast, an hour north of Esmaraldes, I live in a small town for about $300 a month when I'm there by myself, but I'm a budget backpacker type and I own instead of paying rent. When my wife and kids are there with me I spend about $2000. When I'm in Quito I spend about $1000 solo and $3000 when with the family.

How many kids do you have?  That is quite an increase in living costs from living by yourself: $1700/mth more.   WOW!!!

2 kids, but it's not the number, it's the change in lifestyle when I'm with my wife.

She has expensive tastes. But that is not unusual where women are concerned.

IL just released a new ad for Ecuador saying a couple can live comfortably for $1,600 to $2,400 a month, and a single person can still get by on $1,000/month.  And if one is willing to be a cold showering vegetarian off the grid, for much less.

I can understand this also……I spend way more when it is my wife and I……as for me, I can live very happy with basic and simple things….