Pros and Cons of Living in Ecuador

Summary: The pros of living in Ecuador include its diverse landscape, with a variety of climates and terrains, from the Amazon rainforest to the Andes Mountains. The country also has a rich cultural heritage, with a variety of traditional foods, music, and festivals. Additionally, the cost of living in Ecuador is relatively low, making it an attractive destination for expats. The cons of living in Ecuador include the fact that the country has a high crime rate, with a high rate of violent crime in some areas. Additionally, the infrastructure in Ecuador is not as developed as in other countries, and the healthcare system is not as advanced. Additionally, the language barrier can be a challenge for expats, as Spanish is the official language.

What are the pros and cons of living in Ecuador?

Expats, digital nomads and retirees living in Ecuador responded:

"Likes: temperate climate, cost of living, beautiful and clean UNESCO city, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and clean (drinkable from the tap!) water, friendly, welcoming Ecuadorians, city's architecture, 4 rivers that run through Cuenca, great restaurants, ease of making friends, safe environment with extremely low crime rates, great health care and excellent doctors / medical staff, huge variety of social activities available, reasonably priced health insurance, multiple transportation options (city and outside of city buses, taxis, tranvia, tour guides, walking, biking), Ecuador uses the US dollar for currency, lots of low priced apartments and houses available for rent/purchase - many designed to satisfy North American standards, a plethora of beautiful parks with exercise equipment and many biking / hiking paths, shopping malls, grocery stories, tiendas (small, individually owned stores/markets), vendor markets, specialty stores, laid-back environment, mountains, etc., etc., etc.! Dislikes: Most Ecuadorian pet owners do not sterilize their animals and there is an overpopulation of unwanted pets on the streets, cranky "entitled gringos" who moved here but make no attempt to embrace / be part of the Ecuadorian way of life, the difficulty for me to learn to speak/understand and communicate the Spanish language (very frustrating!!)," said one in Cuenca.

"Cuenca is a green city, well ahead of the two bigger cities with regards to recycling not only public waste but waste from the parks to use in flower beds. The city has so many parks and over the past several years have installed exercise equipment in many of them. Many walking trails are available. Of course one does not have to travel far to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery. Also keep in mind that the reason the climate is so moderate is that while we are only 3* south of the equator, we are at 8,440 ft. I'm a smoker and it took me about two weeks to adjust. Some folks never do and either head for the coast (hot and humid to me) or maybe to the Yungilla valley which is around 6,000 ft. and warmer but lesser populated. It is a very relaxing place to live, no point in getting in a hurry, no one else is. Like anywhere else, kill 'em with kindness," explained one expat in Cuenca.

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Pros and Cons of Living in Ecuador

What are the pros and cons of living in Ecuador?

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