Hello!

Hi there. I have just recently joined this blog and I hope to meet Canadians and others, to learn about their experiences relocating to Ecuador. I have rented a house in Curia, near Montanita, this summer, with the intention of exploring retirement potential. Looking forward to reading the posts of others, and potentially connecting with other expats. Cheers!

Welcome to Expat.com stevemb3!;)

Do not hesitate to participate in the forum.

Harmonie.

Hello
We are Canadians living in Stoney Creek near Hamilton Ontario.
We hope to move as soon as May this year to Cuenca Ecuador
We would love to get in contact with likeminded people.

Julia

Truthfully, can anyone live off of $1004 a month anywhere in Ecuador where the average temperature does not go over 75 degrees Fahrenheit  in daytime?

Good point Barbara! I guess the issue for us will be quality of life. We are also considering Costa Rica too, and plan to visit there soon.  Any comments you wish to share about your experience there! I would love to learn from you. Thanks!

Hi I am Canadian living in the US right now. My husband and I bought a home in Salinas last summer. We will retire there in 2015, using these few years to get the kids into college and learn Spanish.

Could anyone tell me how much it would cost to obtain a Pensioner Residency Visa 9-1 for Ecuador?  I will be retiring this year from work which provides me with a pension over $1,000 per month.  My wife and I are looking into moving to Cuenca, Ecuador in November 2012. We are born in Canada and now live in Edmonton, Alberta. Could you please refer me to a trustworthy professional who could help us with getting all of our visa papers in order before moving to Ecuador.

Hey Steve!

I wish you luck in your goals and endeavours :)

Hello all,

About pensions many expats are living here in Ecuador with a pension or $1000, but if you have less than that you can find a good place, too. But in order to get your pensioner visa, I think you need at least a pension of $1000 a month plus $100 for a dependant.

@stevemb3: About Costa Rica, many expats living there are moving to Ecuador now, as they told me, is getting very unsecure and the prices are going up, I hope the same will not happening here.

Cuenca, the coast and Cotacachi are the most common places to retire, big cities like Quito and Guayaquyil are more expensive, crowded and unsafe.

I live in Cuenca and I love it, if you planning visit contact me.

Vinny

Thanks for the feedback Vinny. We have rented a house near Montanita for two weeks in July, with the intent of checking out retirement potential. How far is Cuenca from Montanita? Is there a regular bus run between the two locations? I have been doing a lot of reading and it seems we should also be considering Cuenca for retirement potential, although we love the thoughts of being near the ocean. Looking forward to learning from your experience! Thanks

Hello,

I'm not pretty sure but I think is five,six hour by car from Cuenca to Montañita and there's no direct buses, you have to take one bus to Guayaquil and then find another one to get to Cuenca. The other option is to use a private driver to do the trip.

Vinny