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Alright a little analysis:

The disparity between the four most expensive cities, Loja, Cuenca, Manta and Quito is negligible as the monthly difference is only about $8.

The second observation is the allocation of 32% for food. I think this percentage is high because the monthly amounts are small to begin with.   

Can someone live off these amounts? The answer is obviously so, but we don't know the personal circumstances. For instances, do budgets include rent or are the residences owned and paid for completely.

In Quito, to make that sum work, one would have to live in not so great areas. Perhaps, some place like comite de pueblo, carcelén bajo, dusty carapungo, and many areas in the south. There, apartments can be found for about $200. As for food, I guess one has to keep it simple.

That's crazy... Don't know where they get those numbers for Loja, but that would be crazy... Decent apartments can be had for 200, add about 100 for internet, electric, water, propane, etc., and another 50 per person for food and it comes in at $400 for a couple.  Seems their "basic basket" can't be very basic.  Maybe this is based on a large family...  Since I know quite a few families surviving on the minimum wage/basic income (less than 500/month) for a family of at least three, this just seems absurd.

They get the numbers from a government agency (in Ecuador's case, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC)) that goes out and prices standard items in the canasta básica, they're not just pulled out of thin air.  Both in Colombia and Ecuador the government tracks the monthly cost of the "basic shopping cart" in different cities and regularly releases reports to help track inflation and rising costs.

Here's a non-governmental site that tracks prices for all kinds of expenses and shows the cost in local currency, dollars and euros.  This does not track by city but only is an average by country and so local prices can vary.  The first link is for Ecuador and the second for Colombia:

antialiased wrote:

That's crazy...add about 100 for internet, electric, water, propane, etc., and another 50 per person for food...

Well, fifty dollars a month for food on a subsistence budget of beans and noodles and almuerzos is doable for locals earning minimum wages.

But few Expats can live that way indefinitely.

That number, 50, is next to meaningless for the typical Expat way of life.  That would mean no booze except the cheapest wine, no restaurant meals beyond lunchtime almuerzos and a tasty, properly- prepared seafood meal only about once a month, if that.

cccmedia

cccmedia wrote:

Well, fifty dollars a month for food on a subsistence budget of beans and noodles and almuerzos is doable for locals earning minimum wages.
. . .
That number, 50, is next to meaningless for the typical Expat way of life.  That would mean no booze except the cheapest wine, no restaurant meals beyond lunchtime almuerzos and a tasty, properly- prepared seafood meal only about once a month, if that.

cccmedia

That's my point, however.  I was assuming these figures were based on reality for the average resident.  Since the average person is not rich here (at least in Loja region), it would seem silly to imagine that the "normal" resident eats out often, if at all (much less seafood and wine).  So, yeah, for a "minimum" North American/European expat (upper class) cost of living, maybe, but that didn't seem to be what they were claiming to report. 

From the initial post:

In Loja the canasta básica, or the monetary amount needed to meet basic needs and services is $738.06 per month.

Basic derives from base, which implies minimum.  I consider "minimum" the amount below which you will suffer malnutrition, homelessness, be unable to lead a "normal" life, etc.  The reported number is certainly not accurate as a minimum.

Okay, a little bit more information. The size of the household used for the the canasta básica is 4 members. Health needs, education, transportation, personal items and clothing are also included in the basic basket.

A friend of mine is happy that his baby daughter is growing up so he doesn't have to continue paying $8 a week for diapers. So, obviously basic needs are more than just food and rent.

vsimple wrote:

Okay, a little bit more information. The size of the household used for the the canasta básica is 4 members.

Ok, that makes much more sense.

For members who are not too familiar with Ecuador, the $730 a month for a family of four is by any definition – poor. The salaries of middle class professions far exceed this this sum. Public sector nurses for instances have a level 5 pay-grade and start with a (2017). Specialist nurses earn much more than that. Low level police officers start with a salary of about $1000. Public sector teachers start with a salary of $817 and with seniority as high as $1,676.

Exactly. And if you are single it really is less expensive to eat out since food quantities at the market are targeted for a family of four, most of which a single person can not eat before spoilage.
I live pretty well here in Quito, but if an expat expects to live on $730 a month here they will be disappointed, either in terms of their budget, or theIr quality of life. If you like a hot shower forget it at total budget of $730.
Anyway my budgeted two cents worth.

If the $730 sum is scrutinized, it will be realized that $187 was allocated for rent. That translates to an eek! apartment in Quito.   

To put things in perspective. I am a middle class expat, and my grocery bill is around $300 a month. This amount does not include eating out. And I don’t eat a lot, but I do eat well.

So, with the 32% that they allocated for food or $233 for a family of 4, let me just say that a whole lot of it was for carbs. Personally, I’m not a carb person. My diet is probably 60p-30c-10f. I’ll eat a red snapper with a salad and I’m good. I’ll have rice with an Indian o Thai curry or some kind of seco.

Vssimple.......sounds like you and I could eat off the same table......I do it here in Panama for about $150 a month, not including eating out.....but then again, Im not the worlds best accountant either......And it does seem like things are getting more expensive every time I go shopping......Colombia seemed cheap compared to Panama.....And more selection.........with the exception of fresh fish......Here I buy fresh from the boats, yellow fin tuna or dorado, pure filets for $2.50 a lb........I just spent $13 yesterday on 5 lbs.......including the bag of ice.......and sliced that into 13 filets.....now factor in my brown rice which I buy on the Costa Rican side cuz its better quality....and some veges, and voila.......you have a meal (for 1) for around $2 not including the gas to cook it with.......I did notice that the gormet items I buy here in Panama like Sesame Tahini or Pesto or Kikoman soy sauce generally costs more in both Colombia and Ecuador but the selection at times in Colombia is awesome........My Ecuadorian friend and host in Olon who is from Guayaquil told me that every imaginable kind of fish is available in the city (Guayaquil)fish market  and can be bought from $1.50 and up.........Right there in Olon at a local run restaurant I was eating fresh corvina ajlalillo with homemade fries and a big mixed green salad for $5......and I had to tell em to cut back on the food supply....it was too much to eat.........I guess you cant do that in Quito tho..........

Is there an easy way to translate these pagers?