Ecuador World's Best Retirement Haven

A new global retirement index has named Ecuador as the best place in the world to retire

London, UK (Pryce Warner International) January 9th, 2012 – The retirement index used eight categories to assess a country’s qualities for retirement; cost of living, retiree benefits, property value, ease of integration, vibrancy of culture, healthcare, infrastructure and climate.

Ecuador scored highest in two of the categories and very highly in all of the others.

The categories in which Ecuador scored highest were cost of living and value for money real estate. Living in one of the main cities costs less than $1000 per month and beachfront property can be purchased for as little as $60 000. Ecuador also scored highly overall as Expats can explore the local jungle as well as mingle amongst the thriving Expat community or welcoming locals.

Healthcare in Ecuador is completely free to all senior citizens regardless of nationality and they are also exempt from all notary and registration fees. However it is also possible to join the Ecuador Social Security Medical Program that costs roughly $57 per month.

Other benefits to retiring in Ecuador were found to be world-class healthcare with English speaking doctors at a much lower cost than the US or Europe, discounted public transport and 50% off all water and electricity bills. Despite these benefits for some there was a simpler explanation for Ecuador’s high score, dining out costs as little as $2.50 and a beer will set you back only $0.85.

Property in Ecuador is not only very cheap but also excellent value for money. Penthouse apartments and beachfront condos cost between $50 000-$60 000, meaning Expats choose to purchase both, allowing them to enjoy the city bustle or beach tranquility when they please.

For those that would prefer to rent, Ecuador also scored very highly in this area, a two bedroom apartment on the beach will set you back $500 per month.

The index noted a general pattern of US citizens choosing to retire abroad in greater numbers than before. This was reportedly due to the loss of value on people’s homes as well as the vastly cheaper cost of healthcare elsewhere in the world.

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By Aneil Fatania
Financial Editor
Pryce Warner International Group
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