Expat Community > Ecuador

mikeincr
Joined 2009
Posts: 15

Thinking of moving to Ecuador

15 years ago

My wife and I (age 63/62) are considering moving to Ecuador from Costa Rica. We have lived here for 3 years and love the adventure but the crime, although it has not affected us personally, is getting a little out of hand. I am an avid golfer and my wife will start playing again when the dry season gets here so having a good golf course (country club) is a must. We also workout 3 days a weak so a workout facility is also a must. We like the cooler, less humid climates so the beach is not where we want to live. We also like to travel so airport connections would be nice to have. Even though we have lived in Costa Rica for 3 years our Spanish is, at best, minimal so, I'm guessing, we would have to be much more versed in the language by the time we moved. Correct? I'm just starting my research on moving down but it sounds like Cuenca or Quito might be possibilities. Does anyone have any other suggestions? How are the medical facilities. In CR we have medical insurance through the monopoly insurance company that covers each of us for $250,000 per year in the private system (which is quite good) and costs about $4,500 per year including pre-existing conditions. There are 3 or 4 private hospitals in the San Jose area and the doctors offices are located, for the most part, in the hospitals. Is the situation in Ec similar? In CR Migracion is broken and it takes 3 months just to get an appointment to renew cedulas and then another month to get it. This is a great improvement over the way it worked 3 years ago. Does it work better down there? I receive well over the $800 (SSA) minimum to qualify for Pensionado status and my wife receives $500 so I think she would qualify as a Pensionado spouse. Does migracion work better down there? I have no desire to own property outside the US and will be renting. It sounds like the prices are extremely reasonable compared to here. I know there is no multiple listing and realtors don't have to have any credentials, just like here. Any recommendations on finding a place to live? We found our current house through a 4Sale-by-owner website here. Is there anything similar down there? Any other suggestions that any of you have would be greatly appreciated. I only want to hear from people who live in the country but would like to hear from people who are not happy there and their reasons. Fifty % of all expats who move here move back to their country of origin within one year and we have found that it is usually because they didn't do a proper amount of research before moving. Love to hear from anyone that has advice.

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Expat Community > Ecuador

Thinking of moving to Ecuador

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