November 18, 2025 • 15 mins
Ready for a fabulous gay retirement in Ecuador?
Thinking about retiring abroad? You’re not alone. In Ep. 616 we break down Ecuador—a country that punches above its weight with year-round spring weather, U.S. dollar convenience, solid healthcare, and a much lower cost of living. We cover legal landscape (marriage since 2019; gender recognition 2024), where stigma still shows up, and our Top 5 Ecuador cities for gay retirees—Salinas, Cotacachi, Guayaquil, Quito, Cuenca—with 2BR rent ranges, cost-of-living vs. U.S., and our Queer Money Retirement Rating for each.
Key Takeaways
- Real savings: Many Ecuador cities run ~50–70% cheaper than the U.S., with rents that can be a fraction of stateside prices.
- Climate win: Highland zones offer “eternal spring”—often no A/C or snow shovels.
- Queer reality: Legal wins exist, but visibility and safety vary by city; Quito leads for LGBTQ+ infrastructure, Cuenca for expat ease.
- Trade-offs: Big-city perks vs. crime hot spots (e.g., Guayaquil), beach life vs. tourist pricing (Salinas), quiet charm vs. fewer queer spaces (Cotacachi/Cuenca).
Chapters:
- 00:00 – Intro: Why Ecuador keeps popping for LGBTQ+ retirees
- 02:29 – #5 Salinas (beach town, Vox gay disco): 2BR ~$500–$800 | COL ~50–65% ↓ | Rating 6/10
- 04:37 – #4 Cotacachi (quiet Andean base): 2BR ~$450–$600 | COL ~60–70% ↓ | Rating 7/10
- 06:29 – #3 Guayaquil (big-city energy): 2BR ~$620 | COL ~60–65% ↓ | crime caveat | Rating 7/10
- 09:11 – #2 Quito (capital & queer hub): 2BR ~$675–$1,300 | COL ~54–63% ↓ | Rating 8/10
- 11:40 – #1 Cuenca (expat favorite): 2BR ~$300–$600 | COL ~60–70% ↓ | Rating 9/10
- 13:51 – Next up & wrap up
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Mentioned in this episode:
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Looking to retire abroad.
You're not alone and you're inthe right place.
Today we're turning all of oureyes to Ecuador, a country that punches
way above its weight inbeauty, climate and expat friendliness,
all while keeping a relativelylow cost of living.
This is Queer Money episodenumber 616.
So let's go.
So let's talk a little bitabout Ecuador, especially when it
comes to gay rights.
(00:21):
Same sex marriage has beenlegalized since 2019.
Legal gender, genderrecognition took place in 2024.
Despite all that, there isstill a little bit of stigma.
Same sex couples cannot adoptand there is some discrimination
despite the constitutionalprotections, which kind of reminds
me of what David Gobacker saidon episode 611 about how he wants
(00:44):
to live in a country that itisn't just written, it's actually
lived on the streets.
And so this is probably one ofthose countries that's still working
towards that.
As far as the rest of thecountry, it is considered to be an
affordable luxury area.
You can enjoy a comfortablelifestyle for about about 60 to 70%
less than the US with manystunning mountain and coastal vistas
(01:06):
and world class healthcare.
It is also referred to as acountry that has year round springtime.
Ecuador's mild but unstableclimate, especially in the mountainous
areas like the Andes, meansthat you can ditch both the snow
shovel and the air conditioner.
I'm down to that.
Right.
Some other things that are great.
It does have easy access to aneasier life with the US dollar being
(01:28):
its primary currency.
It has a simplified residency,passport, residency visa process
and low cost domestic travel.
So that makes it a place wherea lot of retirees are looking to
retire abroad because it isrefreshingly straightforward.
Nice.
So as a recap, two weeks agowe covered the beautiful country
(01:48):
of Taiwan for the top fiveplaces for gay retirees.
In two weeks, we will coverthe top five places for gay retirees
in Madonna's home country, Italy.
This week we're covering Ecuador.
So as always, please let usknow what we get right, what we get
wrong, especially some of the pronunciations.
And then of course, moreimportantly, let us know what your
(02:08):
personal experiences are inthese locations or in Ecuador overall.
The more you share, whetheryou've been there long term or even
just for a quick trip, thebetter for everybody else who's having
great discussions on Instagramand YouTube.
Right, so let's dive into thetop five cities.
Coming in at number five is Salinas.
Why is this a great area?
Salinas is one of Ecuador'smost developed beach towns.
(02:28):
So it has good infrastructure,has a mild climate compared to some
of the other beach towns,beach access, and it's a great base
for expat life.
Some of the downsides, becauseit is a coastal area, there is some
risk to humidity, storms andsome vulnerability when it comes
to crime, especially in theport or coastal zones.
(02:51):
And also it's a touristy area.
We know what happens whentourists come in.
Prices go up, right?
So some of the areas are goingto be a little bit pricier, especially
near the touristy hubs.
As far as the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots, it's not necessarily known
as a gay town, but Salinas hasa relatively liberal and tolerant
(03:12):
lifestyle compared to some ofthe other coastal towns around.
You won't find necessarily arobust gay nightlife, but there are
gay friendly hotels and bars.
Actually found one bar that iscalled Vox.
It is a gay disco and dancebar with drag shows.
So there is a somewhat,somewhat of a gay vibe going on here.
(03:34):
Some of the other perks,again, beach lifestyle, community.
If you love seafood, you'regoing to be in heaven here.
It also has good connectivityto some of the other coastal hubs
and it does have access to alot of modern amenities, especially
healthcare.
So if you're looking at yourcost of living, a two bedroom is
going to run you anywherebetween five and eight hundred dollars
(03:55):
a month.
We're going to be giving wideranges on a lot of these cities here
because the reality is is thatin many of these places it really
depends on the accommodationand the location as to where your
rent is going to land.
Overall cost of living isabout 50 to 65% lower than the US
average.
(04:16):
That's just crazy.
And we know most of this hasto do with the fact that housing
is so cheap.
So we're going to give Salinasa queer money retirement rating of
6 out of 10 because it is acomfortable option, although it does
lack a strong queer scene.
Coming in at number four isKotakachi in the Northern Andes,
the Ambubur Province.
Why is Cotacachi great?
(04:37):
Well, it's quiet, it's scenic,it has a cooler climate, that eternal
spring that David talked aboutearlier, a strong expat presence.
And many foreigners appreciateKodakachi as a peaceful base in the
Andes.
Downsides are that it's avery, very small town with limited
infrastructure and limited entertainment.
Also, the health care and highend services might require you to
travel, so that might increasesome of your costs.
(04:57):
So keep that in mind.
And then the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots It's a little bit more discreet
than some of the other citieswe're going to cover here shortly.
You won't see an over queervenue or bar, but the expat community
is very progressive and very accepting.
So maybe you build the queerbar or restaurant disco.
(05:19):
As for the perks, low noise, alot of beautiful natural surroundings.
Hiking is very big here.
It has a great community feel.
Rents and cost of living arevery, very low cost.
For a two bedroom apartment inKodakachi, you'll find a one bedroom
actually go for about $400 a month.
In the historic district, atwo bedroom might run you between
450 to 600, but of course asDavid said, that's very approximate
(05:40):
and very contingent on whereexactly you decide to live and how
luxurious your expectations are.
As for the overall cost ofliving, it's about.
Kotakachi is about 60 to 70%lower than the US national average.
So for all these reasons we'regiving it a queer money retirement
rating of 7 out of 10.
It's great for thoseprioritizing, quiet living, scenic
(06:01):
living, overnight life.
Yeah, it's amazing to me how,how affordable some of these places
are.
And I think one of the reasonswhy we're seeing so many individuals
in the US talk about leavingthe country because it's just untenable
to live in the US unlessyou're making multiple six figures
it almost seems these days.
(06:22):
Yeah.
All right, coming in at numberthree is Guayaquil.
Now Guayaquil is the largestcity in the Guayas province.
Why is it a great city?
Well, it's a big city, so ithas big city energy.
It's a port city with lots of commerce.
So there's a lot of, lot ofstuff happening here.
It does have a more tropical climate.
There are great services.
But you're going to find thatin the urban areas is where the community
(06:46):
is more tolerated.
Right.
It's more tolerant in theseurban areas.
Some of the downsides is thatbecause it is a coastal city, this
one in particular has intenseheat and humidity.
But that's good for yourwrinkles, right?
It definitely your skin.
Right.
It is less of that highlandmild climate that we've referred
to that many retirees prefer.
(07:08):
Some of the other downsides,it is facing a serious security crisis
due to escalating violencefrom organized crime, particularly
drug gangs in certain areas ofthe city.
So you definitely want to keepthat in mind.
Donald Trump is fixing all that.
Oh yeah, well, yeah, we knowthat that's the case in many of the
cities.
That that queer people areliving in in the US right now too.
(07:29):
As far as the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots, Guayaquil has an annual
Pride parade that's been goingon since 2008, which is great.
It's along its Malecon or itsbeach or boardwalk area, which draws
a lot of public, publicvisibility for the community.
You'll find that there aresome gay friendly venues, though
(07:50):
fewer discreet, I'm sorry,dedicated queer bars than in some
of the other cities we'regoing to be talking about here.
The broader urban sections ofthe area are relatively open minded
in the mainstream bars and restaurants.
So similar to some of theother countries that we've talked
about, seeing gay peoplecongregating together in bars that
(08:10):
are not necessarily gay barsis very common.
Some of the perks here, great shopping.
We already said this is a bigcity, so if you love the shop, this
is probably where you're going to.
Want to be your Julia Roberts.
Yeah, the thing is it hasgreat coastal access.
So if you're going to want tobump, jump up and down the coast,
this is a great place to start from.
And it does have really goodmunicipal infrastructure.
(08:34):
Overall cost of living.
A two bedroom is going to runyou around $620 a month.
Again, give or take.
Cost of living in is similarto some of the other places that
we've talked about, about 60to 65% lower than the US average.
For all these reasons, we'regiving a queer money retirement rating
of 7 out of 10.
It's affordable, it's metropolitan.
(08:57):
But remember, like most bigcities, there's, there are spots
where there is crime, so youwant to definitely look out for that.
Right.
So one of those other citiesthat David keeps referring to is
coming in as a runner up isQuito, which is the capital of Ecuador
in the Potincha Province.
It's great because it's fullof urban amenities, international
airport, good health care,cultural institutions and significant
(09:18):
expat and queer presence.
The downsides are the altitudequite high and the traffic congestion.
So if you're have somebreathing issues or breathing sensitivities,
this may not necessarily beyour the place you want to land.
There are some securityconcerns in some neighborhoods as
David has alluded to earlier,and there are somewhat higher costs
than in some of the rural orsmaller towns.
(09:39):
I find rural to be a weirdword to say.
Rural, rural, LGBTQ vibe and hotspots.
Quito hosts one of the moreactive queer scenes in Ecuador.
There's the Lazona Rosa, whichis around the La Fach, Plaza Foch,
Plaza Foch in Matterskol,Madiskol, Mariscal, Marisco, which
(10:03):
is essential for the LGBTQplus nightlife.
As for bars and clubs, barslike Radar, Tercere, Millennial Evolution.
Did I finally say that right?
Yeah, that one.
Screw that up on every practice.
Those are known as thehotspots as well.
Pride is an annual event everyyear in June, which is what annual
means.
And the city, and the city isoften considered the LGBTQ hub in
(10:26):
Ecuador.
As I said earlier, some of theperks are again, the airport access,
which helps you get in and outof the city and maybe even in and
out of the country more easily.
Strong medical and educationalinfrastructure, cultural offerings,
diversity of neighborhoods,and has a lot of reliable services.
The cost for a two bedroomapartment, it goes for about $675.
(10:47):
Some sources say it can get ashigh as $1200 to $1300, depending
upon how luxurious yourexpectations are.
We know you love the Lux.
You love the Lux.
As for the overall cost ofliving without rent, you're looking
at about 54% lower than theU.S. national average.
Including rent, you're lookingat about 63% lower than the US national
average.
(11:08):
For all these reasons, we'regiving it a queer money retirement
rating of 8 out of 10.
However, it did not land inthe number one spot.
That is coming in at numberone is Cuenca.
Now, of course, you're allgoing to have to correct me on the
pronunciation there.
We looked it up, but this iswhat we were finding is the most
common.
This is in the Azua Province,which is in the southern highlands.
(11:29):
So why is this great?
Well, it's widely regarded asone of the best expat towns in Ecuador.
It has beautiful colonialcharm, architecture, it's a manageable
size.
So it's kind of one of thosein between cities.
It's not a metropolis, it'snot a tiny town.
You do have great access tothings like healthcare, a temperate
climate, which is appealingdefinitely for, for many expats.
(11:51):
But it's also considered to beone of the safest cities in South
America.
So we've talked about crime inother cities.
This one is doing a good jobof keeping the crime down for some
reason.
Some of the downsides though,it does have a smaller queer scene
compared to Quito.
It's somewhat remote becauseit doesn't have access to a major
airport right there.
(12:11):
But for some of the morecosmopolitan amenities, you may need
to travel occasionally.
We've mentioned that aboutsome of the cities Here, actually
the small towns.
As for the LGBTQ vibe, Cuencaholds an annual pride march.
While its queer nightlife ismore subdued than keto, the expat
community tends to be very supportive.
Although we have heard someexpats in some of the forums say
(12:35):
that it's they found havefound it difficult finding standout
gay venues.
But again, we've kind ofmentioned that about a lot of countries
that have done a great jobwith integration and support for
the community aren'tnecessarily full of queer spaces.
Some of the perks, it doeshave a peaceful lifestyle, very walkable,
(12:55):
it's beautiful mountain vistas.
And again, it does have a verystrong expat community.
And overall your costs aremuch lower.
Coming in at around 300 to$450 for a two bedroom apartment.
Especially in some of thedecent neighborhoods, some of the
really nice listings arepushing 600 plus.
Overall cost of living here isabout 60 to 70% lower than the US
(13:19):
average.
And for all these reasons, itgets our top spot coming in at 9
out of 10 for our queer moneyretirement rating.
So there you have it,Ecuador's top queer retiree towns,
balancing affordability andLGBTQ acceptance.
If you want nightlifeinfrastructure and visibility, Quito
and Guayaquil will pull you in.
If you want charm, peace andserious cost of living, Cuenca is
(13:39):
your sweet spot.
Kodakachi offers a quietretreat for a deeper solace.
And Salinas gets you the beachlife without.
With.
I'm sorry, gets you the beachlife with a touch of openness.
Yeah, you want the touch, not without.
So which city here sounds mostlike one that you would like to live
in?
Let us know in the comments,especially if you're already living
there.
To map out your personalfinish line when and where and how
(14:01):
you end up retiring.
Grab the Happy Gay Retirementcalculator with the QR code on the
screen here in the descriptionof the YouTube video or the link
in your podcast player.
And remember, if you want allof the ratings that we're giving
to all these cities all aroundthe world, including the US go to
queermoney podcast.comforward/cities or click the link
in the description or yourpodcast player.
Then join us next week when wetalk about the very important topic
(14:24):
of tax treaties.
As an expat.
Well, it's just general taxesas an expat, but we are going to
cover some of the informationaround tax treaties, right?
Because you still got to payUncle Sam even though you don't live
here.
And then in two weeks we'regoing to cover.
Talk about a lot of men in Speedos.
Many, many men in speedos whenwe cover the top five places in Italy
for gay retirees.
(14:45):
And as always, if you lovethis episode, please remember to,
like, subscribe.
Click all the bells andwhistles and share this with your
friends and family who want toretire abroad.
And until next time, stay fabulous.
Looking to retire abroad.
You're not alone and you're inthe right place.
Today we're turning all of oureyes to Ecuador, a country that punches
way above its weight inbeauty, climate and expat friendliness,
all while keeping a relativelylow cost of living.
This is Queer Money episodenumber 616.
So let's go.
So let's talk a little bitabout Ecuador, especially when it
comes to gay rights.
(00:21):
Same sex marriage has beenlegalized since 2019.
Legal gender, genderrecognition took place in 2024.
Despite all that, there isstill a little bit of stigma.
Same sex couples cannot adoptand there is some discrimination
despite the constitutionalprotections, which kind of reminds
me of what David Gobacker saidon episode 611 about how he wants
(00:44):
to live in a country that itisn't just written, it's actually
lived on the streets.
And so this is probably one ofthose countries that's still working
towards that.
As far as the rest of thecountry, it is considered to be an
affordable luxury area.
You can enjoy a comfortablelifestyle for about about 60 to 70%
less than the US with manystunning mountain and coastal vistas
(01:06):
and world class healthcare.
It is also referred to as acountry that has year round springtime.
Ecuador's mild but unstableclimate, especially in the mountainous
areas like the Andes, meansthat you can ditch both the snow
shovel and the air conditioner.
I'm down to that.
Right.
Some other things that are great.
It does have easy access to aneasier life with the US dollar being
(01:28):
its primary currency.
It has a simplified residency,passport, residency visa process
and low cost domestic travel.
So that makes it a place wherea lot of retirees are looking to
retire abroad because it isrefreshingly straightforward.
Nice.
So as a recap, two weeks agowe covered the beautiful country
(01:48):
of Taiwan for the top fiveplaces for gay retirees.
In two weeks, we will coverthe top five places for gay retirees
in Madonna's home country, Italy.
This week we're covering Ecuador.
So as always, please let usknow what we get right, what we get
wrong, especially some of the pronunciations.
And then of course, moreimportantly, let us know what your
(02:08):
personal experiences are inthese locations or in Ecuador overall.
The more you share, whetheryou've been there long term or even
just for a quick trip, thebetter for everybody else who's having
great discussions on Instagramand YouTube.
Right, so let's dive into thetop five cities.
Coming in at number five is Salinas.
Why is this a great area?
Salinas is one of Ecuador'smost developed beach towns.
(02:28):
So it has good infrastructure,has a mild climate compared to some
of the other beach towns,beach access, and it's a great base
for expat life.
Some of the downsides, becauseit is a coastal area, there is some
risk to humidity, storms andsome vulnerability when it comes
to crime, especially in theport or coastal zones.
(02:51):
And also it's a touristy area.
We know what happens whentourists come in.
Prices go up, right?
So some of the areas are goingto be a little bit pricier, especially
near the touristy hubs.
As far as the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots, it's not necessarily known
as a gay town, but Salinas hasa relatively liberal and tolerant
(03:12):
lifestyle compared to some ofthe other coastal towns around.
You won't find necessarily arobust gay nightlife, but there are
gay friendly hotels and bars.
Actually found one bar that iscalled Vox.
It is a gay disco and dancebar with drag shows.
So there is a somewhat,somewhat of a gay vibe going on here.
(03:34):
Some of the other perks,again, beach lifestyle, community.
If you love seafood, you'regoing to be in heaven here.
It also has good connectivityto some of the other coastal hubs
and it does have access to alot of modern amenities, especially
healthcare.
So if you're looking at yourcost of living, a two bedroom is
going to run you anywherebetween five and eight hundred dollars
(03:55):
a month.
We're going to be giving wideranges on a lot of these cities here
because the reality is is thatin many of these places it really
depends on the accommodationand the location as to where your
rent is going to land.
Overall cost of living isabout 50 to 65% lower than the US
average.
(04:16):
That's just crazy.
And we know most of this hasto do with the fact that housing
is so cheap.
So we're going to give Salinasa queer money retirement rating of
6 out of 10 because it is acomfortable option, although it does
lack a strong queer scene.
Coming in at number four isKotakachi in the Northern Andes,
the Ambubur Province.
Why is Cotacachi great?
(04:37):
Well, it's quiet, it's scenic,it has a cooler climate, that eternal
spring that David talked aboutearlier, a strong expat presence.
And many foreigners appreciateKodakachi as a peaceful base in the
Andes.
Downsides are that it's avery, very small town with limited
infrastructure and limited entertainment.
Also, the health care and highend services might require you to
travel, so that might increasesome of your costs.
(04:57):
So keep that in mind.
And then the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots It's a little bit more discreet
than some of the other citieswe're going to cover here shortly.
You won't see an over queervenue or bar, but the expat community
is very progressive and very accepting.
So maybe you build the queerbar or restaurant disco.
(05:19):
As for the perks, low noise, alot of beautiful natural surroundings.
Hiking is very big here.
It has a great community feel.
Rents and cost of living arevery, very low cost.
For a two bedroom apartment inKodakachi, you'll find a one bedroom
actually go for about $400 a month.
In the historic district, atwo bedroom might run you between
450 to 600, but of course asDavid said, that's very approximate
(05:40):
and very contingent on whereexactly you decide to live and how
luxurious your expectations are.
As for the overall cost ofliving, it's about.
Kotakachi is about 60 to 70%lower than the US national average.
So for all these reasons we'regiving it a queer money retirement
rating of 7 out of 10.
It's great for thoseprioritizing, quiet living, scenic
(06:01):
living, overnight life.
Yeah, it's amazing to me how,how affordable some of these places
are.
And I think one of the reasonswhy we're seeing so many individuals
in the US talk about leavingthe country because it's just untenable
to live in the US unlessyou're making multiple six figures
it almost seems these days.
(06:22):
Yeah.
All right, coming in at numberthree is Guayaquil.
Now Guayaquil is the largestcity in the Guayas province.
Why is it a great city?
Well, it's a big city, so ithas big city energy.
It's a port city with lots of commerce.
So there's a lot of, lot ofstuff happening here.
It does have a more tropical climate.
There are great services.
But you're going to find thatin the urban areas is where the community
(06:46):
is more tolerated.
Right.
It's more tolerant in theseurban areas.
Some of the downsides is thatbecause it is a coastal city, this
one in particular has intenseheat and humidity.
But that's good for yourwrinkles, right?
It definitely your skin.
Right.
It is less of that highlandmild climate that we've referred
to that many retirees prefer.
(07:08):
Some of the other downsides,it is facing a serious security crisis
due to escalating violencefrom organized crime, particularly
drug gangs in certain areas ofthe city.
So you definitely want to keepthat in mind.
Donald Trump is fixing all that.
Oh yeah, well, yeah, we knowthat that's the case in many of the
cities.
That that queer people areliving in in the US right now too.
(07:29):
As far as the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots, Guayaquil has an annual
Pride parade that's been goingon since 2008, which is great.
It's along its Malecon or itsbeach or boardwalk area, which draws
a lot of public, publicvisibility for the community.
You'll find that there aresome gay friendly venues, though
(07:50):
fewer discreet, I'm sorry,dedicated queer bars than in some
of the other cities we'regoing to be talking about here.
The broader urban sections ofthe area are relatively open minded
in the mainstream bars and restaurants.
So similar to some of theother countries that we've talked
about, seeing gay peoplecongregating together in bars that
(08:10):
are not necessarily gay barsis very common.
Some of the perks here, great shopping.
We already said this is a bigcity, so if you love the shop, this
is probably where you're going to.
Want to be your Julia Roberts.
Yeah, the thing is it hasgreat coastal access.
So if you're going to want tobump, jump up and down the coast,
this is a great place to start from.
And it does have really goodmunicipal infrastructure.
(08:34):
Overall cost of living.
A two bedroom is going to runyou around $620 a month.
Again, give or take.
Cost of living in is similarto some of the other places that
we've talked about, about 60to 65% lower than the US average.
For all these reasons, we'regiving a queer money retirement rating
of 7 out of 10.
It's affordable, it's metropolitan.
(08:57):
But remember, like most bigcities, there's, there are spots
where there is crime, so youwant to definitely look out for that.
Right.
So one of those other citiesthat David keeps referring to is
coming in as a runner up isQuito, which is the capital of Ecuador
in the Potincha Province.
It's great because it's fullof urban amenities, international
airport, good health care,cultural institutions and significant
(09:18):
expat and queer presence.
The downsides are the altitudequite high and the traffic congestion.
So if you're have somebreathing issues or breathing sensitivities,
this may not necessarily beyour the place you want to land.
There are some securityconcerns in some neighborhoods as
David has alluded to earlier,and there are somewhat higher costs
than in some of the rural orsmaller towns.
(09:39):
I find rural to be a weirdword to say.
Rural, rural, LGBTQ vibe and hotspots.
Quito hosts one of the moreactive queer scenes in Ecuador.
There's the Lazona Rosa, whichis around the La Fach, Plaza Foch,
Plaza Foch in Matterskol,Madiskol, Mariscal, Marisco, which
(10:03):
is essential for the LGBTQplus nightlife.
As for bars and clubs, barslike Radar, Tercere, Millennial Evolution.
Did I finally say that right?
Yeah, that one.
Screw that up on every practice.
Those are known as thehotspots as well.
Pride is an annual event everyyear in June, which is what annual
means.
And the city, and the city isoften considered the LGBTQ hub in
(10:26):
Ecuador.
As I said earlier, some of theperks are again, the airport access,
which helps you get in and outof the city and maybe even in and
out of the country more easily.
Strong medical and educationalinfrastructure, cultural offerings,
diversity of neighborhoods,and has a lot of reliable services.
The cost for a two bedroomapartment, it goes for about $675.
(10:47):
Some sources say it can get ashigh as $1200 to $1300, depending
upon how luxurious yourexpectations are.
We know you love the Lux.
You love the Lux.
As for the overall cost ofliving without rent, you're looking
at about 54% lower than theU.S. national average.
Including rent, you're lookingat about 63% lower than the US national
average.
(11:08):
For all these reasons, we'regiving it a queer money retirement
rating of 8 out of 10.
However, it did not land inthe number one spot.
That is coming in at numberone is Cuenca.
Now, of course, you're allgoing to have to correct me on the
pronunciation there.
We looked it up, but this iswhat we were finding is the most
common.
This is in the Azua Province,which is in the southern highlands.
(11:29):
So why is this great?
Well, it's widely regarded asone of the best expat towns in Ecuador.
It has beautiful colonialcharm, architecture, it's a manageable
size.
So it's kind of one of thosein between cities.
It's not a metropolis, it'snot a tiny town.
You do have great access tothings like healthcare, a temperate
climate, which is appealingdefinitely for, for many expats.
(11:51):
But it's also considered to beone of the safest cities in South
America.
So we've talked about crime inother cities.
This one is doing a good jobof keeping the crime down for some
reason.
Some of the downsides though,it does have a smaller queer scene
compared to Quito.
It's somewhat remote becauseit doesn't have access to a major
airport right there.
(12:11):
But for some of the morecosmopolitan amenities, you may need
to travel occasionally.
We've mentioned that aboutsome of the cities Here, actually
the small towns.
As for the LGBTQ vibe, Cuencaholds an annual pride march.
While its queer nightlife ismore subdued than keto, the expat
community tends to be very supportive.
Although we have heard someexpats in some of the forums say
(12:35):
that it's they found havefound it difficult finding standout
gay venues.
But again, we've kind ofmentioned that about a lot of countries
that have done a great jobwith integration and support for
the community aren'tnecessarily full of queer spaces.
Some of the perks, it doeshave a peaceful lifestyle, very walkable,
(12:55):
it's beautiful mountain vistas.
And again, it does have a verystrong expat community.
And overall your costs aremuch lower.
Coming in at around 300 to$450 for a two bedroom apartment.
Especially in some of thedecent neighborhoods, some of the
really nice listings arepushing 600 plus.
Overall cost of living here isabout 60 to 70% lower than the US
(13:19):
average.
And for all these reasons, itgets our top spot coming in at 9
out of 10 for our queer moneyretirement rating.
So there you have it,Ecuador's top queer retiree towns,
balancing affordability andLGBTQ acceptance.
If you want nightlifeinfrastructure and visibility, Quito
and Guayaquil will pull you in.
If you want charm, peace andserious cost of living, Cuenca is
(13:39):
your sweet spot.
Kodakachi offers a quietretreat for a deeper solace.
And Salinas gets you the beachlife without.
With.
I'm sorry, gets you the beachlife with a touch of openness.
Yeah, you want the touch, not without.
So which city here sounds mostlike one that you would like to live
in?
Let us know in the comments,especially if you're already living
there.
To map out your personalfinish line when and where and how
(14:01):
you end up retiring.
Grab the Happy Gay Retirementcalculator with the QR code on the
screen here in the descriptionof the YouTube video or the link
in your podcast player.
And remember, if you want allof the ratings that we're giving
to all these cities all aroundthe world, including the US go to
queermoney podcast.comforward/cities or click the link
in the description or yourpodcast player.
Then join us next week when wetalk about the very important topic
(14:24):
of tax treaties.
As an expat.
Well, it's just general taxesas an expat, but we are going to
cover some of the informationaround tax treaties, right?
Because you still got to payUncle Sam even though you don't live
here.
And then in two weeks we'regoing to cover.
Talk about a lot of men in Speedos.
Many, many men in speedos whenwe cover the top five places in Italy
for gay retirees.
(14:45):
And as always, if you lovethis episode, please remember to,
like, subscribe.
Click all the bells andwhistles and share this with your
friends and family who want toretire abroad.
And until next time, stay fabulous.
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