I can’t wait to visit Cuenca in person! Photo cred
I want to retire in Cuenca, Ecuador!
No, I’ve never been to Cuenca (though I plan to visit this December 2015), but I decide to move to various locals without visiting them first all the time! Nor will I retire anytime soon (not for another 35 years or so!). Maybe I should say that I want my PARENTS to retire there first and then I will reevaluate when my own time comes.
Despite this, I still like to read about places to retire at now, because as an international teacher, there is always a chance that a school might hire me to work in one of these amazing places!
Also, I’ve recently talked to my mother who works two jobs during tax season (Kandy Isberg is a certified tax preparer who works at H&R Block in Portland in case you still need to do taxes) and she will be working the next 22 days straight. My parents deserve to retire somewhere where they can live an easier life than the one they are living in Portland.
Today I came across yet another article about Cuenca, but I’ve been reading for years that this is one of the top 5 places to retire in the world for expats from the US. Here are my top 10 reasons I want to retire in Cuenca (and why I’m trying to convince my mom and dad to retire there!):
- Low cost of living. Check out Numbeo’s cost of living index.
- Low cost real estate- Rent a luxury apartment for $600 a month or buy a house for 150-200K (USD) near the historic center
- Year-round Spring-like climate
- Easy to establish residency there
- Lots of perks for retirees like 50% off stuff and skipping to the front of lines
- Great UNESCO World Heritage architecture: cobblestone streets and colonial buildings everywhere
- US dollar used there so no exchange fees
- Lots of stuff to do for retirees and about 10,000 US expats living there
- Smallish population of about 500,000
- Very walkable so you can live car-free!
Here are some links to learn more about Cuenca:
CuencaResidency tons of info from expats on the ground
MarketWatch why you should retire in Cuenca
NBC News slightly more balanced article
GringosAbroad another expat living there
Huffington Post Cuenca is one of the best places to retire overseas
VivaTropical site with some real estate and more reasons to move to Cuenca
Retirement and Good Living a single woman’s take on living in Cuenca
Have you been to Ecuador? Have you visited Cuenca? Do you know people who have retired there? Do you know of somewhere even better?
Teaching Wanderlust 
ummmm…I want to retire there too!
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I hope to go there in December and can say more about it, but it does seem pretty great, huh?!
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My parents retired to Mexico and lived there for about 23 years. They loved it. We loved it less because we didn’t get to see them much. While I wouldn’t retire away from my kids, I’d love to go visit Cuenca. I’ve never been to Ecuador, or even entertained the idea of visiting. I’ll rethink this after reading your post!
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I’ve read about a lot of people retiring in Mexico, but it seems like prices are rising now that more people are doing it. It still looks like a good place to retire and Mexico has AMAZING food! I loved living there too, but I’ve just heard lots of good things about Ecuador. If you visit I want to hear all about it!
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