by Cheryl Rickey

Created on: February 04, 2010

Cuenca, Ecuador is a place of old world beauty and tops the list of 2009 World’s Top Retirement Havens listed by International Living. Cuenca is one of most beautiful and best-preserved colonial cities yet the price to live there is wallet-friendly: rent a beautiful condo for $300 a month or buy a large apartment for $43,000.

Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador by population, which totals 467,000. It is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 8200 feet above sea level. The center of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of its historical buildings.

Cuenca has a mild climate year-round. The average daily temperature is around 58 degrees Fahrenheit. The dry season falls between June and December. The rainy season has mainly bright sunny mornings and afternoon showers. This season falls between January and May.

Health care is a big concern for people who are retiring. Relocating to Cuenca, Ecuador will not make health care a retirement worry. A typical sick visit to a local doctor is about $25 and the medication $8. 

Cuenca is a center for some of Ecuador’s most beautiful crafts. The area is known for jewelry making, weaving, leather goods, furniture, ceramics, Panama hat making, and more. None of these crafts are costly and make for beautiful gifts and home decor.

Ecuador is known for being very inexpensive. Using small bills is common practice as purchasing items such as food is very budget friendly. There is no need to carry a $50 bill. For example, a meal including soup, meat, vegetables, potatoes or rice, a drink and dessert will cost less than $2.00 in a nice restaurant.

Retiring to beautiful Cuenca, Ecuador won't break your budget. Here is a sample monthly budget:

Housing (rental of a luxury two-bedroom apartment): $500Utilities (including, phone, Internet, and cable television): $150Maid (twice a week): $60Groceries: $275Maintenance and fuel for one car: $140Clothing: $70Entertainment (two people dining out eight times a month at top restaurants or other entertainment): $200Health care (four $30 visits to a doctor per year for two people, divided by 12 months): $20

Total per month: $1,415

Total per year: $16,980

Cuenca, Ecuador is an affordable place to live and a beautiful place to retire. Retiring to Cuenca would be like living life on a five-star vacation with a small budget.

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