Country research
Ecuador
Prices overall are about 0.43 of United States prices at market exchange rates, and the Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Ecuador 135th of 163. People with a pension from abroad, people living on rents or other income from abroad, and remote workers paid from outside Ecuador can each apply for a temporary residence of up to two years, and a temporary resident can apply for permanent residence after at least 21 continuous months. [C1] [S1] [R1] [R3] [K1] [P1]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
77 of 100Strong
Price level 0.425 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Ecuador. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
93 of 100Strong
Cuenca, the main city for this grade: 12 comfortable months a year (every month), from INAMHI's 1981 to 2010 normals as published by the WMO. Quito has 11 and Guayaquil 3; the grade changes a great deal with the city.
Source: World Weather Information Service: Cuenca, climatological information; World Weather Information Service: Quito, climatological information; World Weather Information Service: Guayaquil, climatological information. Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
18 of 100Weak
Global Peace Index 2026: 135th of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
61 of 100Mixed
WHO UHC service coverage index 78 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
Unknown
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
Unknown
Not covered by Expat Insider 2026
Lifestyle
Unknown
Not covered by Expat Insider 2026
Work and career
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: a residence route for remote workers exists (the nomad visa, up to two years), but fixed broadband is 17.25 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line.
Source: Concesión de visa de residencia temporal rentista para trabajo remoto (Visa Nómada); Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ecuador. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
85 of 100Strong
Strong: pensioners (a pension from abroad of at least three basic wages a month, US$1,446 at the 2026 basic wage of US$482) and people with other income of at least three basic wages are temporary residents for two years, and 21 continuous months of temporary residence allow an application for permanent residence. The official pages state no age minimum and no deposit.
Source: Concesión de visa de residencia temporal jubilado; Concesión de visa de residencia temporal rentista; Concesión de visa de residencia permanente por tiempo de permanencia mayor a 21 meses; Visa Residencia Temporal: categories; Visa Residencia Permanente: categories; Salario Básico se fija en USD 482 para el 2026 en Ecuador. Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
38 of 100Mixed
17.25 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024).
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ecuador. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
11 of 100Weak
EF EPI 2025 score 466, below the 499 anchor (global rank 83 of 131).
Source: EF English Proficiency Index: Ecuador. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
Unknown
Research for US passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for CA passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for AU passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for NZ passports is being checked
Topics
The detail on Ecuador.
Guides
Ecuador, by passport.
Each guide is written for citizens of one country.
Questions about Ecuador.
Do I need a visa to visit Ecuador?
US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passports are not on the Cancillería list of nationalities that need a visa to enter. Since the October 2025 reform, a tourist stay is up to 90 days in the one-year period from your first entry, extendable once by up to 90 days. Tourists may not work.
How much does it cost to live in Ecuador?
Prices overall are about 0.43 of US prices (World Bank, 2025), an average, not a budget. Ecuador uses the US dollar. Three Cuenca one-bedroom adverts asked US$250 to US$550 a month on 15 October 2026, and one Quito advert US$680. Groceries, utilities and transport are not priced here, so they are unknown.
Can I get Ecuadorian residence on a pension or income from abroad?
The jubilado (pension), rentista (rents or investments) and remote-work (Visa Nómada) temporary residences each ask for three basic wages a month (to be safe, more than US$1,500). They last up to two years and need health insurance. After 21 continuous months you can apply for permanent residence.
Is Ecuador safe?
The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Ecuador 135th of 163. Canada says Ecuador is in a state of "internal armed conflict" and lists states of exception in provinces including Pichincha, Guayas and Santa Elena, and only one canton of Azuay. Safety varies by area, so read each government's advice for where you plan to be.
How different is the climate across Ecuador?
A great deal. INAMHI normals (1981 to 2010, via the WMO) give Cuenca 12 comfortable months a year, Quito 11 (April is over 150 mm of rain) and Guayaquil only 3 (June to August); the other nine have mean daily highs over 30 °C. Salinas has no published normals, so its climate is unknown here.
Will I get by in English, and how is the internet?
EF's 2025 English Proficiency Index scores Ecuador 466, ranked 83rd of 131, below the 499 line our index uses. The index covers people who chose to take EF's online test. Ecuador had 17.25 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people in 2024; that counts subscriptions, not speeds, so test the line at your address.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Ecuador, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 42.52 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Ecuador ranks 135th of 163 countries (score 2.539), 10th of 11 in South America.
- [R1] Concesión de visa de residencia temporal jubilado, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, via the Guía Oficial de Trámites (gob.ec). Checked 15 October 2026. gob.ec refused connections from here on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy taken on 27 February 2026. A pension from abroad of at least three basic wages a month; health insurance for the period of the visa; US$250 a month more for each person covered; valid 2 years; fees US$50 and US$270. The page states no age minimum and no deposit.
- [R3] Concesión de visa de residencia temporal rentista, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, via the Guía Oficial de Trámites (gob.ec). Checked 15 October 2026. gob.ec refused connections from here on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy taken on 28 January 2026. Monthly income from rents, investment titles and similar, in Ecuador or abroad, of at least three basic wages; health insurance; US$250 a month more for each person covered. The page states no age minimum and no deposit.
- [K1] Concesión de visa de residencia temporal rentista para trabajo remoto (Visa Nómada), Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, via the Guía Oficial de Trámites (gob.ec). Checked 15 October 2026. gob.ec refused connections from here on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy taken on 11 October 2026. Foreign-source income of at least three basic wages a month for the three previous months (or 36 a year), proof of work for a foreign employer or client, health insurance; valid up to 2 years; fees US$50 and US$270. Open to nationals of the countries on a Ministry of Tourism list, which the page records as all countries (2022 letters).
- [P1] Concesión de visa de residencia permanente por tiempo de permanencia mayor a 21 meses, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, via the Guía Oficial de Trámites (gob.ec). Checked 15 October 2026. gob.ec refused connections from here on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy taken on 28 January 2026. Permanent residence for people with temporary residence of at least 21 continuous months, applied for before the temporary status ends; the visa has no end date; fees US$50 and US$225.
- [G1] Ecuador Travel: home page, the four regions, Ministerio de Turismo del Ecuador (ecuador.travel). Checked 15 October 2026. Names four regions: Galapagos, Coast, Andes and Amazon.
- [G2] Ecuador Travel: Andes, Ministerio de Turismo del Ecuador (ecuador.travel). Checked 15 October 2026. The Andes region is surrounded by mountains, from moorlands to cloud forests; it lists Quito, Cotacachi and Loja among its places (and describes Cuenca in Spanish).
- [G3] Ecuador Travel: Pacific Coast, Ministerio de Turismo del Ecuador (ecuador.travel). Checked 15 October 2026. Beaches, mangroves and national parks; Guayaquil and Salinas are named. The Spanish text for Salinas calls it a refuge of sun, sea and surf with a warm climate.
- [G4] Ecuador: Administrative Division (Provinces and Cantons), Census 2022, citypopulation.de (a population statistics site; secondary), repeating the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) census results. Checked 15 October 2026. Census of 30 November 2022, not adjusted for undercount: Ecuador 16,938,986. Cantons for example Quito 2,679,722, Guayaquil 2,746,403, Cuenca 596,101, Cotacachi 53,001. INEC's own census viewer (censoecuador.gob.ec) refused automated access.
- [G5] Rural population (% of total population), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 36.6% of the population is rural (national definitions), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [W1] World Weather Information Service: Cuenca, climatological information, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMHI), published by the World Meteorological Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Normals for 1981 to 2010 (the latest this service publishes for Cuenca; no 1991 to 2020 normals were found). Mean daily highs 18.6 to 22.2 °C (coolest July, warmest November); rain 19.8 mm (August) to 123.3 mm (April); 12 comfortable months (every month). Cuenca is the main city for Ecuador's climate grade.
- [W2] World Weather Information Service: Quito, climatological information, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMHI), published by the World Meteorological Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Normals for 1981 to 2010. Mean daily highs 20.8 to 22.3 °C; rain 21.5 mm (July) to 171.2 mm (April); 11 comfortable months (April is over 150 mm).
- [W3] World Weather Information Service: Guayaquil, climatological information, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMHI), published by the World Meteorological Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Normals for 1981 to 2010. Mean daily highs 29.1 °C (July) to 32.2 °C (March); 3 comfortable months (June, July, August); the other nine are over 30 °C.
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Ecuador: 78 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ecuador, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 17.25 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [V1] Visa Residencia Temporal: categories, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Cancillería del Ecuador). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists the categories of temporary residence, including Rentista, Jubilado and Rentista para trabajo remoto (Visa Nómada). Opened live on 15 October 2026.
- [V2] Visa Residencia Permanente: categories, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana (Cancillería del Ecuador). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists the categories of permanent residence, the first being time in Ecuador of more than 21 months. Opened live on 15 October 2026.
- [M1] Salario Básico se fija en USD 482 para el 2026 en Ecuador, Vistazo (news magazine), reporting the Ministerio del Trabajo announcement of 15 December 2025. Checked 15 October 2026. The 2026 basic wage is US$482, so three basic wages is US$1,446 a month. The article gives no ministerial agreement number.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index: Ecuador, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. 2025 edition (the page's own data lists 2024 and 2025; its 2026 score is empty): score 466, global rank 83 of 131 countries and regions.