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Very much possible. I spend about that amount for 2 adults and we eat all we want, and I'd have to think about where to spend more. All depends on how you entertain yourself and maybe some emergency medical bills...
One friend of mine, living in his own apartment without a car, when he doesn't travel, spends probably $500 a month, no more... another one has "5-15" addiction, sky's the limit there...

Hello Tfreddie

I read your question and no, I don't believe you're dreaming. I arrived in Guayaquil a week ago and have been staying with an Ecuadorian family who has been treating me as a family member since my arrival. In the short time I have been here I have learned a lot from them in regards to living and how much I would need. There answer to me was it depends on you......Are you willing to sacrifice or change your personal lifestyle. In other words are you willing to drink Ecuadorian pilsener as opposed to Budweiser? Ecuadorian jeans compared to Levis? Are you willing to live among the Ecuadorian population such as in a barrio or are you looking for a penthouse apartment above a disco? It's up to you. If you want to live like an American you may want to stay in California near family support however if you're willing to live an Ecuadorian lifestyle then yes, you can survive on your monthly income. The income of the family I reside with is a mere $300 per month. Try living off of that in the states. Of course there is nothing luxurious about their living conditions and I have to adapt to cold showers but if I can survive 22 years as a U.S Army soldier, I can survive and adapt to any lifestyle. Personally I have decided to take on the challenge of living in a barrio among the Ecuadorian people. I am currently living in el Barrio las Peñas. It is gorgeous and relatively close to everything. I am also near the river Guayas which is as beautiful as the videos you see on youtube.com. It's your call...If you would like me to find out more for you feel free to contact me anytime. By the way, living alone in a foreign country isn't all that bad.

Hello Tfreddie,

I have been in Ecuador for more than 14 months now and while I can't speak for all parts of Ecuador, I can tell you that it is possible to live in Cuenca, Ecuador for $1100 and you will have a higher standard of living than you would in most parts of the USA.  Now I'm not saying that you will live like a King but you can lead a quite comfortable life.

I help people like you find rental properties here in Cuenca and it is common for us to consider our clients fixed income while searching for rental properties.

If you have the savings I would recommend that get an unfurnished rental and furnish it yourself.  In this way you can keep your monthly expenses down and leave more money each month for eating out, social events, and traveling.  Here is an article on the subject.  cuencacondos.com/blog/2010/11/furniture-prices-in-cuenca/

Please take all this info with a grain of salt and add an additional percent for medical emergencies, entertainment etc. There´s a lot of misinfo out there and speculation which is raising all cost associated with cuenca living . Unfortunately as an expat your lifestyle will exceed what a local will conform with. Be wearly of these websites offering paradise cuenca has come a long way and it is still booming.

IndyJones101,
I have questions for you:
Do I need "grain of salt" reading your comments?
Should I be wearly of your business?
quote
"I am a retired Public service employee myself and have nothing to gain except a friendship. You can email me for a sincere responce. I will filter any misinformation thank you."
end of quote
what all of this mean - everyone gives misinformation but you?

You will not live elaborately, but way better than you can in the States.  You will probably do a lot of the things you do now, cook, clean etc.  Cuenca has a lot of free events and a pretty large expat community.  And you will be able to eat out at nice restaurants and eat way better at home than you can now.  I think that there are a fair number of expats that are around your income.  Never heard them complain.  Plus you have more than enough to qualify for the retired visa.

Mike

Mike

hey mike ... thanks for the heads-up!  i can't find anything specifically about the ecuador retired visa you mentioned ... googled it but didn't find much ... can you steer me in the right direction for info about that visa?

Hello tfreddie

About the visa. When you enter Ecuador, you have 90 days to stay with no problem. If you plan to stay longer than that, you have to do some paperwork.

I work with expats, before, during and after the journey.
I help you with real estate tours. After you buy the property, I help you with the services, phone line, water supply, electric bills, cell phone and so on.

I can't give you any web site with info, because I will get banned so I will send you a private message with a web site with all the info you may need. Economics, politics, working, visas, and so on.

jfgranda wrote:

I can't give you any web site with info, because I will get banned so I will send you a private message with a web site with all the info you may need.

We never banned any member for giving answers & links to other members !

you could do that in quito if you do not live in the (expensive) gringo enclaves in the north.
  if you have enough funds to actually buy a place so that you don't have to pay rent, it's totally doable.

My income is about that and I expect to be able to live just fine. To convince my self I leave for Cuenca in a few days for a two month stay to assess the real conditions. Seeing what I have about rents I think it is entirely possible as long as you are realistic about your lifestyle and living while there. My guess is that anyone who is considering Ecuador should visit for a couple months to get the real story.

But I have my own question. Are charges (bank, etc) a lot for cash withdrawls at atm's?

Expect to pay around 3% withdrawing from US banks x ATM. Open an account in Banco Pichincha Panama (it has a branch in Ecuador), and deposit your own checks there. It takes them 9 business days to clear, but costs you nothing. As an added benefit, your money would be actually outside of Ecuador but easily accessible. Pichincha also has branches in Miami and Madrid.

Hi tfreddie, its a great question. Cost of living does depend on your lifestyle - and on what part of the country and what part of that city that you chose to live in.

On our blog, I published the costs of living for our family here in Cuenca.

Its important to note that we don't live in an "expat building" and we didn't hire an "expat realtor". We found a great house with the help of a couple friends.

Once you get a reasonably priced place to live, the remaining of your income will go a long ways.

I recieve 3,000 per month and find it hard to live on in Costa Rica especially here at the Beach community of Playa del Coco in Guanacaste... Living here for over 2 years and I have seen everything Double in price... every month before payday I am waiting for my next check.. I also make extra mony on the side playing the drums for  a band and average another 4 to 600 per month... Not living like a king but modestly... Thin king about relocation to either Nicaragua or Panama but also have been thinking about the pros and cons of Equador.  It is a hard decesion to make because it would be a major move.. I would have to liquidate before moving.. Thanks to the administration of this Blog. I will be more informed which helps in decesion making..

3000 is hardly enough in CR????? What's your vice, dude? With a budget like this makes no sense to leave US.

We are also looking into retiring in Ecuador but prefer the coast.  Living at 9000 feet altitude does not appeal to us.  Does anyone have any realistic info on the coastal area around Manta.  We were just there in November and were impressed with the coast.

  I am still trying to figure out why everyone wants to be in the mountains. Any comments??

  Any info would be greatly appreciated regarding the following:
Cost of a car or motorcycle and insurance and repairs
Cost of and ease of obtaining hi-speed internet and TV satellite
Medical costs/medical insurance/quality of care on the coast
Ease and cost of obtaining quality furnishings and appliances
Best approach to locating a house rental (initially), house purchase, land purchase, house construction

Thanks for any information.
Ed

I will comment on "why mountains and not the coast". Only my opinion, no offense intended.
1) Weather. I find Quito weather to be nearly perfect. It rains a little bit more to my taste, but when it doesn't you can't wish for anything else. If at times I miss something hot and humid, I prefer a 5-6 hour car ride to Manabi coast or a 3-hour flight to Miami.
2) People. Let me start by saying that I'm neither racist nor nationalist. But I believe that the Earth is beautiful per se and it is the people that make it screwed up. I won't say more, I prefer to live among sierra people.
3) Security. I havn't seen all the coast, maybe there are some towns that are clean, where people don't beg (that much), and where every walk on the street or on the beach doesn't look like an operation Desert Storm. There is almost no middle class: it is either dirt poor or a Range Rover SUV, and where this Range Rover parked at night it is more expensive than similar area in Quito.
But... despite all this, you might like it.
There are many posts regarding the prices, but let me recap it real quick for you:
- go to patiotuerca.com for car and motorcicle prices;
- Hi-speed Internet and cable or satellite TV - very easy, TVCable offers Internet staring from $15.00 I believe, and there is DirectTV;
- Furniture and appliances - very easy to get, furniture - prices compatible with US, appliances - higher;
No comments on anything else.
Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. 
We had just visited the coast in November.  Unfortunately, we did not interact with a great deal of the natives but those we met seemed friendly and helpful.  In the city, they seemed more like the people in any large city, aka Phily, DC, etc.  The altitude had a significant effect on both of us and we thought the coast would be more appropriate.  And we like the beaches.
Thanks for all the info, especially about the car site.  Will visit that tonight.

To RicFitch:
Living in Philadelphia, you have access to Trumark Credit Union and they are part of a CU network that has free access to ATM's in Ecuador (mostly Quito, Cuenca and Quayaquil) to do your banking with no charges.  There may be other CU' that offer the same access.

I'll be really surprise if your CU actually won't charge you anything. Banks make some silliest explanations when it comes to use of foreign ATM's. For example, my HSBC card (that is supposed to be free worldwide) charges me 3% "currency exchange fee" when it is USD to USD, USBank is supposed to be free as well, but here the local ATM charges come up, etc etc.

Will find out in 6 months

how on earth did this thread get so far off-topic?  the original post concerned the possibility of retiring in ecuador on a fixed income/retirement check of $1100/month.  mon dieu !!!  is this typical for this site?  am i missing something?  please, enlighten me! ... tfb.

nope, that's not typical ...

Dear members, could you please concentrate on the original topic, or create a new discussion ?

Thanks

hey, Julien... Neaa, we just like it like this. Do you mind?

LilabyKova, You must be content paying the gringo tax. Thanks for elevating the costs for the rest of us.

IndyJones101 wrote:

LilabyKova, You must be content paying the gringo tax. Thanks for elevating the costs for the rest of us.

It is Liliya Bykova (sounds like music, by the way) and
what do you mean?
In our budget we don't have gringo tax expense.

Are you trying to poke me for my legimate question?

IndyJones101,
I have questions for you:
Do I need "grain of salt" reading your comments?
Should I be wearly of your business?
quote
"I am a retired Public service employee myself and have nothing to gain except a friendship. You can email me for a sincere responce. I will filter any misinformation thank you."
end of quote
what all of this mean - everyone gives misinformation but you?

Hello members,

This thread has bounced in all directions . It is really I will suggest you to start a new discussion as previously mentioned by the platform founder.

Regards