Ecuador Bound?

Hi alanj1,

Welcome to Expat.com!

I have moved your topic on the Ecuador forum for better visibility.

Thank you for offering your help.

Hi, I am thinking of retiring in Cuenca or Cotacachi, Euador. I've seen pictures of Cuenca, and read peoples blogs, and I would like to live in the thick of things. Would that be Old town Cuenca, or New Town Cuenca (if there is a new town Cuenca)? Cuenca seems like a big place, almost too big to be without a car. Don't get me wrong I do have a bike, and I love long distance walking.

Do you live in Cuenca now?

Do you recommended living there for one to two years before buying?

Thank you for any information.

Sharon

Hi Alanj1,

I have a few questions:

1. Safety: I've read mixed things about whether Ecuador is safe. What are your thoughts about this? Quito vs. Cuenca vs. Manta? I like the idea of living in Ecuador so that I can enjoy the outdoors, but I've read that thieves like to hang out on hiking trails. Is hiking unsafe?

2. I realize that you are a man who is married to a local, so not the best person to ask, but can you comment on what it is like for single women to live in Ecuador? Safety is one issue, but also what about social life (not just dating, but friends and community)? Best place for single women to live?

3. Are there any work opportunities for expatriates in Ecuador? Can you give me examples of how expat retirees are making money while living there (maybe from online businesses)?

4. I am thinking about spending 2-3 months in Equador to get a feel for the country and see whether it is a place where I can see myself living. Do you have any suggestions about how I should structure my trip?  I don't speak any Spanish, so I'm thinking about taking an intensive class when I arrive and am vaguely thinking that I could spend one month in a city (maybe Cuenca), one month at the beach (maybe Manta), and a little time visiting other places (e.g., Quito and the Galapagos Islands).

I appreciate any thoughts that you (or any other expats living in Equador)can share. I am just beginning to consider this option and am greatly in need of some preliminary advice.

Adventuresq

1. Safety: I suspect you will find safety to be an issue always. There is no real security from Police in Ecuador, and therefore it is always your responsibility to be cautious. Manta, being on the coast will generally have a higher rate or crime than Cuenca or Cotacachi. Going anywhere alone for a woman is NEVER advisable, even in the U.S. these days, and much less in a country where security is not what we're used too even in the U.S.

2. Just being married to an Ecuadorian does not cause me to be prejudiced, to the contrary. As to the social life and the ambiance for single women, keep in mind this is a 3rd World Latin culture. Unfortunately, women are still seen as 2nd class citizens, no matter what your nationality. And there are plenty of single men of other nationalities looking for single women. While Ecuador is a paradise compared to say Nicaragua, it is far from the Garden of Eden!

3. As an ex-pat you are not allowed to work if you are coming on a pensioner's VISA. If you are coming as an investor, by investing USD $25,000 either with the Central Bank or in a business or property, then that represents a different agenda. But to just come and look for work, in a country where the unemployment at last count was 25%, chances are somewhat slim.

Online businesses are probably the best way to earn income from Ecuador, as there are many opportunities that the ex-pat will see that are not seen by locals, as is always the case when seen with new eyes.

4. As for spending 2-3 months to size up yourself and Ecuador, I would recommend that for anyone seriously considering living here full time. This is a culture shock for people who have never lived in a foreign culture. Perhaps the biggest adjustment is time, and the fact that it is not important by U.S. standards. Anything and everything can always be done tomorrow, as it means in a sense "I will have work tomorrow if I don't get it done today."

Also, you will find that the typical Latin will "play" before "work." And work is never taken very seriously, and neither is the quality of work. There are exceptions to everything, including my thoughts that I share with you. another ex-pat will have a completely different take on things.

I have lived in Ecuador for 10 years, built my own business from scratch there during the 70's and 80's, walked away from it 27 years ago, spent the last 10 months in "coffee country" (Loja) living coffee from seed to cup, will be retiring there at the end of the 2013 school year, spend summers there at present, have family and a house, and feel like I know the country well but not perfectly. So much depends on attitude, expectations, plus the ability and desire to adapt.

Hope this is helpful.

@Sharon:

I do not live in Cuenca and can not claim to have ever visited. However there are a great number of ex-pats who have chosen Cuenca for retirement.

Having said that, the mindset of many ex-pats is trying to recreate their lifestyle from the U.S. in Ecuador, plus the added benefits of an inexpensive COL that allows for hiring cooks, cleaning personnel and such. These are the one who tend not to blend in with Ecuadorian culture. The same can be said for Cotacachi but on a smaller scale.

Cuenca is huge, but public transportation makes it extremely easy to get around without a vehicle of your own. Having a vehicle of your own is just another attraction for thieves, so it's more of a status symbol than practical!

You can find a reasonable rental in Cuenca ranging from $300-600 monthly with all the amenities, or as low as $150-300 unfurnished. Those were the latest prices I am aware of. I mention that as to your question about living there for two years before buying, and would strongly recommend that as a great way to know if Ecuador is for you. Regardless of where you live that would be an excellent way to know without making the commitment before hand.

Hope that is helpful.

Hello, Alan,

My husband, Jim, and sister, Valerie and I are moving in March, 2012.  Ecuador is one of three countries we are planning to spend time in while we are deciding on Panama, Costa Rica or Ecuador.

Can you tell me how you do your banking?  Do you keep an account in the US and one in Ecuador?  I understand that if you bring cash into Ecuador and then move it out they will tax you heavily.

Look forward to hearing back from you.

Cynthia

@alanj1,

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer all of my questions -- and doing it immediately!

I wouldn't be going to Ecuador to look for work. Just thinking that I would want something to do and would also like to have some income as I am not retirement age yet. I'm also just curious about what others are doing.

Although I haven't been to South America before, I actually have lived in foreign countries. In fact, right now I am living in China and a couple of years ago, I spent two months in Nepal, so I am not too concerned about culture shock.  Whether I want to live in a Latin culture is, however, another question.

I disagree with you about it never being safe for women to go anywhere alone anywhere in the world. I lived in New York City for a long time and felt perfectly safe going many places alone there. I also feel safe walking alone at night in China. It seems that safety is much more of a concern in Ecuador (and South America generally) and for me that is a big drawback to living there, so something that I have to seriously consider.

Finally, I did not mean to suggest that being married to an Ecuadorean woman made you prejudiced. I only meant that you have a very different perspective on what living in Ecuador is like than single female expats have. I was thinking that most expats are probably either couples or men who are interested in dating local women, so I wasn't sure how easy it is for single women to make friends and find a sense of community, much less date there. Of course, it is good to make friends with Ecuadorians as well as with expats, but again, I don't know how easy that is for single women. I'm glad to hear that you believe that there are plenty of expat men who are interested in expat women. Also, point well-taken re women being second class citizens.

Anyway, thank you again for sharing your perspective, advice, and personal situation. It sounds like you have had an interesting life and I hope that you enjoy the next chapter.

Hi Cynthia

I maintain an account with Bank of America in the U.S. Unfortunately, your dollar funds in Ecuador are subject to confiscation by the Ecuadorian government should they decide to do so, or a bank failure which you are not immune to in Ecuador, and there is no FDIC!

So I would go to Banco de Pichincha or most other ATM's and use my BOA debit card to withdraw funds. They usually charge $1.50 per withdrawal and then another $5 for the International transaction. Therefore, I would always take about $500 per withdrawal to make it worth my while.

You will probably not run into that in CR or Pan. However, the cost of living is higher in both those countries compared to Ecuador. There are pros and cons on all three countries, and your expectations are what will determine your choice in the end.

There are too many ex-pats in both Panama and Costa Rica compared to Ecuador, so if your looking to get away from things that look too much like the U.S., plus being more expensive, then Ecuador would have the edge.

Panama really caters to retirees, permitting such advantages as going to the front of any line in a bank or anywhere else there is a line waiting for service. Not bad, and dollars are the currency in both Ecuador and Panama, but not in Costa Rica.

A couple can live in Ecuador on about $600 monthly, whereas in Panama it's closer to $900 and comparable in Costa Rica. It really depends what you're looking for in any of these countries.

Of the three, Ecuador is still the most backward and truly a 3rd World country. While that may sound negative, it's what makes it somewhat of a "paradise" at the same time. You can still enjoy a laid back lifestyle in Ecuador, and as I have never lived in the other two countries I can not offer any personal info. However, based on comments on the net and from International Living you will not find quite the same scenario.

The best thought I can offer is as long as you are flexible and willing to adapt, which means ready to change to another culture and their way of doing things, then no matter where you go it will be great!

If there are any special needs that is another thing to take into consideration. The mountain cities to a large extent are preferable to most places on the coast due to crime and heat. Just a few more things to consider. Visits are tough when attempting to determine the best place. Weather, time of year, altitude, can all play a major factor in making that decision.

Hope this helps.

Hi everybody,

This post is really interesting and I want to add my own perspective, this doesn't mind that other post are wrong. Is just how I see things here from the perspective of an ecuadorian who lived in USA for many years.

@Sharon 88: Cuenca is a beautiful city, not really big but is growing fast. Most of the people here has a car but most of the expats don't. They just walk or use public transportation and you can get almost everywhere in this city.
There is only one Cuenca city they talk about old city when they refer to the downtown.
Usually, expats come here for 2 or 3 month to see and life here, see if they like it, then they decide to move. If you have enough savings you can buy a house or apartment. There's many options and prices.

Safety is a big concern, that's one of the reasons I decide to move to Cuenca instead of Quito. I feel safe here but you always have to be aware and be careful with your cell phone, computers or cameras.

Cuenca due is a small city has is pros but it has cons to, one is people here are more conservative and traditional. That means they  discriminate womens. When I go out for shopping with my wife, men talk to me not her.  If women want to do bussines, men aks for the husband, they usually don't want to do bussines with women.

I think the bank system in Ecuador is good now, The goberment is working hard to avoid private banks make silly things like in USA and Europe. In 2000 most of the Ecuadorian banks closed and many people lost their savings and bussines, it was really hard and the country still not fully recover since then. So now, the goberment has a close eye on the banks to avoid any problems.

Some expats have their own bussines like restaurants or farms, others work like English teachers. Most of them just enjoy life.

Vinny

Hello Alan,

You seem to be an excellent source of information. My husband and I are thinking of retiring and are planning a visit (have only been to Galapagos on vacation once). Before we even consider retirment there I need to find out how medical insurance works for people in their late 60's and hopefully growing older. I've received information from International ins. companies but the rates are extremely high. Do you know if any major medical is offered for residents. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you, Rita