A couple can live well in the scenic mountain town of Cotacachi, Ecuador for just $580 a month

We tell you often about the low prices in Ecuador and how a couple can live the high life for as little as $940 a month. Well, we’ve recently been in contact with lots of North Americans living in Ecuador right now. Turns out the cost of living isn’t as low as we thought…it’s even lower!

Jack and Debbie Moss live in Cotacachi, a scenic mountain town which is one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. They moved from South Florida two years ago. As well as a maid, they enjoy little luxuries like DirecTV, imported goods from the U.S., and wines. And they have full service health care. They live on $1,573 a month.

“At the local market, large eggs are $1.20 a dozen, bananas are 17 for 50 cents, avocados are a quarter each, long stem roses are a dollar a dozen…while fresh raspberries, strawberries and blackberries are a dollar a quart,” says Jack.

Lee and Peg Carper (56 and 53) live in Cotacatchi, too. They don’t have to worry about stretching their retirement dollars. That’s because their total monthly expenses are just $580. This includes maid service, pet expenses, and rent on a new 1,200-square-foot apartment.

Here’s their detailed monthly budget:

Even in Quito and Cuenca, where you’ll find some of the most expensive addresses in Ecuador, you can enjoy a pampered lifestyle—like a luxury apartment with a guest room, maid service, dining out at the best restaurants—for $1,400 – $1,600 per couple. (Especially affordable when you consider the average social security payment for a retired U.S. couple is $1,913 per month.)

Nestled in the Ecuadorian highlands and with a population of just under a half million, the vibrant colonial city of Cuenca is located in a picturesque valley at about 8,200 feet above sea level. Cuenca’s climate, pace of life and peppering of colonial building has made it popular with tourists and expats alike. Then, of course, there’s the cost of living. You get big-city amenities without the inflated costs associated with big-city life.

You can rent a luxury two-bedroom apartment, have a twice-weekly maid service, cover the cost of running a car and regularly eat out at a fancy restaurant for $1,415 a month.

Even in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, a stunning city which just drips with Spanish colonial history, you can live well on a modest budget. Quito is home to some of the most exclusive addresses in Ecuador, yet a pampered lifestyle—with maid, health care, plenty of entertainment and dining out, and a luxury two-bedroom apartment rental—will come in under $1,600 per month for a couple.

Vilcabamba is a small rural town in a secluded mountain basin in southern Ecuador known as a ‘Valley of Longevity’ thanks to the tendency of its inhabitants to live beyond 100. A couple can rent a three-bed country home, have a maid visit twice a week, regularly go shopping for new clothes and eat out at restaurants all for $1,075 a month (including health care).

In fact, John Curran and his partner Sue live quite comfortably on $500 a month. That doesn’t include rent—they bought their own mountain-view, riverfront property for just a five-figure sum.

When everything costs so little, you don’t even need to limit yourself to just one place in Ecuador. Ron and Terresa Moore couldn’t decide between a home in the charming mountain village of Cotacachi with a view of the Andes and an oceanfront condo down on the coast overlooking the Pacific—so they bought both…for a total price of $114,000. And their monthly budget is $859 to $939 per month. Get their full story here.

Editor’s note: Join us in Ecuador this November for the Live and Invest in Ecuador Seminar. Find out more here.