Is the cost of living in Machala high?

"Prices have risen some in the past 10 years but still, the cost of living is way better than in the States. My wife and I live very comfortably on little under $1,000 per month and that includes helping out other members of our family and traveling the country ( before the Covid-19 curtailed that! ). We do own our houses - a small 3-story in the city and a casa de campo out of town - but one of my stepsons and his family rent their semi-furnished, three-bedroom, 1 bath, home for about $300 per month. Utilities are very inexpensive. My monthly electric bill, inclusive of service charges for garbage and fire protection runs about $35 monthly. Water is $10.99 monthly, Gas for cooking is $3,00 a canister, and drinking water is $1.60 for a 22-liter container. Our conventional telephone is $8 and cable tv package & high-speed internet runs $85 per month. We pay $90 per month for IESS ( they just went up $5 ) for both of us - My wife is Ecuadoran and I am on her policy, so obviously my rate would be lower than yours might be, but you get a general idea. city-run Busses are 15 cents for Seniors and 35 cents for others. Taxis $1,50 - $2.50 depending on where you're going. My grocery bill at the supermarket for our family averages just under $300 per month and fresh foods, meats, fish, poultry, fruits & veggies, etc., and occasional restaurant take-out is never more than an additional $200 a month. Some imported food items are a bit more expensive than the States but usually not appreciatively. Fresh fish, meat, poultry, pork, etc., and fresh fruits and veggies are plentiful, inexpensive, and a larger variety than you'd find where you are," remarked another expat in Machala, Ecuador.