Miami → Cuenca Planner

Retirement cost & expat healthcare model

Monthly budget model

Adjust any slider to model your household. Defaults reflect a comfortable retiree lifestyle in 2026 — Miami, FL vs. Cuenca, Ecuador. All figures in USD.

Miami, FL

$2,400
$500
$450
$300
$400
$200

Cuenca, Ecuador

$700
$350
$60
$90
$170 private basic
$150
50% off utilities (electric ≤120 kWh, water ≤20 m³) & 50% off domestic flights. Requires residency & utility accounts in your name.

Miami monthly

$4,050
0% of SS income
vs

Cuenca monthly

$1,265
0% of SS income
Monthly savings
$0
per year
Cost reduction
0%
vs. Miami
SS income needed
$0
to fund Cuenca budget
% of SS to live
0%
of Cuenca budget

Your income & move

$2,000
$8,000
$0

Break-even point

Moving pays for itself in 0 months. After that, every month adds $0 to your savings.

Move cost covers visa, shipping, deposits, flights, and initial furnishing.

Default assumptions & sources

  • Miami defaults drawn from 2026 estimates: rent ~$2,400/mo, utilities ~$300, groceries ~$500, transport ~$450, healthcare ~$400 (FinanceFirst, Wise).
  • Cuenca defaults: rent ~$700/mo (2BR furnished, expat area), utilities ~$90, groceries ~$350, transport ~$60, private health insurance ~$170 (Expat Ecuador, Cuenca Expat, Wise).
  • Ecuador senior discounts (Ley del Anciano, Art. 15): 50% off utilities up to thresholds and 50% off domestic flights for residents 65+ (Government source, Expat Ecuador).
  • US average Social Security retiree benefit ~$2,000/mo (2026); adjustable. Healthcare slider covers IESS (~$85) through private comprehensive (~$450).

Health insurance comparison

Ecuador public IESS vs. private insurers — 2026 planning figures. Edit any value to model your scenario.

ProviderTypeMonthly $DeductibleCoverage

Notes

  • IESS voluntary affiliation (~$85/mo at minimum basis) covers doctor visits, ER, hospitalization, surgery & most prescriptions at point of care; eligibility & contribution rules apply (EcuaPass, Expat Ecuador).
  • Private local plans (BMI, Salud SA, Ecuasanitas) run ~$100–$350/mo by age & tier, with waiting periods for pre-existing conditions and deductibles typically $1,000–$2,000 (Expat Ecuador, My Ecuador Visa).
  • Many retirees layer IESS (public safety net) with a private plan or pay cash for clinic visits (~$25–$80 each).

Regional safety tracker

Expat-favored highland cities. Neighborhood ratings from local expat reporting & advisories.

Context

  • Cuenca is rated among the safest large cities in South America (homicide rate ~1.4/100k in H1 2025) (Expat Ecuador, My Ecuador Visa).
  • Loja & Vilcabamba, and Cotacachi (Imbabura) are consistently low-crime (Moving to Ecuador).

Expat safety map & community incident log

Reported neighborhood stability for North American expats. The community log is editable — add your own observations.

Community-reported incidents

Entries below are illustrative examples seeded from expat-community advisories, not verified police data. Verify with local sources before relying on any item.

Important: Safety and insurance data are planning estimates compiled from public & expat-community sources in 2026 and change frequently. Crime patterns shift; insurance premiums depend on age, health, and underwriting. Confirm current conditions with local authorities, your insurer, and recent expat reports before making relocation decisions.