Eye Care, Glasses, and Contacts in Ecuador — Exams, Costs, and Where to Go

If you wear glasses or contacts, Ecuador is going to make you very happy. An eye exam plus a new pair of prescription glasses — frames and lenses — can cost less than the copay for an exam alone in the US. The quality is good, the turnaround is fast, and the experience of walking into an optical shop, getting tested, picking frames, and walking out with finished glasses the same afternoon still feels surreal to expats used to the American eyewear industry.

Here's the complete breakdown of eye care in Ecuador — from routine exams to LASIK to cataract surgery.

Eye Exams

Ecuador has two types of eye professionals, same as anywhere:

Optometrists (optómetras) handle routine vision exams, prescriptions for glasses and contacts, and basic eye health screenings. This is who you see for a new prescription or an updated one.

Ophthalmologists (oftalmólogos) are medical doctors who specialize in eye diseases and surgery. You see them for cataracts, glaucoma, retinal issues, LASIK consultations, and anything beyond a routine prescription.

Where to Get an Exam

Optical shops. Most optical stores in Ecuador have an exam room in the back with an optometrist on staff. Many offer free exams if you buy glasses — or charge $10-20 if you just want the prescription. Walk in, tell them you need an exam (necesito un examen de la vista), and you'll usually be seen within 15-30 minutes. No appointment needed at most locations.

Private eye clinics. For a more thorough exam or if you need a specialist, visit a private ophthalmology clinic. These are equipped with modern diagnostic equipment — autorefractors, slit lamps, tonometers for glaucoma screening, and often OCT machines for retinal imaging.

Hospitals. Both IESS (public) hospitals and private hospitals like Hospital Santa Inés and Clínica Santa Ana in Cuenca, or Hospital Metropolitano and Clínica de Ojos in Quito, have ophthalmology departments.

Exam Costs

Service	Cost in Ecuador	Typical US Cost
Basic optometrist exam	$15-40	$75-200
Ophthalmologist consultation	$40-80	$150-350
Comprehensive eye exam (dilation, pressure, retinal check)	$50-100	$200-400
OCT retinal scan	$30-60	$100-200
Visual field test (glaucoma)	$25-50	$75-150

If you're enrolled in IESS, ophthalmology visits and many diagnostic tests are covered, though wait times for specialists can run 2-8 weeks. For routine prescriptions, just walk into an optical shop — it's faster and cheap enough to pay out of pocket.

Glasses

This is where Ecuador really shines for value. The American eyewear market is notoriously inflated — dominated by Luxottica's near-monopoly on frames and lenses, which is why a pair of glasses costs $300-500 at LensCrafters. Ecuador has none of that markup.

What You'll Pay

Type	Cost in Ecuador	Typical US Cost
Frames + single vision lenses	$30-80	$200-400
Frames + progressive/bifocal lenses	$80-200	$300-700
Frames + photochromic (transition) lenses	$60-150	$300-500
Blue-light blocking add-on	$10-20 extra	$50-100 extra
Anti-reflective coating	Often included	$50-100 extra
Designer/brand-name frames	$100-250	$150-350
Budget frames + basic lenses	$20-40	Rarely available

Yes, you read that correctly. You can get a fully functional pair of prescription glasses for $30-40. They won't be designer frames, but they'll be perfectly serviceable. If you want nicer frames and better lens coatings, $80-120 gets you something excellent.

Where to Buy

Óptica Los Andes — Ecuador's largest optical chain, with locations in every major city. Reliable, consistent quality, reasonable prices. They do same-day single vision lenses for standard prescriptions. Progressives take 2-5 days. This is the "safe bet" option — like the LensCrafters of Ecuador, minus the Luxottica pricing.

GMO (Grupo Médico Oftalmológico) — Another major chain, slightly more upscale. Good selection of frames, competent on-site optometrists, and they handle complex prescriptions well.

Ópticas Tosi — A well-known Cuenca-based optical shop that expats frequently recommend. Good quality, fair prices, and they're used to working with foreigners.

Independent opticals. Every city has dozens of small, independent optical shops. In Cuenca, walk along Calle Bolívar or Gran Colombia in the city center and you'll pass half a dozen within a few blocks. In Quito, the area around Hospital Metropolitano and along Avenida América has clusters of opticals. These independents often have the best prices because their overhead is lower.

Mercado shops. Inside municipal markets, you'll sometimes find tiny optical stalls that sell reading glasses for $3-5 and basic prescription glasses for $15-25. Quality varies, but for a backup pair or simple reading glasses, they're fine.

Turnaround Time

• Single vision lenses (standard prescription): Same day at many shops, or next day. Walk in at 10 AM, pick up at 4 PM
• Progressive/bifocal lenses: 2-5 business days. The lenses are usually cut at a regional lab
• Complex prescriptions (high astigmatism, very strong correction): 3-7 business days. Some may need to be ordered from a specialty lab
• Designer frames with imported lenses: 1-2 weeks if the frames need to be ordered

Tips for Getting Glasses in Ecuador

Bring your current prescription. If you have a recent prescription from your US optometrist, bring it. Ecuadorian opticals will honor it, and it gives you a baseline to compare against their exam results. The notation system is the same (sphere, cylinder, axis, add power for progressives).

Bring your current glasses. Even if the prescription is old, the optical shop can use a lensometer to read the prescription from your existing lenses. Useful if you don't have a paper copy.

Get two pairs. At these prices, there's no reason not to have a backup pair. Get your main glasses and a second pair with a different frame style, or keep one as a spare in your bag. Two pairs for $80-120 total is still cheaper than one pair in the US.

Check the lenses before you leave. Put them on in the store. Look at straight lines — door frames, tile lines — and make sure there's no distortion. Read your phone. Look at things at different distances if you got progressives. It's much easier to fix issues on the spot than to come back later.

Negotiate. At independent opticals (not the chains), prices are somewhat flexible, especially if you're buying multiple pairs or adding extras like photochromic or blue-light coatings. Politely asking "Is there a discount for two pairs?" often works.

Contact Lenses

Contacts are available in Ecuador, but the selection is narrower than what you're used to in the US.

What's Available

Monthly disposable contacts are the most common type sold in Ecuador. Major brands like Acuvue, Bausch + Lomb, and CooperVision are available at optical shops. Expect to pay $15-30 per box (similar to US pricing, sometimes slightly higher because they're imported).

Daily disposable contacts are harder to find, especially specific brands or prescriptions for astigmatism. If you rely on dailies, your best options are:

1. Bring a supply. Pack 6-12 months' worth when you move. They're small and light
2. Order via casillero. Use a package forwarding service (Miami Box, Ecuabox, or similar) to ship from 1-800 Contacts or similar US retailers. You'll pay US retail price plus about $3-5/pound shipping. See our receiving packages guide
3. Ask your local optical. Some shops can special-order specific brands. It takes 2-4 weeks and you may pay a premium, but it's an option

Specialty lenses — toric (for astigmatism), multifocal, colored — are available but may require ordering. Ask at the larger chains like Óptica Los Andes or GMO, which have better supply chain access.

Contact Lens Solution

Available at every pharmacy in the country. Cruz Azul, Fybeca, Pharmacys — they all carry it. Major brands like ReNu and Opti-Free are common. Expect to pay $5-8 per bottle, comparable to US prices. Generic store-brand solutions are $3-5 and work fine.

LASIK and Refractive Surgery

Ecuador has become a legitimate destination for LASIK — both for residents who want to stop wearing glasses and for medical tourists who fly in for the procedure.

Quality and Technology

Major eye clinics in Cuenca and Quito have modern excimer and femtosecond laser systems — the same technology used in top US clinics. The key differentiator isn't usually the equipment (which is imported and standardized) but the surgeon's experience and training. Many Ecuadorian ophthalmologists trained or did fellowships in the US, Europe, or Brazil and brought world-class skills back home.

Cost

Procedure	Cost in Ecuador (per eye)	Typical US Cost (per eye)
LASIK (standard)	$800-1,200	$2,000-3,000
LASIK (bladeless/femtosecond)	$1,000-1,500	$2,500-4,000
PRK	$600-1,000	$1,500-2,500
ICL (implantable lens)	$2,000-3,500	$3,500-6,000

That means both eyes done with femtosecond LASIK — the gold standard — runs $2,000-3,000 total in Ecuador. The same procedure in a major US city is $5,000-8,000.

Where to Go

Cuenca:

• Clínica de Ojos Carrasco — Well-known ophthalmology practice with laser equipment. Multiple surgeons, strong reputation among expats
• Hospital Santa Inés — Has an ophthalmology department with refractive surgery capability
• Ask in Cuenca expat groups for recent patient experiences — recommendations shift as staff changes

Quito:

• Clínica de Ojos (on Avenida Eloy Alfaro) — One of the larger dedicated eye clinics in Ecuador
• Hospital Metropolitano — Top-tier private hospital with a strong ophthalmology department
• AFIA Oftalmología — Specializes in refractive and corneal surgery

What to Know Before LASIK

Research the surgeon, not just the clinic. Ask where they trained, how many procedures they've done, and what their complication rate is. A good surgeon will answer these questions without hesitation. If they seem evasive, find someone else.

Femtosecond laser is preferred over microkeratome. The all-laser (bladeless) approach creates a more precise corneal flap and has a lower complication rate. It's worth the extra cost.

Not everyone is a candidate. You need a stable prescription (no significant change in the last 1-2 years), sufficient corneal thickness, no keratoconus, and no active eye disease. A thorough pre-operative evaluation should include corneal topography, pachymetry (thickness measurement), and pupil size assessment.

Recovery: Plan for 1-2 days of blurry vision and light sensitivity. Most people are functional (can read, use a computer) within 2-3 days. Full visual stabilization takes 1-3 months. Avoid swimming and dusty environments for 2-4 weeks.

Cataract Surgery

For retirees, this is often the most relevant eye procedure — and Ecuador does it very well.

Cost

Procedure	Cost in Ecuador (per eye)	Typical US Cost (per eye)
Cataract surgery (standard monofocal IOL)	$1,500-2,500	$3,500-5,000
Cataract surgery (premium multifocal or toric IOL)	$2,500-4,000	$5,000-7,000+

IESS Coverage

IESS covers standard cataract surgery — including the consultation, procedure, monofocal lens implant, and follow-up care. The catch: wait times through the public system can be 3-6 months, sometimes longer depending on demand at your local IESS hospital. If your cataracts aren't severely impacting your daily life, the wait is manageable. If they are, going private gets you scheduled within 1-2 weeks.

Premium lens implants (multifocal, toric for astigmatism correction, or extended depth of focus lenses) are generally not covered by IESS and would need to be done privately.

What to Expect

Modern cataract surgery in Ecuador uses phacoemulsification — the same ultrasound technique used globally. The procedure takes 15-30 minutes per eye, is done under local anesthesia (you're awake but feel nothing), and you go home the same day. Most surgeons do one eye at a time, with the second eye scheduled 1-4 weeks later.

Recovery is quick: most patients see significantly better within 24-48 hours. You'll use antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops for 4-6 weeks. Avoid heavy lifting, bending over, and getting water in your eye for the first week.

Glaucoma and Retina Specialists

If you have glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or other chronic eye conditions, you can absolutely manage them in Ecuador.

Glaucoma management: Specialists are available in Cuenca and Quito. Monitoring visits ($50-100) include intraocular pressure measurement and visual field testing ($25-50). OCT scans for nerve fiber analysis run $30-60. Glaucoma medications are available at Ecuadorian pharmacies — timolol, latanoprost, brimonidine, and others — often cheaper than in the US even without insurance.

Retina specialists: Available at major eye clinics and hospitals. OCT retinal imaging ($30-60) is the standard diagnostic tool. Anti-VEGF injections (Avastin, Lucentis) for macular degeneration are available at $200-500 per injection — significantly less than the US cost. Retinal laser treatments are also available.

Diabetic eye screening: If you're diabetic, get a dilated fundus exam at least once a year. Any ophthalmologist can do this, and it costs $40-80. Catching diabetic retinopathy early is critical.

Practical Tips

UV protection matters more here. Ecuador sits on the equator, and if you're in the highlands, you're also at high altitude. The combination means UV radiation is significantly stronger than what you're used to. Always get UV-blocking lenses (most modern lenses include this by default, but verify). Sunglasses aren't optional — they're medical equipment.

Bring your records. If you have a history of eye disease, bring your medical records, including any OCT scans, visual field tests, or surgical reports. Ecuadorian doctors can read English-language medical records, and having a baseline saves time and money on repeat testing.

Don't skip eye exams because they're cheap. The affordability of eye care in Ecuador is a feature, not a reason to be suspicious. The optometrists and ophthalmologists are well-trained, the equipment is modern, and the outcomes are excellent. At $30-40 for an exam and glasses, there's no excuse for squinting at your phone with an outdated prescription.

For complex cases, go to Quito. Cuenca has excellent general eye care, but if you need something highly specialized — corneal transplant, complex retinal surgery, pediatric ophthalmology — Quito has the largest concentration of subspecialists and the most advanced surgical centers.

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Related guides: Healthcare System in Ecuador | Medical Tourism in Ecuador | Pharmacy Guide | IESS and Expat Health Insurance