Category: Expat Lifestyle

“What the f**k is that?” I thought as it rolled up to my B&B in Ecuador.

Baffled, my Ecuadorian friend with me at the time, had never seen one in his entire life.

After all, Mobile Homes are a VERY uncommon sight in Ecuador.

But there was one sitting right outside my place.

You see, as I mentioned yesterday, due to the high import tariffs on new vehicles and tight import restrictions on used ones, prices for jeep or cars in Ecuador even through the Jeep for Sale Near me service are often double those in the US. You can imagine the jeep or cars are really expensive. From my experience,  you can always get proper funding no matter what credit history you have. So, I didn’t think it could be such as issue.

One of the most significant innovations that Chrysler has introduced into the automotive industry and somehow made them popular was the use of the Pentastar V-6 engine in some of its car models such as the Dodge Grand Caravan, Jeep Wrangler, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Unfortunately, an error that was committed during the production of these Pentastar V-6 engines is expected to create delays on Chrysler’s operations. If you want to know more about Chrysler dealership, then click here. This is because the error committed requires immediate correction and this requires the company’s personnel to repair thousands of Pentastar V-6 engines. Based on the information provided by Chrysler, the existing problem was basically caused by an issue involving the engine’s cylinder head and this is expected to affect about 7,500 units of Pentastar V-6 engines that were produced for the last two years. Since the error on the cylinder head might cause the engine to stall or experience different types of problems, Chrysler was forced to perform the needed repairs on the engines affected by replacing the old cylinder head with a new and more robust version. Chrysler has also stressed out that they are only repairing the affected engines and the company did not and is not planning to issue a recall order.

Although Chrysler does not consider the engine problem as a major issue, this situation has actually caused a lot of inconveniences and headaches to owners of Pentastar V-6-powered vehicles. This is because the supply of the new cylinder heads is quite limited and this prevents the dealerships to complete the needed repairs on the affected engine on time. Due to this, a lot of vehicle owners were forced to leave their cars on the dealerships and wait for the repairs to be completed. The situation literary mentioned earlier has literally left a lot of vehicle owners “car-less” for a few weeks.

In fact, cars over 4 years old are simply not allowed in nor are cars over a certain engine strength (find details on this page). A definite negative to life in Ecuador. You can learn about how you can donate car junk and get money in return. Check out HospitalCars.ca and make use of your car junk.

Single women got cats, guys got cars we sometimes just can’t leave behind… I know, I get that.

So how’d these two young guys from Oregon get their year 2000 (approx) RV into Ecuador?

I mean you can’t just drive it down, there’s no road that connects Panama to Colombia.

Here’s what they did, and what you can do if you got that car you can’t leave behind.

They drove it down from the US to Panama. Then they put it on a boat from Panama to Cartagena, Colombia for $1200. Then they drove it down to Ecuador.

When you enter Ecuador with a car, your passport gets stamped saying you came with a car, and when you leave it has to be with that car.

But you can drive it around with US plates and your US license.

But you can’t sell it, or register it in Ecuador without passing through all the sticky vehicle import regulations Ecuador imposes.

It’d be for your personal use only during your stay in Ecuador.

You know, just in case you can’t leave your “baby” at home.

Ecuador is worth the hassle, believe me! Your new life is waiting!

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Ecuador is cheap, no doubt about it.

Those who think life in Ecuador costs about the same as other Latin American destinations like Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, or the Dominican Republic are mistaken.

Of course, how much you spend greatly depends on your personal spending habits, and a little on the area of the city in which you live.

But Ecuador is a land where a dollar still goes a long way, and people still cherish their pennies.

Food, transport, medical and housing costs are all considerably lower than in most of the western hemisphere.

Food:

A 3-course plate lunch in a local restaurant in the street costs around $2. Many small, local families do all their grocery shopping for the month for under $150-200. (Of course, knowing how to shop, finding the deals, and shopping a lot in local markets.)

Even the international fast food chains have adapted to Ecuadorian prices. For example, in Pizza Hut, you can buy a personal pan pizza for $1.50, and in KFC you can get a plate lunch with rice, beans and chicken for $1.75.

Transport:

Thankfully, with plentiful taxis and public transport, Ecuador is one of those countries where you truly don’t need a car. I have never waited longer than 10 minutes for a bus in the street, nor has it took me longer than 6 minutes to flag down a taxi.

This automatically eliminates the costs you incur for car insurance, repairs and parking.

A city bus costs a whopping $.25 cents and inter-city buses cost around $1 per hour traveled. Vehicles here are normally buses for sale provided by the national supplier. So, in other words, you can go from one end (Colombian border) of Ecuador to the other (Peruvian border) for around $17.

Taxis within one of the major cities usually costs around $2-3 for a short 10-15 minute ride.

Medical:

The level of care is surprisingly very high in Ecuador, and particularly within the private clinics, hygiene is placed at an even higher premium than in some clinics I have visited in the US.

A standard doctor consultation costs around $25. A teeth cleaning starts around $40, and to fill a cavity starts around $20. For those interested in these prices for dental work, visit the website recommended by folks over there. It will be filled with info.

Full coverage medical plans for seniors start around $87-180 dollars a month (depending on personal circumstances).

Housing:

Both costs to purchase and rent are relatively low in Ecuador. To rent a small, 1 bedroom apartment in one of the major cities starts around $150-200 a month. To rent a luxury, furnished one bedroom suite-apartment in a nice area of Quito (for instance) is starting around $400 (and up).

Purchase prices greatly depend on the area and property type, but you could find a small apartment, already-built starting around $30,000 almost everywhere in Ecuador.

Oh yea, and did I mention that in Ecuador you also never have to worry about exchange fees, because Ecuador uses the US dollar as its official currency.

So hop that 4 hour flight from Miami… Ecuador awaits you.

Hasta pronto, Domenick…hey, if you liked this, you’ll love my weekly Foreign Investor’s newsletter for insider tips and opportunities in Ecuador…subscribe below(unsubscribe at any time):

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Want to know a little secret about Ecuador?

Like you’ve read everywhere, yes, some things are VERY cheap in Ecuador… like food, gas, beer, housing, public transport.

But MANY things in Ecuador are hideously expensive.

Far MORE expensive than you’re used to in the States, often double the price or more.

So what should you buy in the US, and bring to Ecuador?

– Technology. iPhones, cell phones, lap tops, desk top computers, Play Station, GPS, digital cameras, iPads. All far cheaper in the US, often half the Ecuador price.

glass drinkware has a long tradition. Wine as well as water has been served in these beautiful handmade glasses for centuries. Some of them are rather common so you might barely notice them while others are so outstanding that your will hardly resist the temptation to buy them.

If you are looking for quality and uniqueness you should seriously consider investing in glass drinkware. Each single item is crafted by expert master glassmakers according to a century old tradition therefore they are not only unique but also retain value over time. Click here if you want to find out more about Shield Republic.

Choosing the best drinkware isn’t difficult. The process can be further simplified by working with a promotional products company. Experts can help companies quickly narrow down choices and come up with unique, exciting designs that will make their drinking vessels stand apart from the crowd.

Some of the more popular choices include water bottles, personalized coffee mugs with custom handles, stainless steel cups, and eco-friendly travel mugs.

Portable drinkware is very popular right now. People are on the move and want to take their favorite beverage along with them. Giving away customized tumblers is a good way to broaden exposure because mugs are taken into the office, meetings, and all around town.

Environmentally-friendly travel mugs are also at the top of the popularity list. People really appreciate receiving drinkware that is good for the environment and free of toxic chemicals.

Eco-friendly drinkware is a good choice for trade show giveaways, business gifts, employee gifts, and promotional events. They could also be used for sponsoring charity events, local marathons, sporting events, and other events where a lot of people gather.

A few of the more well-liked eco-friendly items include coffee mugs, acrylic tumblers, stainless steel sports bottles and travel mugs, and ceramic coffee cups. Each offers numerous options for printing company logos, slogans, mascots, or marketing messages.

People love unique and functional portable coffee mugs. A lot of people prefer handles, but those who spend a lot of time in their car like tumblers without handles. Tumblers are easier to fit into cup holders.

– Brand-name clothes and shoes. Nikes are about double the price in Ecuador and you’re never quite sure that what you’re buying is really ‘original’. Levis, forgetaboutit, expensive! Yes, you can find cheapy knock-off clothing from Chinese owned street stores in Ecuador, but the originals will cost you.

– Outdoor sport accessories. Like to fish? Mountain climb? Kayak? Golf? Camp? Hike? Yes, you can find all those sports and more in Ecuador, but their accessories cost double, sometimes triple of what you’d pay in the States (if you can even find them).

– Cars. Cars are grossly more expensive in Ecuador. For example, a new Honda Civic with automatic transmission costs over $30,000 USD. And importing cars into the country can be tricky and costly due to the high import tariffs and restrictions… luckily, next week I’ll share on this newsletter one loophole I recently discovered that will allow you to bring down any car you want, legally! For instance, this Honda hybrid car has great fuel consumption and interior space.

– Cosmetics, Perfumes. Women pay attention here cause brand-name cosmetics and perfumes are far more expensive in Ecuador than Stateside, bring what you can! For men, colognes are more pricey in Ecuador.

Now, this does create an enormous business opportunity.

Just last week I sold a new Blackberry I brought down from Panama for $100 more than paid.

I just posted it for sale online down here, one week, gone.

Heck, it can at least pay for a trip back home.

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