For many people, the idea of living abroad feels like a luxury reserved for the wealthy. You picture beachfront villas, early retirement accounts, and lifestyles that seem out of reach unless you “made it big.” And so the dream quietly gets filed away—maybe someday, but not for me. In Ecuador, that assumption doesn’t hold.

The growing number of Americans looking beyond borders are not chasing novelty. They are making calculated decisions to protect their health, finances, and peace of mind.

The reality is more nuanced. Across the United States, millions of retirees are discovering that even with solid savings, pensions, or Social Security, rising costs have narrowed their choices. At the same time, others with far more modest incomes are finding fulfilling, stable retirements by redefining where and how they live.