Two Years In Ecuador: Why We Moved, Why We Stay
The 23rd of July marked the two year anniversary of the day we landed in Guayaquil Ecuador. We spent one day there and then settled in Cuenca on the 24th.
Why Did We Move to Ecuador?
When we lived in Canada we had a fairly normal life, we had a nice house with a backyard, a car, a camper and our own business. We were happy, we lived close to our family in a small town in the beautiful Annapolis Valley (Nova Scotia), but we were very busy. Our house was a fixer-upper, which meant ongoing renovations, and our business took too much of our time. We saw our daughter growing up much too fast as the busy months and years passed by, we wanted more time to enjoy her, and do the things we loved to do as a family.
We kept trying to readjust things in Canada to be able to have more time, but nothing worked. The main reason was because of the money we needed to provide for our family, and the amount of work that was required to generate it. So we started looking for a country where the cost of living was lower so that we could work less and still have the things we needed.
We looked into a lot of different countries before we settled on Ecuador. Cuenca Ecuador really stood out to us because of it’s reputation, which it has lived up to: it’s clean, has good healthcare, not many critters, modern infrastructure (shopping malls, grocery stores . . .) and is alive with culture. We had also heard about the reputation Ecuadorians have of being patient and thinking well of foreigners this has proven true, without which we couldn’t stay here.
When we sold our house, business and belongings, it wasn’t easy, but at the same time it was very liberating. We were literally going to start over, and this time be determined to keeps tight reigns on the things that were taking time away from what was really important to us.
We have managed to do that for the most part, but we still have to keep an eye on life and at times make adjustments. When just reached the two year mark and have no desire to move back to Canada.
Why Are We Staying in Ecuador?
We miss many things about Canada, or family, friends, favorite places/foods, and the ease of communication, but the benefits of what this move have brought us will keep us here.
Life in a foreign country is very different than many people think. Often a negative impression exists because of what is featured on news programs. Life in Ecuador is better than what we had been expecting.
We love traveling around this country, we’ve been to Guayaquil, Salinas, Quito, and Galapagos. We’ve also been to many of the small towns surrounding Cuenca like Chordeleg, Paute, Giron and the Yunguilla Valley. We have plans to visit many more areas here in Ecuador and hopefully travel to other countries as well.
The process of being immersed in and learning a new language has taught us many things: patience, humility and the ability to laugh at our mistakes, to mention a few. Learning to adapt to cultural differences has sometimes pushed us outside our comfort zone, which as been very good for our family. We’ve grown in ways that we didn’t anticipate, and we’ve learned to recognize attitudes in ourselves and others, that at times are intolerant and unfair. These thing have helped us to become better people.
The things that our daughter has learned over the past two years have helped her in many of the same ways. Because she is experiencing these things at a young age, her future will be shaped by her experiences here. Seeing her learn, grow and change has been very fulfilling for us.
Living amongst a new culture and traveling around this diverse country has made us feel alive with a sense of exploration. We love to travel because we enjoy seeing new things and different ways of life, but living in a foreign country allows us to really understand the way life works in a different culture. This is a much different experience than just passing through. We are looking forward to many more years of our simpler lifestyle here in Ecuador.
It hasn’t been all fun and games, we have had our share of stress learning to adapt and communicate. Our immune systems have had a real workout as we’ve been assimilating to an onslaught of new germs, but as they say, “it all makes us stronger.”
We’ve been very happy to be able to share our experiences over the past two years through this blog. And even happier that many have told us that by doing this we’ve helped them decided to do something similar. We look forward to sharing much more in the future.
Thank you for following and experiencing this with us.
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Hi people…! Im from Ecuador and I read that people are asking a lot of things about Quito and diseases, well, living in Quito its more expensive than living in cuenca, cuenca is the 3rd best city here, but for me its the best, diseases? hmmm the only problem that Ive noticed about canadians and americans here its because the sun… the get burned their faces quickly… in QUITO its more cold than cuenca, cuenca have the perfect climate
Loved your information. I am coming to look at Cuenca in March. Please can you get me an email for: Hotel Boutique Los Balcones, It looks lovely, but I would like to talk directly to them rather than go through booking.com. I hope that you can do this. Thank you, Barbara
Hi Barbara, sorry, but I’m not familiar with them.
HI there friends, I get the impression you have had a very exciting 2 years in Ecuador. For young people like your self it is an experience that you will share along time with your loved ones. Like you sat you have no desire to move back to Canada. I like reading about your adventures, Its time to start on a story based on your life. I’m sure it would be interesting. Chow for now E & R.
THRILLED to have found your blog!! I’m a Haligonian, recently retired, and seriously considering an adventure in retiring internationally…Ecuador being first on the list. I’m SO inspired by your CAN-DO attitude! Please tell us a little about safety for single ex-pat women. I’m planning a trip there next spring, plan to stay several weeks, to explore, to look at long term rental properties, and to determine whether Ecuador will “fit” with what I need as I approach my sixties. Will be following you closely!!
Thanks Deborah – love your comment!
Hey Bryan…what about the issue of safety for single gals?
Thanks a lot for your site. It’s great.
My wife and I are very intrigued by the idea of moving to someplace with a different culture, near the ocean, inexpensive and with a slower pace. However, the schools that our nine year old’s go to now are great and we are concerned that we will not find top notch schools in Ecuador. What are your thoughts about that?
Thanks
Hi B & D. Enjoyed your 2 yr blog. We liked the ‘fairly normal’ in bold text.
Everything is relative isn’t it? We know you 2 did a lot of research before making your move, and clearly it is working for you. Good for you! Enjoyed your visit last month. Maybe one day we will get together again, elsewhere. 
R and L
My wife and I are talking about moving to Quito or Cuenca.Which city is a safer
city to live in?Also those numbers for cost of living are they fairly accurate.Please
let me know.
Hi Robert – regarding safety, really depends on who you talk to. We haven’t lived in Quito but felt very secure when we visit and explore. Quito is a very livable city.
About costs, we posted our actual costs. As you will see from the comments, some people feel its way to much – others not enough. Really depends on your lifestyle.
There is one thing I am curious about, earthquakes and volvanos. What is the seismic activity like in the area you live in.
I am a Canadian and retiring soon. I am looking at other countries because seriously I won’t be able to reitre in Canada and live with any degree of comfort. I have been looking at communities in Panama, Honduras, Crotia, Uruaguay and Ecuador. What countries did you look at and what were your reasons for selecting Ecuador?
I no sooner land on a place that I think I will like then somewhere else turns up looking just as or more attractive. My sister says that Bali is a great place to go to. I just don’t know.
Thanks
Betty
Hi Betty,
It can be so hard to sort out the best place to relocate! For us it was all about medical care, climate (not wanting to be too hot) the absence of disease (malaria, dengue . . .) and avoiding as many natural disasters as possible.
Cuenca is in a very good location in regard to all of those things. Natural disasters can happen anywhere, but some places get more than others. Cuenca is not really close to any volcanoes and it’s a very old city, so no recent earthquakes. Ecuador also uses the U.S. dollar, and Ecuadorians are very friendly to foreigners.
I’m sure that there are lots of other places with the same mix of good stuff as Cuenca, it’s just a matter of sorting out what’s best for you personally. I don’t know much abut Bali, but it’s interesting to sort through all these different places. What an amazing planet we live on!
Have fun, and all the best with your plans.
I read that seniors living in Edcuador get their utilities at
50 percent off.Is that true? Thanks
Hi Robert – I’ve heard that for other countries, but not in Ecuador. But it could be the case – I’m not a senior – but I haven’t heard that. But if you are moving here it probably won’t be a big deal anyway. Power bills range from $15 to 40 per month. Water is less than $10 for most people.
You will save on bus fare in Cuenca – you get 50% off. But you will need a special bus card. So instead of $0.25 you can pay $0.125. Our daughter qualifies for a youth rate, but getting the card was more hassle than it was worth, just to save a few cents.
Hope this helps.
I am on my 7th year as an expat living in the Dominican Republic, although before that I spent some time traveling through Ecuador and Peru before moving here. I loved Cuenca as well, and I love your site! I am just getting started blogging my adventures on http://www.theDominicanRepublicGringo.com, part of the Gringo Travel Network. Thanks for putting out such a great blog about life as an expat; it’s inspiring!
Hey, condradulations on two years. I myself am planning a move to quevedo ecuador in or around october or november. I really fell overwhelmed try to get everthing in order and having to to sort out what we take with us. I am very excited and I agree that I do want to take more advantage of the time to spend with my kids. They are 2 and 4 now but they do do grow up so fast.
I wanted to know if you had some tips on how to better organize all the things that need to be done before the big move. I just have this anxiety that I am going to forget something and then it will be to late.
your response would be greatly appriciated. thanks.
Hi Erika,
Wow, that’s a question I could write a book answering! I’m not sure how you are organizing things now, but the main thing that helped us was a running list. We just wrote down everything that we needed to do and prioritized it by date, which things needed to be taken care of first. We would check off things and add other things as time went by. Once things were down in writing we felt much more relaxed.
It also depends on what things you need to take care of. A move like thins can be a lot more complex for some than for others, depending on the set up you have where you are living now.
Some of the main things (which I”m sure you already know) are making sure you have enough time for your immunizations to take effect before you move. Also taking care of all your banking, figuring out how you will get the money you need from where you are now to where you will be needing it once you move. Also any legal documents you will need for visa purposes once you move , birth certificates, marriage license . . . Those are the things coming to mind right now that are time sensitive.
As far as stuff goes (cloths, furniture, electronics . . .) you can get it all here (although electronics are more expensive) so don’t stress too much about that. You may want to pack English books, they are hard to find here, but you can order them online, so that’s really a personal choice.
Hope this helps.
All the best with your move.
Questions. I am from the United States. For people want to rent a furnished apartment, how much would it cost for either a one or two bedroom. Nothing fancy. Like a flat. I don’t mind another city. I read there are walmarts in some cities. How picky are the landlords and how much down is required. I am on U.S. Social Security. Do they banks accept direct deposit from the U.S. & is it easy to get a checking account? I heard you can live on $1,200 U.S. or less in Ecuador, is that true? How is the internet access & how much? How much would a full size bed cost? What utilities are included with rent? What utilities are included are not included in the rent? How much is a landline or would a cell phone be cheaper? Do they have debit cards or they mostly a cash society? No rush on the answers. It will be a long time before we or I would move.
A few comments on Internet / Telecommunications and utility services. True High Speed Internet Service (similar to what is available in the US) is available in parts of Cuenca, Quito, and Guayaquil. You need to check the coverage maps for each of these cities. I have 4 Mbps UP and DOWN international speeds for about $80/month in Quito – works great for Skype and MagicJack, and video calls. The major cellphone carriers also offer “3G” Internet service for about $60 / month. And for about $20/month you can get DSL service from the phone company (slow, but OK for email). MoviStar and Claro are the two big cellphone carriers (about $10 – $15/month for voice and text messaging). A landline in your apartment (probably in your owner’s name) is about $8/month. Calls get expensive if you call other “networks”. Use landlines to call landlines, MoviStar for MoviStar, Claro for Claro. Until you have legal residency (a cedula number) most of your utilities will need to be in your owner’s name. I pay about $10/month for water, $40/month for electricity. Rent prices are really about where and how you want to live ($150 – $500/month).
Thanks for the help Joseph
Hi there,
I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of weeks now and just wanted to say thank you for the information.
My wife and I are flying to Ecuador in just a couple of days. We are heading to the coast first but are planning on spending 5 or 6 days in the Cuenca area as well. Something like August 2nd or 3rd – the 7th or 8th.
We’re very interested in relocating to Ecuador next summer, after our daughter graduates from high school. This trip is all about figuring out if we feel like we can make a home in Ecuador for ourselves.
Thanks again for all your effort.
Hi Terrence and Betsy,
How was your trip?
Let us know what you thought of Ecuador and Cuenca. Did you like it? Were you surprised by anything? Was is different than you were expecting? Do you think you’ll be relocating here next summer? (Wow, I’m not used to asking the questions, it’s kind of fun, but I’ll stop now
)
Thanks for your comment
Hi Brian, just writing to say that my operation that removed the brain tumor that I had to go through up here in Canada wasn’t really an easy thing to have to endure, but I’m getting better now.
Hey Nathan,
I’m so happy things went well. How are you feeling now? We should chat via email: bryan @ gringosabroad dot com Its so great to hear from you. Please send me an email…
Your buddy,
Bryan
Hi Nathan,
It’s so good to hear from you, we’ve been thinking about you. So happy to hear that you are feeling better!
We miss you, and your family.
Hi Bryan and Dena,
Thanks for your posts especially this one. It was a stressful challenge getting here. This post has helped sooth some of the anxiety. We had wonderful help from family here in Ecuador too. We’re looking forward to enjoying Ecuador. We hope to make it permanent. Thanks again for your positive and realistic blogs.
Hi Jim, welcome to Cuenca!
Yes it is stressful making a move like this. I would suggest taking a walk through the center, stopping at a bakery, and munching while people watching at Parque Calderon. Works for us
See you soon
Enjoy to items, and insights. We are looking for a place to move to along the coast, and Ecuador is on our top five list. We have Ecuadorians friends that live in Quyaquil (sp?). We plan to visit them next year. Several others from our church have visited and really enjoyed the time. Look at least once a week for info. Your’s just adds to our further desire to see the land more. Thanks and congrats on your 2 year anniversary.
Doug and Diane Fraser
Weatherford, TX
Thanks Doug and Diane,
All the best with your trip next year
[...] Gringos Abroad – Dena explains why the young family decided to sell their home and business and leave Nova Scotia and why after two years of living in Cuenca they decided to stay. [...]
Happy two year anniversary! I’ve been enjoying your blog for the last few months and am thankful for all the useful information. My wife and I will be visiting Cuenca for the first time over the Christmas holiday. Not only are we looking forward to a wonderful experience but will be exploring with an eye toward moving there next year.
Best regards,
Paul Domer
Charlottesville, Va
Hi Paul,
Thank you for you comment. We are glad to hear that you’re finding the information useful.
Moving abroad is a very exciting experience!
All the best with you upcoming trip to Cuenca.
Congrats on the two year anniversary.
It’d be great if you could provide more details on what you said here about the different points you alluded to. (E.g. where you had to practice tolerance, and how it’s helped your daughter).
Also would like to know more about the germ issues you mentioned. One of the big reasons we are planning to move to Ecuador is because my wife gets very sick during the winter here in Canada. She ended up in ICU last winter from the flu (she has some chronic health problems that affect her immune system). We were aiming for the siempre warm climate of Ecuador to lessen these issues.
Hi John,
Thank you for your comment.
In this post I mentioned recognizing attitudes in ourselves and others that are at times intolerant. In talking about tolerance issues, what I have in mind is more a matter of how we feel things “should” be done because of the way we’ve always known them to be done, than a matter of real ethical issues. For example, when people from North America first arrive here and need to get things done, they come to find out that the businesses close for a couple of hours in the middle of the working day.
This difference causes some to talk negatively about the culture and the way business is done here, when in reality a culture that chooses family over money (I guess that part is ethical) is to be admired. I would consider the negativity an intolerant attitude, and some hold onto it. Learning to accept things that are different than what we are used to, and learning to see traits/attitudes in others that are best avoided, has helped us to be able to take a closer look at ourselves and become better rounded people. Seeing our family accept new ways of doing things, and learning to see things in a more positive way is helping our daughter learn to be flexible and unafraid of change.
If your wife has a problem during the winter, I would definitely recommend a warm climate here in Ecuador. I would not say that Cuenca and Quito have warm climates. They can be warm, but can be very cool as well, on the same day, all year round. And because the homes are made of concrete, they stay cool inside, even when it’s warm outside I often need a sweater inside. The coast is much warmer than the sierra, but with a little research some warmer areas can be found in the sierra as well.
You forgot to answer this one: Also would like to know more about the germ issues you mentioned?
Thanks.
Hi Christianne,
Sorry, I was thinking I addressed this when I mentioned the cool climate.
During our first six months to a year, we had more clods than what was normal for our family. I’ve heard other expats say the same thing about their first year here. I think it’s a combination of new germs, and the cool climate in Cuenca. In Canada the cold weather brings ill health with it, I’m no doctor but it seems that cool or cold weather makes fighting germs harder for the immune system. Also because it’s always cool inside the homes here, it’s not as cozy as it was sitting by the wood stove in Canada when we were sick
Bryan has a harder time with this than Drew and I, so it may also depend on each individual. So I was saying that if a person has serious problems, they may want to think of a warmer climate than Cuenca. But I really think each family needs to check it out for themselves. Cuenca does not have a cold climate, but it can be cold and damp at times, creating a chill that goes right through you.
Can’t believe it’s been two years. We still miss you guys. But one of the important things are, that you guys are happy, and i know you have good reasons for being there. I bet that little girl is a big girl now. Rae and I both send our LOVE. Eric and Rae. Cheerio.
Hi Eric,
We miss you guys too. It’s so nice to have friends from back home commenting on our blog.
Yes, Drew has grown a lot over the past two years! She misses you all too, and sends her love along with ours.
Thanks for the great entry. We love your blog! Hope to meet you when we come in October.
Thank you, glad to know you’re enjoying the blog.
All the best with your plans in October.
Great blog…happy 2-years guys.
-Collin
Thanks Collin! In some ways, its hard to believe that its been that long – in other ways, it feels much longer…
Bryan
Thanks a lot Collin!