The document discusses Mike and Patty Grimm's experience retiring in Cuenca, Ecuador. After facing financial difficulties in Arizona following the 2008 crisis, they sought an affordable retirement abroad. In Cuenca, they have found a stress-free lifestyle with a low cost of living of $2,300 per month, excellent and affordable healthcare, and a community of expat friends. Cuenca offers retirees mild weather, convenient city amenities, and a cultural environment within a small and navigable city.

1. 8 JUNE 2015 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I V I N G 9I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I V I N G JUNE 2015
M
y husband
and I were
happily living
in Arizona in
a retirement
community when, in 2008,
everything changed,” says Patty
Grimm. The financial crisis dealt
the couple a heavy blow, and they
no longer felt they could live
the same quality of life on their
retirement income. “We knew that
if we wanted to keep our nest egg,
we’d have to look outside of the
U.S. to live.”
Six years later, the Grimms are
in the high Andes and enjoying
an affordable and high-quality
retirement in one of the world’s
foremost retirement destinations—
Cuenca, Ecuador.
“We have less stress here
than in the States. We laugh a lot
and enjoy getting together with
friends. We have enough in the
budget to take trips whenever we
feel like it. You can get away from
all the bad news, the politics, the high cost of living,” says Patty.
Mike, in his 70s, and Patty, in her 60s, have been married for 25
years, after meeting each other through work. Ohioan Mike spent
his career in the Air Force—visiting 61 countries in the process—
while Patty, from Los Angeles, worked as a secretary.
The couple traveled throughout the U.S. during their careers,
before settling in Arizona. They planned to spend a happy
retirement there. But they couldn’t shake the feeling that life in the
U.S. was getting progressively worse: Ever-increasing costs were
making it difficult for them to live the retirement they wanted.
“In general, I felt like the quality of life was deteriorating in the
United States in terms of individual freedoms, cost of living, and
healthcare,” says Mike.
The financial crash of 2008 proved the final straw. It forced
them to consider an overseas retirement, knowing they couldn’t
afford the same quality of life in the States.
The couple had seen Ecuador recommended on the pages of
International Living, while an Ecuadorian neighbor back in Arizona
also spoke highly of the country. This spurred them to attend IL’s
Fast-Track Ecuador conference in Quito back in 2009. They liked
what they saw so much that they moved to Cuenca a year later.
“Cuenca and Ecuador were attractive because of the consistent
A Stress-free, Healthy Retirement
in Friendly, Colonial Cuenca
“We choose to live very
well, so I would say that
the essentials would require
around $1,500 and our
discretionary add-ons another
$800, for a total of $2,300,”
says Mike of the couple’s
monthly spend. “If we had to, we could do it for a lot less. We can
save money quite easily here.”
Ecuador’s excellent healthcare is one of the main draws for
expats. The couple speaks well of the quality of healthcare they
have received in Cuenca. And they say doctors are more focused
on delivering genuine care to their patients than meeting a bottom
line.
In 2011, a year after they arrived, Mike suffered a gallstone
attack. Other expats had already referred the couple to a local doctor
who spoke English, and the Grimms had his personal cell phone
number. This doctor immediately referred Mike to a local hospital
for surgery. The cost of the procedure—including an overnight stay
in a large private room—came to just under $2,200. In contrast, in
the U.S., gallstone removal costs on average $12,700.
“What was amazing was that the doctor allowed his holiday
weekend to be interrupted to help me,” says Mike. “When I
arrived at the hospital the doctor was there and had assembled his
operating team. Within six hours I was in my private room, surgery
completed, and was released the next day. The care I received here
was more efficient, more personal, less cumbersome, and much less
costly than in the U.S. The doctors are just as skilled, and some
more so, than in the U.S., in my experience.”
“Our healthcare experience here is excellent,” says Patty. “Much
lower in cost, much quicker service [than in the U.S.], and English-
speaking doctors. The doctors here seem more caring, and that
might be because they don’t have the administrative and insurance
mandates that control most of the healthcare system in the U.S.
“Doctors here can focus on practicing medicine, and that shows
in the quality and amount of time they devote to each patient.”
And it isn’t just the healthcare that has helped the Grimms live a
healthier life in Cuenca. The climate in Ecuador’s highlands is ideal
for producing a staggering array of organic fruits and vegetables,
all of which are available locally. Mike and Patty have been able to
improve their eating habits as a result.
“We eat healthier because the produce is grown locally and is
fresh when you buy it,” says Patty. “I cook a lot, so we can control
what we eat.”
Now happily settled into their new life in Cuenca, the couple
is able to make plenty of time for the things they enjoy in life.
Keeping fit and healthy is a priority. They regularly exercise at the
cross-fit gym in their condo complex, run by an Irish expat. They
do a lot of their own cooking, but due to Cuenca’s low cost of
living, they can afford to eat out several times a week, often meeting
up with expat friends to do so.
“It’s easy to make friends here,” says Patty. “At first, you’re
friends because you have all left the States and moved to a foreign
country. Since we’ve been here so long now, we can be of assistance
to a lot of people, which we like to do.”
The couple is also heavily involved with a local church group,
which they regularly attend with fellow expats. But they have also
weather, affordable cost of living, and
less government activity in our private
lives,” says Mike of their decision.
Like many expats, they chose
to rent a small apartment for $350
a month to test the water before
deciding Cuenca was indeed the place for them. Cuenca’s year-
round springtime weather was just to their liking. Patty and Mike
also found the city highly affordable and home to a friendly and
welcoming population (both expats and locals) that made them feel
right at home.
The couple now rents a beautiful three-bedroom condo
overlooking the city and surrounding mountains for $650 a month.
They spend around $500 a month on groceries (although they
say they prefer not to confine themselves to a tight budget), $27
for gym membership, around $330 for entertainment and eating
out, and $56 for internet. They also pay $80 for a maid, $64 for
DirecTV, $66 for electricity, and $7 for water. Unlike many other
expats, the Grimms also have a car. But, like everything else in
Cuenca, the cost of this is low; with gas costing less than $1.50 a
gallon (compared to nearly $2.50 a gallon in the States at time of
writing), their monthly bill comes to around $23.
Lifestyle
In Cuenca, Mike and Patty
Grimm found a city with a
perfect climate and a healthy,
good-value quality of life.
“
The care I received
was much less costly
than in the U.S.”
By Conor William O’Brien
©ConorO’Brien
Climate. While the coastal areas of Ecuador and the Amazon
can be stifling hot, the mountains (where Cuenca is located) remain
pleasantly warm year-round. Temperatures in Cuenca range from
the mid-50s F to the mid-70s F. This temperate weather allows
expats like the Grimms to live an active, outdoor lifestyle year-
round, without having to worry about mosquitos. The great climate
also helps save on heating and air-conditioning costs.
Size. Cuenca is Ecuador’s third-largest city, with about 400,000
in the city proper, making it far smaller than Guayaquil and Quito. It
has all the conveniences you’d expect in a city but remains easy to
navigate by foot. Many expats don’t even need a car.
Healthcare. Some towns in Ecuador’s highlands are served
by only basic clinics, leaving you with a drive of two hours or
more should you need to visit a hospital. Not so Cuenca. Because
of its size, it can provide all the medical care you need, and—as
the Grimms’ experience demonstrates—do so very affordably.
Excellent, English-speaking doctors are available in the city, with
visits typically costing $25 to $30.
Cost of Living. Ecuador is one of the world’s most affordable
retirement havens, and Cuenca is no exception. The Grimms’
expenses come to around $2,300 a month, but they could happily
live on a lot less if they chose, and many expats do. A spacious
condo rents for $500 to $600 a month, and a couple can get all the
groceries they need for $250 a month.
Lifestyle. Cuenca is a cultural hub, with no shortage of things
to do. And as entertainment is modestly priced, you’ll have plenty
of money in your pocket to afford it. A thriving expat community
guarantees you’ll find plenty of like-minded people in the city and
have no trouble making friends. The city offers a terrific array
of affordable dining options (pay $15 or less), as well as English-
language movie theaters and a range of performing arts. If you love
the great outdoors, the Andes are just a short drive away.
Why Cuenca is Ecuador’s Most
Popular Retirement Haven
“
befriended a number of locals since arriving in Cuenca. Realizing
that adjusting to life in Ecuador would be difficult without a
few words of Spanish, Mike and Patty have made efforts to learn
the local language since arriving. They say this has helped them
integrate into the community.
“It’s a natural evolution to build a network of new friends,”
says Mike. “We expats have a lot in common, so the conversations
always revolve around those things. Then, as we expanded our
needs and horizons, we began to meet Ecuadorians and it went
on from there. Spanish learning is very helpful, and that should be
understood as a way to enhance the assimilation process. There are
always facilitators to help newcomers.”
Plenty of new friends, healthy, active living, and affordable
healthcare…the retirement lifestyle they enjoy in Cuenca has
enabled Patty and Mike to let go of their former life’s stresses. n