Investment property in Ecuador: what to buy and what it costs
Studio apartment in Quito for long-term letting
$54,800
A 45 m² apartment with one room, a kitchen corner and a large window onto the slopes of the Andes on the seventh floor of a 2010s residential building in Quito - Ecuador's capital at 2,800 metres. Buses and metro stations are nearby, the business centre is 20-30 minutes away. Such apartments are let long-term to students, young professionals and office staff.
One-bedroom apartment in Cuenca to live in and let
$58,700
A 55 m² apartment with a bedroom, a living room with a kitchen and a view of tiled roofs and hills in a six-storey building west of the centre of Cuenca - a colonial city in the Andes with eternal spring. The historic centre is 10-15 minutes away. The apartments are let to university teachers, doctors and foreigners who move to Cuenca to retire.
One-bedroom apartment in a tower in Guayaquil
$77,400
A 55 m² apartment with a bedroom, a living room with a kitchen, air conditioning and a balcony on the ninth floor of a residential tower in Guayaquil - Ecuador's largest city and main port. The windows look out on palm trees and a wide river. Shopping centres and offices are nearby, and the apartments are let to company staff and young couples.
Two-bedroom family apartment in Cuenca
$85,300
An 80 m² apartment with two bedrooms, a living-dining room and a large window onto the river and hills in a five-storey building in Cuenca. Riverside parks, markets and schools are nearby. Such apartments are let long-term to families, and foreigners buy them to live in and for investor residency.
Two-bedroom apartment with a balcony in Quito
$91,300
A 75 m² apartment with two bedrooms, a living room, an open kitchen and a balcony with a view of the valley between the mountains on the fifth floor of a ten-storey building in Quito. In the capital apartments are rented all year round by staff of ministries and companies, so they rarely stand empty.
Two-bedroom apartment in a complex with a pool in Guayaquil
$98,500
A 70 m² apartment with two bedrooms, a living room, air conditioning and a balcony over the pool in a gated residential complex with security in Guayaquil. In the tropical climate a pool and a guarded compound are what tenant families look for first. Schools and shopping centres are nearby.
Three-bedroom apartment with a fireplace in Quito
$134,000
A 110 m² apartment with three bedrooms, a living-dining room with a gas fireplace and a balcony with a view of the city and the slopes of a volcano on the eighth floor of a residential building in Quito. At 2,800 metres a fireplace is no luxury: evenings in the capital are cool. Such apartments are let to the families of professionals and company executives.
Three-bedroom apartment with a river view in Guayaquil
$155,000
A 110 m² apartment with three bedrooms, a large living-dining room, air conditioning and a balcony on the sixteenth floor of a residential tower in Guayaquil. The windows look out on a wide river, green islands and the city. The building has a pool, a gym and round-the-clock security.
What properties are bought for investment in Ecuador
Above are the most interesting offers selected by our experts. The price in each card is the city's square metre price for an apartment by our experts' estimate multiplied by the floor area. A manager will find a property to match your requirements.
Apartments for sale in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca, rental yields, taxes on buying and owning, investor residency.
Ecuador runs on the dollar: prices are quoted and deals are settled in US dollars, so a buyer carries no currency risk. A foreigner buys an apartment on the same terms as a citizen. By our experts' estimate, a square metre of an apartment costs about $1,200 in Quito, $1,400 in Guayaquil and $1,070 in Cuenca.
This page covers apartments in the country's three main cities: the capital Quito in the Andes, the business and port city of Guayaquil and colonial Cuenca with its mild climate, prices by city, rental yields, taxes and investor residency: an apartment from $48,200 qualifies for it on its own.
The market in brief
Prices and rules as of 2026.
How much an apartment in Ecuador costs in 2026
Housing prices in Ecuador are quoted and paid in dollars. Guayaquil is the most expensive, where new towers by the river lift the average square metre, and Cuenca is the cheapest. Prices in Quito are more even: a square metre costs about $1,200 and a 60 m² apartment about $73,000.
| City | Square metre | 60 m² apartment |
|---|---|---|
| Guayaquil | ~$1,400 | ~$85,000 |
| Quito | ~$1,200 | ~$73,000 |
| Cuenca | ~$1,070 | ~$64,000 |
Square metre prices are our experts' estimate in 2026, rounded.
What rental yield to expect
Long-term rental yield in Quito is about 6.4% a year before tax and expenses, by our experts' estimate: a two-bedroom apartment lets for about $520 a month. Rents in Guayaquil are slightly higher and in Cuenca lower, but apartments there are cheaper too.
| Tax | Rate |
|---|---|
| Rental income, non-resident | 25%, withheld at source |
| Rental income, resident | general scale of 0-37% in the annual return |
| Annual property tax | 0.25-5 per mille of the cadastral value, the rate is set by the municipality |
| Gain on sale | municipal tax on the increase in value, usually 10% of the profit |
| Sending money abroad | 5% of the amount |
Data for 2026: the yield is our experts' estimate for Quito; a comparison of countries is in the rental yield table.
Bringing money in for a purchase is not taxed, while the bank withholds 5% when money is taken out after a sale. Rates and examples are on the page taxes in Ecuador.
What costs to add to the property price
| Payment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Municipal property transfer tax | 1% of the value, paid by the buyer |
| Notary and property registry | at the notary's and registry's tariffs, usually paid by the buyer |
| Title check by a lawyer | by agreement |
Data for 2026. The tax on the increase in value on a sale is paid by the seller. A manager calculates the total for a specific property.
In Ecuador the registry and the municipal certificates are checked before the deposit
Mistakes cost more than the tax: a plot in a border zone without authorisation, a mortgage or an encumbrance in the registry, the previous owner's property tax debts, an apartment under $48,200 when the goal is residency, and the forgotten 5% when money is taken out after a sale. We check the registry and the certificates before the deposit and prepare the deal so that the documents fit the visa application.
The cost of support depends on the purchase budget and the goal - investment, residency or a home for yourself; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
Does the purchase give a residence permit
Yes, investor residency. A property purchase of 100 basic wages - $48,200 in 2026 - gives the right to a temporary residence permit for 2 years. The fees are $50 for the application and $270 for the visa, $320 in total.
After two years of temporary residence you can apply for permanent residence. Every apartment on this page costs more than the threshold, so each one qualifies for investor residency.
How we find a property
- Budget and goal: investment, investor residency or a home for yourself. The manager clarifies the city and how you will pay.
- A selection of real properties: apartments with the seller's price, floor area, the building fee and a yield calculation.
- Checks in the property registry: the owner, mortgages and encumbrances, municipal certificates of no property tax debt and of the cadastral value.
- A remote deal by power of attorney: a promise-to-sell agreement and a deposit, the sale deed at a notary, registration in the canton's registry and the investor residency documents if needed.
The manager sends the selection to the chat, with sellers' prices on the date of the selection.
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More on buying in this country:
- Property in Ecuador to live in and invest: rules, taxes and the deal
- Buying an apartment in Ecuador
- Company registration in Ecuador
- Personal bank account in Ecuador
- Quito: cost of living, rent and neighbourhoods
- How to send money to Ecuador
All countries and budgets compared - on the page Investment property abroad.
FAQ
How much does an apartment in Ecuador cost in 2026?
Can foreigners buy property in Ecuador?
Does buying property give a residence permit in Ecuador?
What yield does letting an apartment in Ecuador give?
What taxes apply when buying property in Ecuador?
In what currency do you buy an apartment in Ecuador?
Where to buy an apartment for investment in Ecuador?
Can you buy property in Ecuador remotely?
Don’t want to figure this out alone?
We handle the whole process end to end: we shortlist properties for your goal, run legal checks and support the deal through to registration. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.
The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.
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