Expat Journey

Like many people who have chosen to move to Ecuador from the US, one of our reasons for doing so was to embrace a lower cost of living. And while it’s true that our monthly living expenses are significantly lower than they were in Denver, the cost of moving to Ecuador from the States was substantial.

Before we made the move, I did a boatload of research online trying to calculate what the cost of moving to Ecuador would be, but I found most “experts” woefully underestimated the total. It’s understandable, since it behooves most of these bloggers and YouTubers to convince folks of the affordability of undertaking the move. Because many of them sell online courses and otherwise profit from expat dollars, the more folks they entice to move to Ecuador, the more lucrative benefits for them.

Personally, I don’t give a rat’s patoot if you move to Ecuador or not. But if you do, I want you to go into things with your eyes wide open in regard to costs.

While I found our costs far exceeded the typical amount put forth by other expats, please note that we didn’t attempt to cut any corners financially. Many couples will definitely be able to move to Ecuador for far less money than Jeremy and I spent. Because we still have income from our business, we were in the fortunate position of being financially secure when we undertook the move. We acknowledge that some couples moving to Latin American countries don’t have the luxury of a higher budget.

So please take our budget with a grain of salt, and do know that you can move here for less. You can also do it for far more! 😀

Note: I’ve also included the expense of our exploratory trip to Ecuador since we would never have made the decision to move here without checking the country out first. Many expert advisors totally ignore the expense of an exploratory trip, while at the same time extolling the virtues of making one.

Our Moving to Ecuador Expenditure Categories

Exploratory Trip ($6,000 for six weeks)

Travel and Temporary Housing ($4,216)

Pet Fees Related to the Move ($1,701)

Visa and Visa-related ($2,800)

New Clothing ($1,732)

Setting up a New Household ($7,820)

Let’s look at each of these in detail:

Exploratory Trip

$6,000

As stated above, I think this fee needs to be included in the overall costs to move, as we would not move to a foreign country without checking it out beforehand. We traveled around Ecuador for six weeks in the fall of 2022, and the total cost included airfare, lodging, food and entertainment while we were here.

Travel Fees for the Move

$4,216

I included the typical airfare from Denver to Quito in this amount. In reality, we cut our trip in half to spend a week with my family in Florida prior to leaving for Ecuador. I did not count any expenses incurred for the Florida trip in the total.

Also included in this amount is lodging at the Denver airport the night prior to travel, three days at an AirBnB in Denver so we could vacate our house for our new tenants, three weeks at an AirBnB in Cotacachi before we found a permanent rental (we only stayed a week, but had committed to three, so we had to pay the entire cost), ground transportation and tips. I didn’t include the food we ate on the trip as I figure we would have had to eat regardless of where we were.

Pet Fees Related to the Move (2 cats in-cabin)

$1,701

I did not include any expenses incurred by the cats for the portion of the Denver to Florida trip. (That’s why this total is less than what I included in this blog post.)

The total also includes vet fees incurred for mandatory exams and treatments, vaccines and paperwork required to bring a pet to Ecuador.

Legal Fees Required to Obtain our Visas

$2,800

This amount does not include the money we will have to pay to obtain our permanent visas. When you expatriate to Ecuador, you get a 24-month temporary visa. When we get our permanent visas, I will update this post.

We did hire a professional visa consultant to handle the process for us. The amount above includes his fee plus money we had to pay for fingerprinting, background checks, apostiles, etc.

New Clothing

$1,732

Most folks would not include this as part of their moving expenses. But I am 5’10” tall and Jeremy is 6’2″. Buying clothing and shoes for us in Ecuador is impossible. These are clothing items we wouldn’t have bought if we weren’t moving, so I’ve included them here.

Shipping Costs

$3,200

As I indicated in this blog post about bringing our stuff to Ecuador, we did not get a shipping container, but rather shipped 16 plastic bins via the airline when we traveled. It’s $200 per bin.

Items to set up a New Household

$7,820

I can see some bulging eyeballs over this number, so let me explain. Yes, the house we rented in Cotacachi was considered to be “furnished,” but you need to take that with a bucket of salt. There were minimal kitchen accessories (basically dishes, glassware, a toaster, a kettle and a handful of cooking utensils were all that was included); the television was microscopic, ancient, and virtually unusable, the house included only minimal bathroom and bedding accessories, and the furniture in the living room was Lilliputian.

In addition, the stove in the kitchen was old and the oven temperature was impossible to regulate. One burner on the top of the gas stove was a fire hazard. Could we have lived with the stove the way it was? Sure. But I love to cook, and having a sub par oven and stove is not an option. We shelled out nearly $2,000 for a new one and the landlord took the old one away.

We bought a used Smart TV, exercise equipment, a used bike for Jeremy, (that’s a must for Jeremy and it’s not like we could take his old one with us) new living room furniture, and had a wardrobe closet made for hanging coats by the front door. We also had additional kitchen cupboards built because the existing ones weren’t enough to handle my extensive cooking supplies and ingredients.

You’d be amazed at how quickly costs add up if you’re furnishing a home to your satisfaction. In addition to the stove and cupboards, new kitchen items included a mixer, storage and organizing containers, placemats, a tablecloth, window shades, two bar stools, cookware, wine glasses (can’t live without those), bakeware, cutting boards, good knives, and upgraded utensils. For the bed and bath, we bought shower curtains, bedroom curtains, towels, sheets, towels and a comforter.

Since we both work from home, we had two desks made. Note: having things made in Ecuador is usually far less expensive than buying ready-made. The desks are good-sized and cost $250 each. We also bought desk chairs for each of us.

Basically, the only items we kept from the house that belong to the landlord were the appliances (including microwave, fridge and washer/dryer), two beds, a patio set, and the dining room table and chairs. We feel fortunate that all that came with the house, for–without those–our move-in costs would have been substantially higher. We’re also thankful that our amicable landlord is always willing to cart away stuff we don’t want! 😀

Is it possible to show up with only the clothes on one’s back and move seamlessly into a turnkey house down here? Maybe, but I don’t know anyone that has done it without some degree of expense. I suppose if you’re one of those people who travel and eat out a lot, and you only come home to shower and sleep–maybe. But for a couple of homebodies who also work from home? Fugetaboutit!

The Grand Total

The grand total of our expenditures for moving to Ecuador was $27,469. This doesn’t include costs involved for renting out our home in the US.

Our monthly expenses in Cotacachi are about $4,000 less than they were in the United States, so we broke even on our investment about seven months into our residency. Your budget savings may vary from this amount: we travel a lot, maintain our US-based Medicare insurance payments, and subsidize our kids’ travel expenses whenever we can (especially if it’s to Ecuador! 😀). We also dine out minimally, preferring to cook locally sourced, organic foods at home as much as possible. We don’t own a car in Ecuador. All of these factors–plus a whole lot more that aren’t coming to mind at the moment–will influence your monthly budget.

Was the Move to Ecuador Worth It?

For us, it absolutely was. And being the skeptic that I am, I never took projections of a move costing 10-12K seriously. I know our needs and spending habits, so was aware from the get-go that our costs would be higher.

And bear in mind that the financial costs are only one piece of the pie. On the plus side, you have the mental health benefits of getting the heck out of the US (not looking for a debate here, and if this doesn’t apply to you, then move on), the temperate climate, the ability to easily befriend like-minded people, the incentive to learn a new language, experiencing a new culture, and the slower pace of life. On the minus side there is being far away from friends and family, dealing with Ecuadorian bureaucracy, struggling to learn a foreign language, the inaccessibility of Amazon Prime, and the slower pace of life. (Yes, that is a pro and a con. I have a love/hate relationship with slowing things down, but that’s a topic for another day.)

Factors to Consider in Determining your Budget

I think it’s important to go into any move abroad with your eyes wide open. I’d suggest coming up with a low, medium and high budget, then round up by 10% and go from there. And be sure to allow for unforeseen expenses. We were fortunate to find our permanent housing within a week of arriving here, which limited the expense of temporary housing. Don’t count on that. I suggest budgeting for a minimum of six weeks of short-term lodging. (Fortunately, in Ecuador, short term rentals are much more affordable than in the US.)

And speaking of housing, I suggest renting for at least a year before buying. It takes that long to fully scope out an area. For our own reasons, Jeremy and I don’t ever see ourselves buying a home in Ecuador, but that might not be the best option for you. Do plan to rent first–even if you’re a diehard homeowner.

Even if you rent, your first home may not work out, and you may have to incur the expense of subsequent moves. A good friend down here has moved four times in a couple of years–and it’s not because she’s unreasonable or overly demanding. She just has come against a set of unfortunate residential circumstances.

In Ecuador, your home as a quiet sanctuary is not guaranteed. Your new neighbor could be a loud bar that doesn’t close until 2:00 AM, a noisy machine shop, or someone who doesn’t give a rat’s ass if their dog poops in your yard every day and barks all night.

Another factor to consider is unplanned trips back home to the States, which can put a huge dent in the wallet. Although I didn’t include these costs in our budget above, I ended up making two unplanned trips back to the US in our first year–one for a death in the family and one for some surgery.

The bottom line is that it’s rarely cheap to move abroad, but if you have your heart set on making the change, it’s doable with enough time and money. Do your homework, talk to those who’ve already made the move and be prepared for the unexpected.