Country topic
Cost of living in Ecuador
The World Bank's price level index puts Ecuador at 42.52 in 2025, where the United States is 100. Prices overall are about 0.43 of US prices at market exchange rates. It is a national average across all goods and services, not a budget for a person or a city. [Cost of living C1] Ecuador uses the US dollar; its tourism ministry calls it a dollarised economy, so there is no local currency to convert for everyday costs. The unified basic salary of the general worker is US$482 a month from 1 January 2026, and the residence income tests are multiples of it, so they are reset each January. [C2] [C3] [C4]
What we found
The research, with its sources.
Research information, not advice. Rules change, so check the source before you act on one.
- The World Bank's price level index puts Ecuador at 42.52 in 2025, where the United States is 100. Prices overall are about 0.43 of US prices at market exchange rates. It is a national average across all goods and services, not a budget for a person or a city. [Cost of living C1]
- Ecuador uses the US dollar; its tourism ministry calls it a dollarised economy, so there is no local currency to convert for everyday costs. The unified basic salary of the general worker is US$482 a month from 1 January 2026, and the residence income tests are multiples of it, so they are reset each January. [C2] [C3] [C4]
- Three one-bedroom suite adverts in Cuenca, read on 15 October 2026, asked between US$250 and US$550 a month. The US$550 suite is furnished, in a 10-storey building, and includes the building fee. The US$450 suite is unfurnished, with a US$50 building fee on top, so US$500 in total. The US$250 suite is furnished and includes water, internet and the building fee but not electricity; its page also shows a US$250 fee, so confirm the total. These are asking prices on single adverts, not averages, and none states a deposit. [C5] [C6] [C7]
- In Quito, one advert for a semi-furnished one-bedroom suite in La Carolina asked US$680 a month, with a US$85 building fee shown (confirm whether it is included). In Tumbaco, in the valley east of Quito, one advert for a furnished two-bedroom flat asked US$650 a month with internet and water included and a US$50 building fee shown. Neither states a deposit, and each is one apartment, not a district average. We found no dated rent advert for Guayaquil or Salinas, so rent there is unknown. [C8] [C9]
- We found no dated, sourced price for electricity, internet, groceries, leisure, local transport or private health insurance, so those costs are unknown and we give no total monthly budget. One Cuenca advert includes ETAPA internet in its rent. Ecuador had 17.25 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people in 2024, a count of subscriptions, not speeds. Canada's government warns that power outages can affect telecommunications, banks and ATMs. [C7] [C10] [C11]
- The residence visas require health insurance covering Ecuador for the whole visa, and we found no price for private insurance, so that cost is unknown. Once you hold an Ecuadorian identity card you can join the IESS voluntarily; a news report puts the 2026 minimum at US$84.83 a month (17.60% of a US$482 base), and a spouse's health cover costs an extra 3.41%. The WHO's service coverage index for Ecuador is 78 out of 100 (2023). [C12] [C13] [C14] [C15]
- Residence fees are US$50 to apply and US$270 when a temporary residence is granted, and US$50 and US$225 for permanent residence on the archive copy we read (last updated December 2024), so confirm that fee. Documents cost extra and vary by passport: the US criminal record check (FBI Identity History Summary) is US$18 and the apostille is a separate step, an Australian apostille is A$105 a document, and a New Zealand apostille is NZ$37 a certificate. [C12] [C16] [C17] [C18] [C19]
- Living costs here exclude tax and social contributions. Ecuador's 2026 income tax table for individuals starts with 0% on the first US$12,208 a year and rises in steps to 37% above US$109,956. Voluntary IESS contributions are separate (see the health cover fact). Tax in your home country may apply too. [C20] [C14]
The Fernshore Index
How the Index grades the cost of living.
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.
The country
More on Ecuador.
Topics
More about Ecuador.
Questions about Cost of living in Ecuador.
How expensive is Ecuador compared with the United States?
Prices overall are about 0.43 of US prices at market exchange rates (World Bank price level index, 2025). That is a national average across all goods and services, not a budget, and it does not show how rent, food or healthcare compare for you. Ecuador uses the US dollar.
How much is rent in Ecuador's main cities?
Three Cuenca one-bedroom adverts asked US$250 to US$550 a month on 15 October 2026, and one Quito advert asked US$680. These are asking prices on single adverts, not averages. We found no dated rent advert for Guayaquil or Salinas, so rent there is unknown.
Does Ecuador use the US dollar, and what is the basic wage?
Yes, Ecuador uses the US dollar, so everyday costs need no currency conversion. The general worker's unified basic salary is US$482 a month in 2026. The residence income tests are multiples of it, so they change each January.
How much does health cover cost in Ecuador?
We found no price for private insurance, so it is unknown. The residence visas require insurance valid in Ecuador. Voluntary IESS cover needs an Ecuadorian ID; a news report puts the 2026 minimum at US$84.83 a month, with a spouse's health cover costing an extra 3.41%.
What does an Ecuadorian residence visa cost?
Temporary residence costs US$50 to apply and US$270 when granted. Permanent residence is US$50 and US$225 on the archive copy we read (updated December 2024); confirm it. Documents are extra: a US criminal record check is US$18, an Australian apostille A$105 a document and a New Zealand apostille NZ$37 a certificate.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [EC 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.
- [Cost of living 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.
- [C2] Nomad Visa, Ministerio de Turismo del Ecuador (ecuador.travel, the official international promotion site). Checked 15 October 2026. Two years of legal residency while working remotely; foreign-source income of at least 3 unified basic salaries a month for the 3 months before applying, or 36 a year; proof of remote work for a company or person abroad.
- [C3] 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.
- [C4] Ministerial Agreement MDH-DM-2026-0005-A (29 January 2026), quoting Labour Ministry Agreement MDT-2025-195 of 15 December 2025: unified basic salary for 2026, Ministerio de Desarrollo Humano; Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 31 March 2026, read on 15 October 2026. Quotes the Labour Ministry's sole article: the unified basic salary of the general worker is US$482.00 from 1 January 2026. The Labour Ministry's own site (trabajo.gob.ec) does not connect from our network.
- [C5] Furnished suite, Edificio Alta Vista, Avenida Primero de Septiembre, Yanuncay, Cuenca, REMAX Ecuador (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert (MLS 890491056-79), read on 15 October 2026; no publication date shown; availability unconfirmed.
- [C6] Unfurnished suite, Edificio Solé, El Vergel, Huayna Capac, Cuenca, REMAX Ecuador (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert (MLS 890491098-7), read on 15 October 2026; no publication date shown; availability unconfirmed.
- [C7] Furnished suite near Plaza Las Américas, Avenida Abelardo J. Andrade, San Blas, Cuenca, REMAX Ecuador (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert (MLS 890901010-8), read on 15 October 2026; no publication date shown; availability unconfirmed. The page header lists a US$250 fee, while the text gives US$250 as the whole monthly rent, so confirm the total.
- [C8] Semi-furnished suite, Edificio Bélgica Gardena, La Carolina, Quito, REMAX Ecuador (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert (MLS 890601188-94), read on 15 October 2026; no publication date shown; availability unconfirmed.
- [C9] Furnished two-bedroom flat, Condominios 7 Colinas, El Arenal, Tumbaco, REMAX Ecuador (private property portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert (MLS 890731060-69), read on 15 October 2026; no one-bedroom advert was found; no publication date shown; availability unconfirmed.
- [C10] 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.
- [C11] Ecuador travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 15 October 2026. Written for Canadian travellers; last updated 14 October 2026, read on 15 October 2026. Used for safety, the state of exception, power outages, the rainy season and El Nino, which apply to any foreign resident.
- [C12] 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).
- [C13] Voluntary affiliation to the IESS for Ecuadorians and foreigners in Ecuador: who can join and benefits, Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social (IESS). Checked 15 October 2026. Read on 15 October 2026; the page is undated and gives no contribution rate. Foreigners need an Ecuadorian identity card (cédula) and no unpaid IESS debts; benefits include old-age and disability pensions, work-risk cover and sickness and maternity care; health cover for a spouse costs an extra 3.41%.
- [C14] El IESS ofrece seguro y afiliación desde 84,83 dólares al mes para independientes (14 October 2026), El Comercio (Ecuadorian news site, not official). Checked 15 October 2026. Article of 14 October 2026, read on 15 October 2026: for 2026 the minimum contribution base is US$482 and the rate 17.60%, so the minimum is US$84.83 a month; a higher declared base raises it. We found no official IESS page with the rate.
- [C15] 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.
- [C16] 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; the archive copy shows a last update of 31 December 2024.
- [C17] Identity History Summary Checks (FBI criminal record check), Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 6 October 2026, read on 15 October 2026; fbi.gov blocks automated readers (403). Gives the US$18 fee and says the FBI does not forward requests to the State Department for the apostille, so the apostille is a separate step.
- [C18] Notarial services and fees (fee schedule from 1 January 2026), Australian Government, DFAT (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 7 October 2026, read on 15 October 2026 (the page was updated on 30 September 2026): apostille A$105 per document; payment in Australia by card only.
- [C19] Use your NZ documents overseas: apostille and authentication, Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), on govt.nz. Checked 15 October 2026. Page last updated 15 September 2026, read on 15 October 2026. Apostille NZ$37 a certificate (paper or electronic); processed within 15 working days; urgent service within 5 working days for NZ$120 more, not available if the document needs translating; courier extra (NZ$62 to the rest of the world). Own translations must be notarised by a New Zealand notary public, not a justice of the peace or solicitor. The page does not say whether Ecuador accepts an electronic apostille.
- [C20] Income tax tables for individuals, 2026 (Resolution NAC-DGERCGC25-00000043), Servicio de Rentas Internas (SRI), Ecuador tax authority. Checked 15 October 2026. Read on 15 October 2026. 2026 table in US dollars: 0% up to 12,208; 5% to 15,549; 10% to 20,188; 12% to 26,700; 15% to 35,136; 20% to 46,575; 25% to 62,005; 30% to 82,679; 35% to 109,956; 37% above.