Yeah, I edited the video and was about to upload it when I realized I skipped the most important thing, so I went back and edited in that crucial comment just before I finished the video. Glad others caught the importance of that detail.

Yeah, these deals are out there but we found it by constantly looking for several months and being picky. It’s easy to find an ok deal. It takes work to find something awesome.

Thanks. You’ve got a couple years on me here in Ecuador. Yeah, I was just wrapping up the video when I realized I had forgotten to say the most important thing, so I went back and added the rent first bit as a voiceover.

You’re welcome.

You’re welcome. Thanks for reaching out with feedback and lifting me up.

Thanks.

When? Were you lucky or was it before this area started to go to shit? My first few apartments in Quito back in 2013/14/15 where in jipijapa back when it was the hip place to be.

⁠@@FallofftheMap I stayed across from jipijapa metro stop December 27th-28th 2023. Perhaps I did get lucky 😬 My host was a 45-50 year old single Mom with a daughter. She said “aqui esta Muy tranquilo; no te preocupes”. Though, I did think that it was rather odd that she has never ridden the Metro 🤔 I also rode the main north to south bus line (west of La plaza de toros) to the historic district. It still blows me away that the bus ride was 35 cents and the metro was 45 cents 😳 The apartment had a 24/7 security guard and gate.

Glad you liked it!

It sounds like you had a bad experience with one or two “older Americans” and then made broad sweeping assumptions about the entire group. There’s a word for that…

@@FallofftheMap Maybe I was unlucky, but after 17 years of renting mostly to Western expats or tourists, I don’t think I’m wrong. I now live in Europe, so I have someone who takes care of that place for me. They also don’t want to rent to older people.

I'm guessing the first complaint was no elevator, second complaint :What do you mean there's no place to park our mobility scooters?"

I spend most of my time in Colombia I never live in a neighborhood with Americans they're a pain in the ass on the only American in my neighborhood I like it that way. When I'm in Columbia I'm a Colombian

@@FallofftheMap I am older (almost 60). I am healthy, hardworking and self reliant. Thank you for realizing that old does not equate with entitled. Also, thank you for addressing questions that I did not even know to ask. (Manta & Cuenca are on my radar).

Yeah, I paid $450 for a room on the outskirts of Seattle over 20 years ago.

Yeah, I paid $450 for a room on the outskirts of Seattle over 20 years ago.

@@FallofftheMap lol in my case it was about 10 years ago. Must be way more expensive now.

Absolutely. Do you live here in Ecuador, somewhere else, or are you still n the planning/thinking phase?

@@FallofftheMap I'm still looking at my options. Really trying to talk myself into retirement. Ecuador is on my short list. Most likely the same list as most people looking at retirement options. I work online so anyplace that doesn't have decent Internet would be a deal breaker for me.

Internet is hit or miss in ecuador. In some areas it’s great and in others it’s terrible. Having some sort of backup power to keep the wifi on during power outages helps. This year we have rolling blackouts because we’re in a drought and most power generation is hydroelectric.

Thanks. It’s a big step up for us and the kids are super happy to have a safe park to play in and a bunch of new friends.

Thumbs up to you too. Any desire to elaborate?

A cheap safe room in Quito currently goes for anywhere between $15 and $30. There are, of course, always more expensive options but they are not necessarily nicer. Long term rentals should be negotiated in person as it’s likely to be able to talk the rate down as much as 50% if you’re staying for a few weeks or longer. It’s not uncommon to pay $200 to $300 for a month in a working class hotel if you negotiate like an Ecuadorian. Out of curiosity I looked up the Gran Casino Hotel. Looks like it still exists though it may have fallen on hard times.

Good question! The good private education is a huge limiting factor. This is why I maintain an apartment in Quito even though I have a house and farm outside of the city. You’re going to want to be either in N Central Quito, the Cumbaya and Tumbaco suburbs, or in Cuenca to have better schools, and all of those areas are going to be more expensive. We are a very similar family of 5. Our place costs $450 a month in a very safe neighborhood. It was a find and took a long time to get such a place. Last apartment was a little small for us and in a rougher neighborhood. It was $350. In the most popular neighborhoods such as Cumbaya, el Batan, and la Carolina you will probably pay $$450 at the lowest for a big enough place, but it could easily run up to $800 for an unfurnished place. You’ll see a lot of places for stupid prices, over $1000… there’s been quite a few investors buying properties and then trying to rent them for way to much. Don’t get discouraged by those properties, just ignore them and keep looking for places that are renting at marked value rather than priced for gringos that didn’t do their research.

@@FallofftheMap Ok, I'm going to calculate rent on the high side. $600 to $800 per month. What are you paying for private school for your kids? What should one expect to pay a month for food, good health insurance, etc. Trying to get my arms around a reasonable cost range per month for my family. $2500-$3000? Thanks in advance for your input.

@@nampmaljr9294 Hello! I am from Ecuador and I live in the city of Ambato. It is a fairly safe city and very beautiful too. The Cost of a House ranges between $300 and $500 if it is very large. There are some good private schools, fees range between 120 and 350 per student depending on the school. Some are bilingual. Ambato is 132 km or 1 hour 45 minutes away. Good weather!

Yes, I have two videos about buying used cars in Ecuador documenting my experiences. Yes, it’s a difficult process and is expensive: How to Buy a Car in Ecuador Buying a Car in Quito kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gdKCnbKlkpbVqqc.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/r-BzgLF3rdOZk3k.html

@@FallofftheMap Thanks. Do you have a contact on ur profile im missing? (and do u mess with motorcycles, im a motorcyclist so that could be an intermediate assist)

It’s paved. I actually don’t know where exactly it starts.

Great question. Long before I had a big Ecuadorian family I did the same. I would recommend first renting online for only one or two days just so you have the security of knowing where you’re going once you arrive. After that, visit hotels and ask around (if you have the language skills) ask at tiendas and with taxis. Clearly explain your timeline. It’s very likely you can rent a furnished room for $150 to $300 per month depending on locations and d the included service. Try to include laundry as you’ll find that it can be a disproportionately expensive service. Many hotels will offer a really cheap monthly rate if you push them on the price. Let them know up front that you are checking prices for a one month or longer stay. Ask for their best price. Ask what they include such as wifi and access to the washing machine…

My rental contracts have always included a fixed monthly rate, usually over a 1 or 2 year contract. I’ve gone past the contract and had rent remain the same some places, others increased the rent and so I simply moved.

I don’t know of any floods in Manta. It’s geography and climate make it relatively safe from flooding

Hi, I would love to be able to share the name of this sector, but it is so small and there are so few other expats living here that I would basically be putting a map to my home out on the internet. KZfaq is a big place full of wonderful people and a few terrible people. For that reason I maintain a little privacy in order to keep my family safe. I hope you can understand.

We haven’t connected our stove yet. Typically unfinished apartments do not include the stove or refrigerator.

@@FallofftheMapGood to know, had no idea. Thanks!

So, that particular neighborhood was not my choice. I wanted to live on the farm with my family, but my wife wanted to live in the city. We decided to live separately, and she rented that place. In the end I opted to split my time between my farm and that apartment in Quito. I stop paying rent a month or two before I move out, depending on the size of the deposit. I shouldn’t say they never return deposits but it is rare.

Women tend to negotiate as hard if not harder than the men, though quite a few men refuse to take women seriously here. There is definitely a machismo culture. The bigger issue when negotiating is dealing with people that want to gringo price you. In general the mountain towns are safer than the coastal cities and the people in the mountains tend to be reserved and respectful. In some coastal areas you might be more likely to receive some unwelcome behavior from men. Ecuador is definitely more dangerous than is used to be, but places like Cuenca have remained very safe.

I’ve always had a negative view of realtors in Ecuador as a buyer but it’s becoming more common for the seller or owner to use them. This new apartment we had to deal with the owner’s realtor and it turned out fine. As a renter I wouldn’t use my own realtor as they will likely just complicate the process and add unnecessary cost. However, if you’re short on time and struggling to communicate it might be worth it to you.

No. Most expats and middle class Ecuadorians take Uber/taxis. There is also cheap public transportation (buses, trollies, etc) but the public transport can be overcrowded, uncomfortable, and prone to pickpockets. Short taxi rides are $1.50 to $1.75 (day vs night rates). A longer ride such as the 45 minutes from the airport to the city is $25. Getting across town in heavy traffic can cost as much as $15 but is usually closer to $5 to $8. Driving within the city is hectic and miserable. I’m one of the few expats that’s crazy enough to do it.

@@FallofftheMap Thank you for the great info!

You’re welcome. Happy to help.

My recommendation would be to just use fb marketplace. There are other rental pages but they’re priced and target for gringos. You’ll see better deals on fb.

@@FallofftheMap Thank you very much

My pleasure. I’m happy to help when I can.

That’s a tough one. My solution to getting my deposit back with bad landlords in Ecuador has always been to stop paying rent and let the deposit cover the final month/months. With an airbnb I don’t know if that would work due to their policies and rules. I have had 2 landlords that did return their deposits for apartments that were returned to them better than they rented them to me, but the majority of landlords will simply refuse and consider the deposit theirs. If they do keep it there isn’t much you can do. There are legal mechanisms but they are more trouble than they’re worth, especially for someone without local legal help.

@@FallofftheMap the problem is is that you don't know if they will not return the deposit until you have already left the apartment. My landlord is a retired dentist in his 80s. He and his wife seem nice but speak no English and let their daughter that is in my building deal with everything. I have to tell her what is needed then she tells her father HOPEFULLY. But it was always MY FATHER IS TRAVELING, MY FATHER IS BUSY, MY NEPHEW IS SICK ETC. She is single, in her 40s and seems spoiled. Getting maintenance was a pain but after I stood up for myself things got better but now her family that used to send me fruits etc. from their garden no longer do so. Their friendship cooled. This happened after I told them that their word seems to mean very little because the daughter promised to resign the lease 60 days before the last one ended then didn't do so. I got the lease but they were then not as friendly. They seem to not be able to separate business and friendship. But for me being friendly doesn't give you the right to take advantage of me. Last week my refrigerator went down and when I said I needed it fixed quickly so my food wouldnt spoil, it was fixed the same day because I will not accept the excuses anymore. I also started sending the same conversations to her father. That way he knows whats going on.They profess to be Christians so we will see. Those are usually the ones you cannit trust. I also took pictures and videos of the whole apartment when I moved in in case they say I destroyed anything. Hopefully they will do the right thing. I am disappointed as I pay the rent early and keep the apartment really nice. I will also leave it better than when I moved in

It’s certainly not for everyone

La florista is nice but in a little bit more crowded part of the city than I like. Up stairs is other apartments. Each apartment in this 4 story building occupies an entire floor.

My second Airbnb was close to La Floresta in La mariscal (from Avenida 6 de diciembre & Veintimilla, just west 300’ west of di. & on the south side of veintemilla). Your description of La floresta is similar to what I experienced in La Mariscal. El ejido metro stop was very close by to the south. There is a large museum there. There were also many dining and drinking options along Reina Victoria to the north of veintemilla. This area was quite busy 16 hours of the day; I won’t say it’s like nyc but it did have that kind of big city vibe/energy for me as I walked the area day and night. Good crescents and tarts at a place called La Union (on Avenida colon) and decent Indian food at chandani tandoori on Juan Leon Mera.

@jerrygarcia4390 don’t even talk to me about Indian food if you’re not eating at sher-e-punjab. In my opinion, most authentic Indian food in Ecuador, though they can be a bit inconsistent if they don’t have their best chefs in the kitchen and like most local restaurants they don’t use basmati rice.

⁠@@FallofftheMapthat’s sounds awesome 🤤

@@FallofftheMapman, I was just a few blocks away from your fav!!!

I see your “.” and I raise you a ?

If you’re going to have a hobby might as well make it something that helps others and feels good. I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned and what I think I know. Hopefully I get it right most of the time.

Not everyone wants to get away, and the Ecuadorian KZfaqr GM Ace that has lived in the U.S. explains this well. Ecuadorians want to go to the U.S. Americans want to escape to Ecuador. He lived both places and chooses to live in Ecuador because in the U.S. you constantly work to survive. Yes, I feel good living in our country. Not your country… because this is my home too. No place is perfect, and if I was born here I would want to go to the U.S. to achieve something economically for my family, but coming from there with my advantages of U.S. citizenship it’s better to live here and work online or travel for work. I don’t want to give a false impression. Life is hard in Ecuador and there is terrible inequality. It’s not a perfect place but it is a good place for foreigners with enough money to live in safe areas.

Where are you looking? Are you looking only at furnished apartments? Are you only looking in the areas where a cluster of other expats have driven up prices? In rural and semi-rural areas prices are radically cheaper. In the mountains prices are typically cheaper than on the coast. In person prices tend to be much cheaper than online. Unfurnished is usually so much cheaper than furnished that unless you’re staying less than a year it makes sense to buy the furniture you need.