Prices in Ecuador, a cost of living video

[@joebloggs8785]

I took a 3 month vacation in Ecuador; every day eating out every meal and travelling extensively. My bank balance was higher at the end of the vacation than before it. Couldn't pull that off anywhere else in the world.

[@FallofftheMap]

Yeah, if you know how to budget it’s cheaper to travel in Ecuador as a tourist than it is to live in the US and just struggle to work and pay the bills. I wish more people would figure this out and escape the rat race.

[@hydrazi]

Good video. We just went to the street market here on the coast and bought a single pallet of 36 large eggs for $3.25. Honeydew melon and a Sandia (Watermelon) for $5 total. 2lbs of huge shrimp for $7. A massive filleted tilapia for $7. 2 pork tenderloins for $7 total. Oh, and $2 for 24 chicken feet. Don't ask.

[@FallofftheMap]

How can I not ask about the chicken feet?

[@walterdavies6434]

Foot fetish.. ..lol

[@generationjones-le8ge]

Caldo de gallina?😊

[@hydrazi]

@@generationjones-le8ge Chicken Foot Soup for my mother in law. She loved it. Was not my favorite chore in making it. But when I was buying it, I saw kids selling fish bones and heads for soup. Thankful every day for what we have.

[@sallyanoonan]

Thanks for info.

[@tombernard4612]

Good choice ongoing to Colombia for surgery, I lived in Medellin for two years and just moved back to Canada and I can actually tell you if you can afford the healthcare in Colombia it's much more efficient and functionable compared to our "free healthcare" up here in the Tru-dope regime.

[@FallofftheMap]

Yeah, I’ve had two elective surgeries in Ecuador and both experiences were disappointing and more painful than they needed to be. I still use Ecuadorian doctors for minor things but for my ACL reconstruction surgery Bogota is a much better option.

[@tombernard4612]

Well since you're sharing, in 2018 I had emergency retina surgery in Panama City at a Jon Hopkins Centre it went horribly wrong.... I wear an eyepatch to this day... @@FallofftheMap

[@lvovodessa]

Healthcare in Colombia is good and affordable. And in Brazil it’s not only good but also free for everyone. In Ecuador it’s a hit or miss unfortunately.

[@FallofftheMap]

I’m not at all surprised. The more wealthy and “advanced” the society, the more pressure and corruption within the healthcare system. Canada’s system is far better than the shit show of greed and corruption we have in the US, but places like Colombia and Thailand make both systems look ridiculous.

[@tombernard4612]

I can tell you firsthand believe me, Canada's healthcare system is an absolute shit show. And it's funny how people all over the world think we have "free healthcare" .. Have a look at the amount of federal and provincial income tax we pay up here under the fascist regime of "Justin Fidel Trudeau" !!! Free healthcare my ass....@@FallofftheMap

[@pabs8]

Thanks for the information. I moved to the US in 1989. Making plans to come back to Ecuador in the near future. I’m glad you are giving your children that kind of cultural upbringing. Students are much respectful there that’s here. Hope it’s still the same. Glad you found your peaceful spot over there.

[@FallofftheMap]

The current generation is different, at least in the nice schools in Quito. Unfortunately kids here are now pretty disrespectful and have adopted a lot of bad behavior they’ve learned online. The society is changing very rapidly.

[@libuseleman3049]

I live in Cuenca and I just found your videos and I love them and I can not stop watching them one after the other!! I have hard time to get up from computer but will have to take a break and do something now. Those videos are so real and what U say is true !!! Thanks for posting them!

[@FallofftheMap]

You’re welcome. I’m glad my videos connect with you like that.

[@luckclumonM3]

Coolest part is I’m not the only American who saw Ecuador as a good choice to live. Great video!

[@FallofftheMap]

For all its flaws and problems i don’t regret choosing Ecuador. It’s still a beautiful place to live and raise a family.

[@ghostface3382]

I love your videos man, glad to see you are still making great genuine new content in 2024. Inspiring me to go Ecuador

[@FallofftheMap]

Thanks. Ecuador makes it easy to make videos. There’s always something to talk about

[@GMAceM]

Appreciate the shoutout Jesse! I also actually have a cost of living video that goes over utilities and other details, always fun lol That is quite the cheap electric bill but I’m not surprised since I always hear about $25 electric bills and then there’s me and my family paying $100-200 a month on that. Not honoring the contract is exactly why people here have no faith in the IESS. You schedule an appointment and might get it a year later so you wonder and worry about when you get in an emergency. It’s a pain that’s for sure. Hope things go well with the knee!

[@FallofftheMap]

I’m happy to give you a shout out. You put out very informative videos and I hope that your channel grows and reaches more people. Really, $100 to $200 per month for electricity? Until this last bill I’d always been under $15. I think it’s a combination of not needing an air conditioner or heating, so all I run are a few LED lights, and possibly having much lower rates from our little electric company in this area.

[@GMAceM]

@@FallofftheMap I really appreciate that. It’s kinda tough getting yourself out there lol Yeah my electric bill is wacky to say the least. The only explanation we’ve been given is that we’re in a business zone and that makes the bill go up drastically apparently. I think not needing an AC would be a great thing. When I was in Quito I loved just having the natural air and actually being able to use a blanket.

[@BPe-ie9je]

Thanks. Love mercado pricing. What beautiful fruits and the spices, herbs look great. Is it easy to procure jars to keep things in ?

[@FallofftheMap]

Whenever I buy something that comes in a jar I save the jar to use for storing things. I’m sure there are stores where you could buy jars. I did try to find canning jars not too long ago and discovered that they were really expensive here.

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

Nice!!! Some great low prices and fresh goods is awesome to see. Love Ceviche too!

[@FallofftheMap]

Yeah, that ceviche place is walking distance from my apartment in Quito and not only is it cheap but it’s also really good.

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

@@FallofftheMap Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!!

[@chiefenumclaw7960]

Great video! Thanks for sharing, mate.

[@FallofftheMap]

Wait… Enumclaw… Washington? The town where some schmuck let a donkey screw him and died when it ruptured his intestines?

[@chiefenumclaw7960]

@@FallofftheMap Wasn't illegal at the time. They didn't know they needed a law for that until that guy came around.

[@FallofftheMap]

Unfortunate thing to have your town known for. Seattle…homeless junkies, Tacoma… stabbing people, Spanaway… meth, Enumclaw… donkey sex Darwin Award.

[@chiefenumclaw7960]

@@FallofftheMap You're not wrong. Shame too, since the PNW has some of the best landscapes in the lower 48. I moved on awhile back, still miss those mountains though. Seeing as how you like dirt bikes... I recommend the mountain loop highway through Darrington up to Hwy 20 if you ever get the chance.

[@FallofftheMap]

@chiefenumclaw7960 true. At least there’s still some great places out on the peninsula and in eastern Washington that are sparsely populated so people haven’t caused too many problems out there. If I were to ever live in Washington again it would probably be up in the Okanogan or around Lake Chelan.

[@BoydJones]

Data point - 2 dozen eggs at the Murfreesboro, TN, USA (where I happen to be today) Costco (just bought today) came to $4.99 before the 6.75 - 9.75% sales tax rate (not sure what level of sales tax since food ingredients have a lower TN state sales tax rate). Sharing since it is clear you are paying less in Ecuador for eggs.

[@FallofftheMap]

Thank you so much for sharing this. This kind of detail is how we move from opinion to knowledge.

[@jspbipro]

Goid video..very informative. Considering a trip to Loja which looks very nice but conceened about crime...is that far south ok?

[@FallofftheMap]

In general, Loja is one of the safer cities. Violent crime rates slightly lower than the US, property crime rates slightly higher.

[@jerrygarcia4390]

Thank you. This is excellent information. Tell sweet Grace that we want to see more of her 😂

[@FallofftheMap]

I wish she was more comfortable on camera. She always makes my videos better.

[@MrGoodsalesman]

Ya I think I need two places two. One my small house in the gated community and an apartment in a bigger city.

[@Fabio28117]

Dude I’m from Manabi but living in Florida, eggs here are over 4 dollars for just a pack of 12 lol anyway glad you like the country I’ve been following your channel for a while, if you ever find yourself on the coast hit up Playa Nuestra in Cojimies!

[@FallofftheMap]

I will definitely check out Playa Nuestra next time I’m out that way. Thanks for the feedback. Do you plan on staying in the US or will you return to Ecuador when you retire?

[@Fabio28117]

@@FallofftheMap Although I was born there, speak Spanish, spent a lot of time there in my youth and still have family there that I keep in close contact with I have become fully culturally American even to the point that I’ve developed a southern accent over the years, I love the US so much that I’ve given the government over 12 years of my life so far haha so for those reasons I don’t see myself retiring to Ecuador, I love Ecuador and my family there but ultimately my loyalties and aspirations are with the US and the family I am raising here, thanks for the response and if you ever do end up in Cojimies drink some cocoloco on the beach!

[@MADOUT_VPS]

Hello first time on your channel, I am of Ecuadorian decent, but I was born and have lived my whole life in New York City. I would say that maybe see about a specialist or doctors in Samborondon, Guayaquil that is kind of like the Beverly Hills of Guayaquil. Safe travels

[@FallofftheMap]

Thanks. Yeah, we have a very high end hospital in Quito too, Hospital Metropolitano, which is supposed to be the best in the country, but with that quality comes cost. It’s out of my budget. Fortunately I can get what I’m told is even better care for a lower price in Colombia, in part because the exchange rate is really good right now.

[@kathyandthedogs626]

Interesting. Thanks!

[@FallofftheMap]

You're welcome!

[@CarlosFedalto-ev6uu]

Would it be better to buy a house already built? Perhaps in the suburbs, close to the city.

[@josephbattaglia3690]

Would you happent o know which country is cheaper: Colombia or ecuador? Where is the usd stronger?

[@FallofftheMap]

Overall I’d say Colombia is slightly cheaper, however, in the nice neighborhoods in places like Medellin and Cartagena Colombia is much more expensive than Ecuador’s nicer areas in Cuenca, Cumbaya, Olon, or Manta. It’s in the rural areas and working class neighborhoods where Colombia is much cheaper. Food is slightly cheaper in Colombia. Transportation and utilities are a little higher in a Colombia. Good quality healthcare at a private clinic or hospital is cheaper in Colombia. I don’t know if there is a public healthcare system in Colombia like there is in Ecuador, but in general the public system in Ecuador is so underfunded it’s unusable. Hope that answers your question. I definitely considered buying a farm in Colombia because there were a lot of fincas for about have the price of similar land in Ecuador. What I learned as I investigated the areas is that there are many areas where a foreigner living on a farm in Colombia will get extorted. Not that it can’t happen in Ecuador as well, but in Ecuador it’s rare. Both countries have problems with crime, but in Colombia the crime is far more often targeted at foreigners or anyone perceived as wealthy where as in Ecuador most of the crime is between cartels fighting for control of specific areas.

[@dennisswanberg1718]

Thank you

[@BoydJones]

My residential water bill in the Central Valley, California USA never really dips below $150 a month no matter how little water I use.

[@FallofftheMap]

I hear you. Back in 2010 my water/sewer bill in Washington State was typically $300. That was the minimum bill if my usage was negligible.

[@JaimeAguirre-g9g]

I Live in Loja Ecuador, for Water you can pay from $10 to $20 per month.

[@FallofftheMap]

@user-yx4hw6lb2z Im surprised it’s so expensive there. I guess I’m lucky to get water for $2, though we have mingas every year to maintain the water supply.

[@Zistrosenstrauch]

Hello, Which company does sell plants of vegetables? Which role takes monsanto in Ecuador?

[@FallofftheMap]

It’s hard to answer your question. Most plants and vegetables sold in Ecuador are sold by small scale indigenous farmers. Monsanto has no foothold here. That said, I recently purchased an “ecological” herbicide that had the distinct roundup smell.

[@Zistrosenstrauch]

@@FallofftheMap Hello, thank you very much. Its crazy... On the one hand the plants from farmers, and then this poison as fertilizer, which has considerable health effects. Where do the farmers get their seeds from? And where are the fertilizers sold? In garden and building material centers?

[@FallofftheMap]

@@Zistrosenstrauch there are small businesses in most towns that sell seeds as well as bags of animal feed, fertilizers, sometimes chics and incubators. These places are usually just one small room. There are larger farm supply stores as well. Use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides is widespread. Most “organic” farms are not organic at all and are not certified. I’ve done as much as possible to avoid using harmful chemicals, but after years of fighting a persistent fungal disease on my farm I have given in to using a copper based fungicide because every organic organic means I tried failed. It’s something I hope to discontinue once the disease is cured and my trees are healthy again because I don’t want to kill the beneficial fungi in the soil.

[@Zistrosenstrauch]

@@FallofftheMap Oh my gosh. Are these small businesses privat people or stores of big companies?What kind of fungal desease is that? Can you describe? Only on trees or also in soil and on vegetables? I ask because interested in life in Ecuador with self farming

[@FallofftheMap]

@@Zistrosenstrauch the vast majority of business in Ecuador are small family businesses. It’s common to have one curbside room in the house be for a tiny store. With the exception of gas stations and occasionally grocery stores you really only see large businesses in the major cities. I do not know the name of the fungal disease. There are a few with similar symptoms, but it attacks almost everything, leaves, stems, flowers, fruit. It leaves alone grasses and jicama for some reason, but is devastating for my citrus trees, damages the fruit of avocado trees (my avocados aren’t fruiting yet, but all the neighbors have the same problem) and destroys most of my vegetables before I can harvest them. The neighbors spray heavily to minimize the damage. After I have it under control I’ll return to an organic technique, which is basically using other types of fungi to compete with it in the soil as well as a bacterial treatment that gives the disease a disease.

[@ADirtCheapLifeParaguay]

Glad to see you being a cheap bastard. It's problematic when westerners move to countries and don't take care in terms of what they pay. This inflates the market and the locals get priced out. It also sets an unhealthy expectation that foreigners will always pay a premium. Great videos, Ecuador looks beautiful. Thanks for your great work😬

[@jerrygarcia4390]

Bogotá has an excellent medical establishment 👍🏾

[@FallofftheMap]

Yeah, I really need to get my butt in gear and fly there for this surgery soon. My knee gave out on me again today while I was weedwacking and left me limping back to the house.

[@jerrygarcia4390]

@@FallofftheMap ouch! It’s one thing to have a bad wing. But a bad wheel is debilitating. Indeed! Get the work done before things deteriorate more. I made that mistake when I tore a rotator cuff 😞

[@dennisswanberg1718]

Do you feel safe there ? I was born and Ecuador and i am planning to retire and was thinking of Salinas, what do you think.

[@craftsoda]

can you confirm the cost of school you quoted, $300 dollars (us) a month, per kid? is that a private school, or a normal cost. seems like the rest is so cheap, that stood out.

[@FallofftheMap]

Yes, that’s the cost per month for a private school. There are many higher end schools, maxing out at about $1000 per month tuition. At $300 per month this is, in my opinion, an upper middle class school. Not the best but adequate

[@JaimeAguirre-g9g]

Ecuador has also free cost from school to universities. Public, universal education

[@cachecow]

My brother had a knee operation in Quito or Cumbaya, it went well if you want me to get the doctors name I'd be happy to

[@FallofftheMap]

My guess, if it went well, is that he did it at Hospital Metropolitano in Quito. Unfortunately, they’re out of my price range.

[@BibleSamurai]

double taxation as American expat?

[@FallofftheMap]

No. Typically under taxed. No tax in Ecuador because my income is foreign earned. Exempt on my first 100k in the US most years because my income is also earned outside the US on military bases in part of a project that is also exempt from local taxes. This last year I worked in Alaska so I’ll pay typically US taxes but that’s it.

[@newnece09]

Clothes?

[@hydrazi]

I have not tried buying clothes yet as I am 6'5" tall and 250lbs. I worry about finding my size. But also, many people tell me (Americans, Canadians, and Ecuadorians) that the quality is poor here as the clothes are coming from China. I know my mom used to get clothes made for her by a local seamstress and some ex-pats say they have done the same.

[@FallofftheMap]

@hydrazi the best place to shop for clothes is in the suburbs near Baños and Ibarra. These areas are where the majority of the distributors are located.

[@ele5011]

American clothes are expensive

[@FallofftheMap]

@hydrazi you will struggle to find clothes that fit. I usually stock up on shoes in the US because finding size 12 here is hard. I do ok finding pants for good prices. Shirts are more difficult because the shoulders are often a bit small even for xl shirts and if I get a xxl the shoulders fit but the shirt is too long and designed for someone with a beer belly. I recommend taking a trip to the town of Pelileo near Baños to buy clothes. There are many manufacturers and distributors there, prices are cheaper and there are tons of options. That tends to be where companies go to buy clothes in bulk to resell in other parts of the country. For shoes the best place is Gualaceo.

[@roin.1999]

​@@hydrazieverything is "Made In China" even "American Clothes".

[@paulkenneally789]

Hoi much does 24 hour security cost for a family, in a narco state?

[@helllooopeepsk3024]

😂

[@Chris-l7n-c6v]

I live in the biggest narco state in the world (USA) and 24 hour security is quite expensive.

[@hydrazi]

@@Chris-l7n-c6v I was always and remain, my own best security.

[@name10books-]

Search "Peruvian Cocaine" read the lyrics, USA #1 narco state.

[@FallofftheMap]

I wouldn’t know. Ecuador isn’t perfect but I’ve never felt the need to pay for security here. I’ve been robbed in the US. In Ecuador the only thing anyone has stolen from me was a gas can and some garden tools. I’ve been shot it in the U.S. I’ve never experienced any violence in Ecuador. Yes, there is a lot of crime in Ecuador, but for the most part the expats are left alone.

[@TerriMelzer]

The cost of living seems to be increasing every year, making it harder to keep up.

[@ChloeCarter-kd7gz]

Indeed, it's becoming quite challenging to manage expenses.

[@VictoriaAllen-ml8kx]

I've actually managed to stay ahead of the curve. I'm even contemplating early retirement.@@ChloeCarter-kd7gz

[@LeahLewis-ny9iu]

Impressive! How did you achieve that?@@VictoriaAllen-ml8kx

[@BrianDouglasCapps]

Tell me about it. I feel like I'm always chasing after expenses.

[@BrianCappsJohnson]

@ScottLarrrymy good family friend said same thing about Katherine c Boone …. I’ve heard her trading strategies across forex , and crypto and stocks have been pretty impressive.

[@melvinmuniz67]

Could you send me a website with houses for sale in campos?

[@FallofftheMap]

@@melvinmuniz67 I can, but typically the real estate website are inflated prices. The best option for looking online is FB marketplace. Just set your search area to some part of Ecuador and search for something like “casa campo” or “finca.”

[@patriciaflaherty]

$150 a month for school lunches seems very expensive, but i realize the public school lunches here in the USA are government subsidized (and terrible quality.) Do you know what the school serves for lunch? I hope they have some good food for that price. I went to private school as a child and the only option was to pack your own lunch. If you forgot your lunch, the secretary would make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Now peanuts aren't allowed in schools and if the school gives you a cold sandwich instead of a hot lunch because your parents haven't paid for the food, people are outraged and it's all over the evening news 🤦‍♀️😂.

[@FallofftheMap]

I’m kind of guessing at the school lunch price, since it’s not a service we pay for. My wife told me the cost and if I remember right it was somewhere between $100 to $150 per month. This school is slight higher cost than average both for the tuition and for all the little additional costs. Education in Ecuador is typically one of the biggest costs for most families. I wish I had enough money to send my kids to the international school but I can’t swing the tuition. I believe it’s $1000 per student, so I’d be looking at $2000 to send my two kids there, plus transportation, books, uniforms, etc…

[@patriciaflaherty]

@@FallofftheMap per month? Wow! That is expensive!

[@alrent2992]

​​@@patriciaflahertypublic schools are free. That must be a private run. You can home school.

[@FallofftheMap]

@alrent2992 the public schools are terrible. Yes, my kids go to a private school. For our family homeschool wouldn’t work well. My kids need socialization and the structure of school, and i don’t think I have the patience or knowledge to homeschool them.

[@alrent2992]

@@FallofftheMap oh ok I get it. I was in the southern part of Ecuador. For 3 months. Small town stuff. Less hassles. Enjoy your new surroundings. 🙏

[@dennisswanberg1718]

$459 in north Quito, that is cheap. Are you sure about that ?

[@FallofftheMap]

Yes, I am.

[@walterdavies6434]

home owners insur?

[@hydrazi]

I agree with what he said. Trust in insurance here is um... low. There's not much to stop them from ghosting you completely. You might win a legal challenge but it would take forever and still.... you are not Ecuadorian and they are. But that's just American thinking. The culture of "who you know" is king here, that I have experienced so far.

[@FallofftheMap]

I’ve never bothered with home owner’s insurance. The worst case scenario here would be a big earthquake destroying my house, but since this is an active earthquake area most insurance policies will exclude earthquake damage. I feel like in the long run it’s best to build small siNile story houses to minimize that risk and if the house gets damaged just pay cash to fix or rebuild it. I tend to have an anti-insurance industry attitude.

[@planetag310]

I heard good things about medical care in Equador, so I'm shocked that you're not confident in the docs who perform knee surgery there.

[@FallofftheMap]

Nothing about the Ecuadorian healthcare system should inspire confidence. It’s affordable but that’s all it has going for it.

[@generationjones-le8ge]

The private medical system is exellent. However the government system called IESS is not so good.

[@hydrazi]

@@generationjones-le8ge Yeah, GM Ace has a couple good videos on that as well.

[@FallofftheMap]

@generationjones-le8ge I wouldn’t call it excellent. I think you get great value for the cost but I’ve had some pretty terrible experiences with the medical system here. In particular my lazik eye surgery was extremely painful and the results were disappointing. The doctor removed the my cornea immediately after applying a local anesthetic before it had fully taken effect. I also had a vasectomy that was brutal. Once again the doctor started “sniping” before the anesthetic took effect. I’ve never experienced anything so painful. Fortunately, the vasectomy has better results than the eye surgery. I suspect there is better quality care around Cuenca than in Quito.

[@planetag310]

@@FallofftheMap Are you referring only to their public health insurance? Because I heard good things about the private healthcare insurance.

[@walkerskii]

I enjoyed the video, thank you for the great info! Since you live in a more traditional culture (vs USA) I'm surprised your wife is not the one shopping for groceries? That's not supposed to sound like a sexist comment (I've certainly been brainwashed by modern feminism, so I am guilty of putting women up on a pedestal & trying to behave myself) I'm just curious about lifestyle there, are there gender roles? Do you do the shopping, cleaning, cooking & farming... while she p repairs the vehicles?

[@FallofftheMap]

I guess it’s a little complicated in our family. My wife does most of the childcare, cooking cleaning, I do most of the shopping, but ultimately we share all tasks to some degree. We’re a bit more progressive than most Ecuadorian families but far less so than the typical American family because my wife doesn’t work or drive. Also, because I spend about half my time away from the family alone on my farm, when I’m there I do everything.

[@dianapillasagua7466]

Wait for 15% IVA

[@FallofftheMap]

Didn’t the National Assembly just vote down the IVA increase and pass a one time tax on bank profits instead?

[@FromTheBiggining]

I wish you should have shown the area as you were talking instead of looking at you all the time

[@FallofftheMap]

I have plenty of videos like that, but this isn’t one. I mix it up. Sometimes it’s a video of me showing stuff and sometimes it’s just a video of me talking to the camera. Whenever I make a talk to the camera video there’s always a couple folks that share your same criticism, and I appreciate the feedback, but at the same time most of my more popular videos, videos that get the most popular feedback are in this format, just me talking to the camera.