Ecuador
A solid all-round choice. Ranked 15 of 40, strongest on affordability, softest on safety.
Key facts
Visa & residency
US$1,446 or more per month in pension income (three times the 2026 base salary of $482); there is no minimum age.
Grants two years of temporary residency, renewable once; after 21 months you become eligible for permanent residency, which removes the income requirement.
Healthcare
Public IESS costs about US$70 per month for voluntary members with no deductibles but a 3-month wait and network limits; private care in major cities is high quality and good value.
Private plans run roughly US$40-86 per month depending on age and cover; many expats combine private insurance with public IESS.
Cost of living
A one-bedroom city-centre apartment averages about US$357 per month (range roughly $200-600).
Safety & climate
Global Peace Index 2025 ranks Ecuador 135th of 163 (score 2.539, low state of peace); security has worsened nationally, though expat hubs such as Cuenca are generally calmer.
Varied by altitude: tropical Pacific coast and Amazon, cooler highland Andes.
Three regions - Pacific coast, Andean highlands and the Amazon basin; climate ranges from tropical lowland heat to mild, spring-like highland temperatures.
Community & language
Established but smaller expat communities in Cuenca and Cotacachi; Spanish is needed for daily life, though affordable bilingual help is available.
Spanish is the official language spoken by most of the population; 13 native languages including Quechua and Shuar are also recognized.
Taxes
Since December 2021 Ecuador taxes residents' foreign income, but taxes paid abroad can be used as a credit in Ecuador; verify pension treatment individually.
There is no US-Ecuador income tax treaty (Ecuador is absent from the IRS treaty-partner list; only a 2022 tax-information-exchange agreement exists). Ecuador's currency is the US dollar.
Compare Ecuador with its closest rivals
The three countries whose RetireScore sits nearest.
