Cost of living in Ecuador, prices and what it is like to live for an Expat, quality of life / hardship, and compare cost of living for Expatriates as at January 2021.

What is it like to live in Ecuador?

Climate: The climate is tropical along the coast and in the Amazonian jungle lowlands but cooler inland at higher elevations.

Language: The official languages are Spanish and Quechua. Quechua is spoken by Amerindians. English is spoken in some business circles, but a knowledge of Spanish is recommended and appreciated. Spanish is a necessity outside the main cities.

Religion: Christianity.

Economy: The economy of Ecuador is dominated by natural resources which include petroleum, fish, shrimp, timber and gold. In addition, it has rich agriculture: bananas, flowers, coffee, cacao, sugar, tropical fruits, palm oil, palm hearts, rice, roses, and corn. The country´s greatest national export is crude oil.

Inflation: -0.93% for Ecuador as at December 2020.

Money: The currency of Ecuador is the US Dollar (USD). Credit cards are generally accepted.

Tax: In Ecuador is based on the current personal income tax rates which are progressive up to 35%.

Population: 17.6 Million (2020 est.)

Expat Life: Conversations take place at a much closer physical distance and often involve more physical contact than expats may be accustomed to at home. Expatriates are generally expected to dress conservatively at work, although more casual dress code may be seen in coastal cities due to the hot and humid climate. Expatriate dress code for women is typically standard Western clothing, although short skirts are not recommended. The safety risk for expatriates in Ecuador is low, but medium in Quito and Guayaquil, and high near the Colombian border. Risks include petty / street crime such as bag snatching, abductions / kidnapping for ransom, protests and demonstrations, as well as high levels of corruption. Other risks include active volcanoes.

Health Care: Health care facilities are good but expensive in the main cities. Private hospitals require up front payment or a credit card guarantee for admission. Cases of Zika and the Chikungunya virus have been reported. Dengue fever occurs. The official Coronavirus COVID-19 total reported cases for Ecuador as at 14 January 2021 is 224,315, with 14,229 deaths. The rate of deaths per 1 million population is 800. Current active cases is 16,505.

Ecuador covers all areas within the country other than Quito.

Cost Of Living

What is the cost of living in Ecuador?

The cost of living for expatriates in Ecuador as at January 2021 is low in comparison to other places in the world, with an overall Cost of Living Index (COLI), for all 13 basket groups, of 56.67 (New York =100). We have collected prices for the same items, world wide, based on Expat spending norms, in or closest to the location, and converted them to $USD so that we can compare the cost of 13 different baskets in 780 global locations. For each basket, compared to New York, the equivalent cost in Ecuador is as follows:

1) Alcohol and/or Tobacco: Cost is average for items such as beer, spirits, wine and tobacco related products such as cigarettes. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$770. Average price in a store for a midrange bottle of wine is USD$12.09, domestic/local beer (500ml) USD$1.56, imported/international beer (330ml) USD$3.04 and a pack of 20 cigarettes is USD$7.01.

2) Clothing: Cost is average for items such as business, casual and children's clothing and footwear. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$950. Average price for an international brand of mens jeans is USD$57, a quality international brand of running shoes USD$93, mens leather shoes suitable for office wear USD$81 while a medium size international summer dress from a global chain store is USD$44.

3) Communication: Cost is average for various communication costs such as home telephone rental, internet subscription, mobile service provider tariff and data costs. A basket costing USD$200 in New York costs USD$174. Average price for a monthly standard plan internet subscription is USD$39, while the benchmark mobile tariff is USD$0.13 per minute.

4) Education: Cost is average for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. A basket costing USD$30,000 in New York costs USD$22500. Average annual private international school fee (excluding extras) USD$14,679 for Primary School, and USD$16,335 for High School.

5) Furniture & Appliances: Cost is average for items such as dining table and chairs, home entertainment, kitchen appliances, and sofas. A basket costing USD$2,500 in New York costs USD$1825. Average price for a 6kg front loader Washing Machine is USD$659, and USD$566 for a 46+'' LED UHD TV.

6) Groceries: Cost is low for items such as consumables, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruit & vegetables, general food products, snacks, soft drinks. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$530. Average grocery prices in a major international retail store for 1 kg apples is USD$2.39, 1 kg oranges USD$1.52, 1 head lettuce USD$0.75, 1 kg potatos USD$1.21, 1 kg boneless, skinless, chicken breast USD$6.59, 1 kg cheddar cheese USD$5.69, 1 dozen large eggs USD$2.00, 500g loaf white bread USD$1.78, 1 L full cream milk USD$1.22, and 1.5 L water USD$1.27.

7) Healthcare: Cost is low for general heath care, doctor visits, hospital stays, non-prescription medicine, and medical insurance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$540. Average healthcare cost for a private practice Doctor visit for an uninsured patient is USD$44, and a private hospital stay per day including nursing care, medications, diagnostic tests, food, and related costs is USD$1,351.

8) Household Accommodation: Cost is low for items such as apartment rent, house rent, property purchase, mortgage rate, and utilities. A basket costing USD$5,000 in New York costs USD$1550. Average expatriate house / apartment rent for a secure upmarket unfurnished apartment (3 bedrooms) is USD$1,232 in a central location, and USD$833 in a suburban location, per month, excluding utilities.

9) Miscellaneous: Cost is average for items such as dry cleaning, linen, magazines, newspapers, office supplies, and postage stamps. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$375. Average price for dry cleaning (1 mens 2 pc suit) is USD$7.32, while an international newspaper is USD$2.25.

10) Personal Care: Cost is low for items such as cosmetics, hair care, and toiletries. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$230. Average cost for a mens haircut and blow dry is USD$18, while a womens hair colour, cut and blow dry - medium length is USD$92.

11) Recreation & Culture: Cost is average for items such as books, cinema, sport and theatre tickets. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$370. Average price for a latest release international cinema ticket (average of on and off peak where applicable) for one adult is USD$7.25, and an international fitness, recreation or sports club membership cost for one adult is USD$53 per month.

12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Cost is low for items such as hotel daily room rates, meals and beverages in a restaurant, and take away food and beverages. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$420. Average cappuccino price (regular, medium) is USD$2.54, coke/pepsi (330ml) USD$0.87, burger meal (international franchise or similar) USD$7.25, and a mid-range international restaurant meal for 2 USD$36.27.

13) Transport: Cost is average for items such as fuel (petrol/gasoline), car hire, public transport, vehicle purchase and maintenance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$790. Average average price over the last year for highest available octane petrol / gasoline (1L) is USD$0.60, while the benchmark car sedan purchase price including taxes/duties for a compact / small / economy vehicle (1.4 L) is USD$23,250.

How does the cost of living in Ecuador compare?

Ecuador is -35.9% cheaper than USA for groceries, -53.4% cheaper for household costs than UK, and 51.6% more expensive for transport costs than India.

What is the quality of life / hardship in Ecuador?

Ecuador is ranked as a high degree of hardship location.The hardship premium for Ecuador for an expat from Australia, is for example 20%, i.e. host location (Ecuador) premium of 30% minus home (Australia) location premium of 10%.

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