<description>&lt;h1&gt;Ready for a fabulous gay retirement in Ecuador?&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thinking about retiring abroad? You’re not alone. In Ep. 616 we break down &lt;strong&gt;Ecuador&lt;/strong&gt;—a country that punches above its weight with &lt;strong&gt;year-round spring weather&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;U.S. dollar convenience&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;solid healthcare&lt;/strong&gt;, and a &lt;strong&gt;much lower cost of living&lt;/strong&gt;. We cover &lt;strong&gt;legal landscape (marriage since 2019; gender recognition 2024)&lt;/strong&gt;, where stigma still shows up, and our &lt;strong&gt;Top 5 Ecuador cities&lt;/strong&gt; for gay retirees—&lt;strong&gt;Salinas, Cotacachi, Guayaquil, Quito, Cuenca&lt;/strong&gt;—with &lt;strong&gt;2BR rent ranges&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;cost-of-living vs. U.S.&lt;/strong&gt;, and our &lt;strong&gt;Queer Money Retirement Rating&lt;/strong&gt; for each.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key Takeaways&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Real savings:&lt;/strong&gt; Many Ecuador cities run &lt;strong&gt;~50–70% cheaper&lt;/strong&gt; than the U.S., with rents that can be a fraction of stateside prices.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Climate win:&lt;/strong&gt; Highland zones offer &lt;strong&gt;“eternal spring”&lt;/strong&gt;—often no A/C or snow shovels.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Queer reality:&lt;/strong&gt; Legal wins exist, but &lt;strong&gt;visibility and safety vary&lt;/strong&gt; by city; Quito leads for LGBTQ+ infrastructure, Cuenca for expat ease.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trade-offs:&lt;/strong&gt; Big-city perks vs. crime hot spots (e.g., Guayaquil), beach life vs. tourist pricing (Salinas), quiet charm vs. fewer queer spaces (Cotacachi/Cuenca).&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Chapters:&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;00:00 – Intro: Why Ecuador keeps popping for LGBTQ+ retirees&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;02:29 – #5 &lt;strong&gt;Salinas&lt;/strong&gt; (beach town, Vox gay disco): 2BR ~$500–$800 | COL ~50–65% ↓ | &lt;strong&gt;Rating 6/10&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;04:37 – #4 &lt;strong&gt;Cotacachi&lt;/strong&gt; (quiet Andean base): 2BR ~$450–$600 | COL ~60–70% ↓ | &lt;strong&gt;Rating 7/10&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;06:29 – #3 &lt;strong&gt;Guayaquil&lt;/strong&gt; (big-city energy): 2BR ~$620 | COL ~60–65% ↓ | crime caveat | &lt;strong&gt;Rating 7/10&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;09:11 – #2 &lt;strong&gt;Quito&lt;/strong&gt; (capital &amp;amp; queer hub): 2BR ~$675–$1,300 | COL ~54–63% ↓ | &lt;strong&gt;Rating 8/10&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;11:40 – #1 &lt;strong&gt;Cuenca&lt;/strong&gt; (expat favorite): 2BR ~$300–$600 | COL ~60–70% ↓ | &lt;strong&gt;Rating 9/10&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;13:51 – Next up &amp;amp; wrap up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Links referenced in this episode:&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://queermoneypodcast.com/cities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;queermoneypodcast.com/cities&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://queermoneypodcast.com/hgrcalc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;queermoneypodcast.com/hgrcalc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mentioned in this episode:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ready to retire where you can be yourself... fully?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn more about the Portugal Golden Opportunites Fund with Optimize&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://queer-money.captivate.fm/pgof-2"&gt;Get Your Portugal Golden Visa Here!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Queer Money®: How Gay People Do Money

Queer Money

Ecuador for Gay Retirement: 5 Best Cities Ranked (Costs, Climate, Queer Vibe) | Queer Money 616

NOV 18, 202515 MIN
Queer Money®: How Gay People Do Money

Ecuador for Gay Retirement: 5 Best Cities Ranked (Costs, Climate, Queer Vibe) | Queer Money 616

NOV 18, 202515 MIN

Description

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

Links referenced in this episode:


Mentioned in this episode:

Ready to retire where you can be yourself... fully?

Learn more about the Portugal Golden Opportunites Fund with Optimize

Get Your Portugal Golden Visa Here!