How much does it cost to live in Ecuador?
Hi, I'm from Ecuador so I have the more precisely information at the moment, Ecuador is a very cheap country compared with the U.S. or E.U., but can be expensive if you compare it with another South American country because the official currency is the US Dollar, I'll give some examples of the principles goods and services in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, feel free to ask if you want more information.Transportation, public transportation is very cheap, a one way bus trip will cost $0,25 cents. The average taxi $3–7. Uber and Cabify may vary.Food, food is delicious and cheap, you can buy a typical lunch meal for about $2 to 7 on normal restaurant, and if you want some luxury from $25 to $70, just a few here will go to a dinner of more than $100. A bottle of water is about $0,30 cents.Health, here you have two options, public and private healthcare, public is cheap AF!, but don't expect to be the king of the hospital or a very kind doctor, with exceptions of course. Private healthcare compared with the US is very cheap too, if you go to a top doctor on a top hospital you will pay a range of $60 to $90, and a prepaid healthcare plan costs about $120 with coverage from 60 to 80% percent.Rent. This is very variable, in the downtown you will pay for an apartment an average of $1000, and on other zones of the city, 30 mins from the downtown, an average of $200 to $500.In Guayaquil and Cuenca, another important cities of Ecuador, expect the same prices.On the other hand in other cities, not as important as the ones I mentioned, expect a reduction of about 10 to 20% of those values.Ecuador have a lot of natural resources and things to explore, nature are in every corner of this beautiful country.I hope this help.
What is Ecuador like?
Hi sonrisa :) I spent some time in Ecuador last year and really liked it. It is a beautiful country, nice people, a lot of interesting things to see and to do. You have amazing landscapes in the Andes Mountains, a lush jungle, and a beautiful coastline. The cost of living in Ecuador is very inexpensive. I stayed in Quito for a while and was able to get lunch or dinner for under $ 2.00, however, only at places frequented by the locals, not by the tourists of course. American fast food restaurants like McDonalds and KFC are actually pretty expenisve. You should shop where the local shops, and that is the open air markets. I don't know where in Ecuador you will be going to, but probably Quito. The city is high up in the mountains, and sometimes it is a little difficult to breathe if you are not used to the high altitude, howerver, you get used to it after a while. Quito has a beautiful and well preserved old town. Most action in Quito is in the neighborhood of Mariscal, which is centrally located. Ecuador has different climate zones depending on the area you are in. It could be a temperate climate or hot and humid like in the jungle in the southern coastal part around Guayaquil. Have a great time in Eucador, you'll love it.
What is the usual cost for buying a house in Ecuador?
All depends on where you will buy it, in capital cities the prices range are from 50k to 150k to middle range houses, in towns i don’t recommend buying a house is more cheaper to buy the land and build one. Also the houses on towns don’t follow any regulations so they are dangerous and often built on dangerous zones.The house on Ecuador below 50k are nonexistant, they are some several fast built houses but they are temporary and really simple.Also if you want to buy a house to rent, that business is dead if you are going to buy a house with credit. And don’t forget to look for taxes especially the plusvalia tax.
How much is the cost of living in Mexico?
I can tell you my cost of living in Mexico and that might help:I rent a home, 3BR 2BA, about 1400 sq. feet, gardens, and lots of land, and right now my rent is $222.50 per month.I use a lot of electricity … many fans, do not use AC, 2 TVs, 3 computers, fridge, and electrical appliances … electricity average $25.55 per monthGas for hot water and cooking …. $24.45 per monthWater for bathing, cleaning, watering the lawn and roses ….. $5.75 per month.Bottled water for drinking - $22.00 month, for 2 adults, 3 animalsCable TV, 120 channels, phone, free LD to US, Can., HiSpeed Internet$51.67 per month.Insurance on car - liability only - $33.40 per yearMedical care - free from Seguro Popular, private GP doctors $1.80 per visit, and pharmaceuticals, BP meds. $.91 per month, other general medicines,$2–10 per prescription. US Medicines available but not really needed.Specialists - Cardiologist, Endocrinolist, etc. $27.75- $40.00 per visit.Cat scan - $182.00, blood tests - dirt cheap.Buying food - family of 2 plus 3 pets, at walmart - about $400 a month,at local mercados …. about $275 per month.Gasoline for car - about $2.50 gallonBuying new cars — 25% cheaper than in US, used cars about 50% higherthan in US.Entertainment - movies, usually from $1–3 per movie at theatre.Dining out - pizza large home delivered - about $6Five star restaurant for 2 - $22.50 and upI am retired, on social security from the US and save about 40% of my retirement check here. Healthcare and general costs are cheap.There is a small annual fee for being an immigrant here in Mexico.*Prices are not based on living in Mexico City or other major citybut in a city of about 200,000 90 minutes from Mexico City. Pricesvary based on where you life and type of lifestyle. But, I live good!
How is ecuador????????
Ecuador is a great country. The lifestyle is very laid back and the people a friendly and accepting of foreigners. Ecuador is quite safe given you take normal precautions. Quito is an exciting city with a great mix of colonial history and modern conveniences. Cost of living is quite low. The government requires a person moving to Ecuador to have $800/per month, although you can live on quite a bit less than that.
What are the pros and cons of retiring in Ecuador?
As an Ecuadorian that left Ecuador at an early age, I can tell you that I love the idea of going back to Ecuador to retire. As somebody that grew up 80% of the year in Guayaquil (coast + beaches) and 20% in Quito (highlands + mountains), I do believe that you would live as a king in Ecuador after having made a living in a place that pays better salaries.Putting my personal thoughts aside, I can tell you that I have met 3 persons from the Seattle area that were actively looking into retiring in Cuenca. Most of the articles that talk about Ecuador as a great place to retire, focus on this city, so that's the city that these 3 persons were looking into. From the 3, 2 are now happily living over there. The one that didn't go there, however did spend close to 3 months living in Cuenca. After his "test drive", he decided that he loved Ecuador to get away from the sucky winters from Seattle but that he would stay in Seattle.In conclusion, I think Ecuador is a great place to retire. Heck, I live in Hawaii, and I still think about going back to Ecuador to retire.If you're planning to move to Ecuador, I would highly suggest that you read these two 3 questions, too:What should I know before moving to Ecuador?What are some cultural faux pas in Ecuador?What is it like to live in Ecuador?Good luck in your research!
Is Ecuador a good place to live?
Of course it is. Now it depends what are your standards? What are your values? and like anything else what do you think is important in life. Those questions are more subjective and apply anywhere in the world for a human being.Now respect to Ecuador, it has several climates were to choose, I am from the highlands at 9000 ft high. Temperate climate almost like San Diego all year round. There are major cities and lots of bio-diversity if you are interested in flora and fauna. Active volcanoes and major natural attractions like the Amazon rain forest and The Galapagos.Your money goes a long way and it is particularly awesome for retirees either from the states and Europe. By plane takes about 4 hours to travel from Miami to get there. The currency are dollars, the people are super friendly towards foreigners and always helpful.More about Ecuador here via the CIA:The World Factbookand via WikipediaEcuadorI hope this helped.
What is the cheapest city to live in Ecuador?
The previous answer from Johan Klok is very good. Also, the other commentator, Timothy Alvin is right about Cuenca. Many expats live there and the cost of living is much lower than the US.We would just add our two cents. We lived in Quito for 9 months then moved down here to the coast, Manabí is the area in a city called Manta.The cost of living down here is cheaper than it was in Quito for sure. We also have everything you need here. A huge, modern mall called Mall del Pacifico opened not long ago and they have a giant supermarket (a big chain called Megamaxi). There are also many other smaller markets. You can find most anything you want.The climate is beautiful, not too hot nor too cold. There are quite a few expats down here from Canada, US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia. They have regular get-togethers. You can join in or not, it is up to you.Whatever you do, we strongly suggest that you learn some basic Spanish if you move over here. Costs will be better if you know the language and can understand what is going on around you. Not much English is spoken here and those who don’t or won’t learn any Spanish tend to struggle with things like doctors appointments and paying utility bills. Just makes sense.The people here in Manta and all over Ecuador are wonderful, friendly, gentle and kind.Hope this helps and good luck to you!Colette and Philip