When Edd and Cynthia Staton were both downsized, they decided to retire for good. They left the U.S. in search of a better climate and a lower cost of living

What they found in Ecuador
was something much more…

Dear International VIP Member

Just a few short years ago, things weren’t looking too good for Edd and Cynthia.

They had enjoyed long successful careers. But the recession meant concession. They had been downsized once before…and were working in sales jobs in Las Vegas when Cynthia was downsized for the second time.

Enough is enough, they decided. It was time to stop putting life on hold and time to start living it.

“We saw the value of our savings plunge just as we were nearing retirement age. Rather than remain in the States and continue to work for too many more years trying to correct this problem we made the decision to relocate so we could retire and enjoy the rest of our lives,” Edd says.

They decided to do the things they’d always wanted to do: writing… painting… sculpting… learning to play the cello. They wanted to look for ways to be of service and leave the planet a better place… to improve their fitness, explore randomly, read for the hell of it… maybe even start a new business if the opportunity presented itself…

In order to do this, though, they’d need to move to a place with a lower cost of living. After lots of research (and yes, soul searching, too), they decided on Ecuador.

Drawn by the fact that Ecuador is close to the U.S. (just a four-hour flight from Miami), has near-perfect weather and a substantially lower cost of living, Edd and Cynthia found their way to the southern Ecuador city of Cuenca.

“These are the best years we have left, and we’re acutely aware that if we fritter that time away, shame on us. In Ecuador, we have the time and money to do the things we want to do. We live very well on about $1,950 a month (including rent), and that’s with extras we once considered luxuries.” —Edd Staton

Before they left the States, Edd says, most of their friends didn’t understand their decision. They asked him, “What are you going to do there?”

The short answer, he says, was, “Within reason, whatever I want to do.”

He says he and Cynthia had spent most of their adult lives preparing, going to and from, and doing a variety of things that were necessary to provide the financial support their family required.

“And no complaints,” Edd says, “I’d do it all again. But now…by moving to Ecuador, we’ve placed ourselves in a position to pursue a different path—enjoying things we’ve always wanted to do.”

Fortunately, in Ecuador, Edd and Cynthia no longer have to worry about having enough money to do the things they want to do.

“We can live a very comfortable retirement on our savings and small income here,” Edd says. “And the truth is that even if we win the lottery, we can’t imagine living anywhere else. Life here is that good.”

Edd and Cynthia Rescued Their
Retirement in Ecuador… And You Can, Too

I’m Jackie Flynn, publisher of International Living. And I’m pleased to share the Staton’s success story with you. They’re happily retired and living the good life in Cuenca, where they’ve been joined by a number of other expats from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia….

Not Ready to Retire Yet? Think of Ecuador as the “New Land of Opportunity” Looking to start a business? Raise a family in a more family-oriented, down-to-earth environment? Ecuador may be the perfect place for you.

As Edd will tell you, Ecuador has thrown out the welcome mat to foreign retirees—as well as to those not yet ready to retire who are going to Ecuador in search of opportunity. The slower pace of life and the real sense of community are attractive to everyone, including young families who are finding Ecuador a wonderful place to raise their children.

And it’s not just Cuenca that’s attracting foreigners…places like the bustling capital city of Quito… charming rural Vilcabamba and other safe, small-towns like Cotacachi and seaside Salinas and more…are all worthy of attention.

Can You Live in Ecuador on $1,000 a Month? “Yes,” says International Living editor Suzan Haskins who lives in Cotacachi, in the mountains of northern Ecuador “I know people who are doing that—mostly in small towns where costs are lower. Most expats spend a bit more.” In an informal survey of expats in Cuenca in 2015, the average monthly budget per couple comes in at a bit less than $1,500—and that includes rent. But don’t forget that when you first move to Ecuador, you’ll need a couple months of reserve funds to get started… to cover rental deposits, visa/legal fees, household items you may need to buy, and so on.

Salinas is where Jim and Rita Santos live. (Salinas was unaffected by the earthquake earlier this year.) There, they say, they can enjoy the sunshine and temperate climate any day of the year.

“Back on the eastern seaboard in the States in February, it’s icy cold,” Jim says, “but, here in Salinas it will be just below 80 degrees F, with a cool ocean breeze. Sometimes we think we must be dreaming. A little over two years ago, we were living in Maryland… and the idea of living beside the ocean was an impossible dream. The Atlantic Coast of the U.S. can be very expensive. If we wanted to walk on the beach in February in the U.S., we would have to buy a multi-million-dollar home deep in southern Florida. We certainly didn’t have that kind of money.

“So who would have thought we could not only live in a beachfront home, but that we would actually save money by moving there?”

Best of all, as Jim reports, when you move to Ecuador you may find that you’ll be not only happier than ever, but healthier than ever.

“I have Type II diabetes,” he says, “and before I moved to Ecuador, my A1C number that reflects blood sugar levels was close to 8—well above the normal range. After we settled into our lives in Ecuador, we found ourselves taking long walks on the beach and to the mercado for our fresh fruits, vegetables, rice, eggs and seafood. The stress melted away. And when we returned to the States a few months later for a family visit, I stopped in to see my doctor.

“She ran some tests and then asked, ‘What changes did we make in your medication since your last visit?’ I told her we didn’t “change” anything, I just moved to Ecuador. But I’ve now lost 50 pounds, my blood pressure reading was normal, and my A1C blood sugar reading was 5.7, well within the normal range, so I was able to stop taking one of my diabetes medications.

“It was a very good feeling to have actual proof that we’re not only living a happier, more affordable life, but also a healthier one here in Ecuador.”

Fortunately, in Ecuador, you’ll no longer have to worry about having enough money to do the things you want to do.

“We can live a very comfortable retirement on our savings and small income here,” as Edd Staton says. “And the truth is that even if we win the lottery, we can’t imagine living anywhere else. Life here is that good.”

I’ll share Edd and Cynthia’s budget details with you in a moment. They live in Cuenca, as I mentioned earlier. It’s the most popular destination in Ecuador for expats… a city in the southern mountains that offers all the modern amenities and cultural activities you might want. Edd and Cynthia take advantage of all the lifestyle perks Cuenca offers, and they enjoy many extras they once considered luxuries. I’ll let them tell you all about it. But first…

Why Would You Want to Choose Ecuador?

With sophisticated historical cities, miles of unspoiled sun-kissed beaches, fertile farmland, and temperate mountain hideaways, Ecuador has it all:

• Politically stable and safe
• Perfect weather year-round
• A U.S.-dollar-based economy
• Close to home (just a 4-hour flight to the U.S.).
• Top-notch medical care at one-fourth to one-tenth the costs of the U.S.
• Affordable private health insurance plans
• Seniors are treated respectfully (and offered welcome discounts)
• A couple can live well on $1,500 to 2,000 a month or less.
• Real estate prices are among the lowest in the world!

For these reasons and more, a growing number of expats are now calling Ecuador home. It may just be the “find of the century,” they say, for anyone who wants to live life like it’s meant to be lived… fresh air and a perfect climate, deliciously healthy food, and the warmest, kindest, most generous people as neighbors.

That’s why, for more than a dozen years, International Living has been recommending Ecuador as a top retirement destination. For five years in a row it ranked in the top two spots on our annual Global Retirement Index.

International Living‘s expertise in all things Ecuador runs deep.

International Living senior editors Dan Prescher and Suzan Haskins live in Cotacachi, Ecuador, and we have correspondents in various locales throughout the country who regularly research, write articles, and provide reliable information for our readers about life there. In Quito… Cumbaya and Los Chillos… Cuenca and Paute… Cotacachi… Loja… Vilcabamba… Salinas… Olón, and beyond…

Many of our top editors, in fact, have ties to Ecuador. And, any time one of our staff gets a chance to visit Ecuador, they don’t think twice. There’s so much to do… from historic colonial cities to beaches and rainforests to snow-capped volcanoes and mountain towns where you can soak away your cares in natural thermal springs…

I myself have traveled to Ecuador well more than half a dozen times in the last couple of years. I can safely say that International Living has more experience and more contacts… more experienced expats and local experts in Ecuador than does any other website or publication.

And we’d like to share our long resume of Ecuador expertise with you…

Find out if Ecuador is right for you… with the best Ecuador experts holding your hand every step of the way.