Quito, Ecuador Report of what it's like to live there - 05/07/25
Personal Experiences from Quito, Ecuador
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
This is our fourth post, we have lived in Mexico City, Merida, and Montevideo.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
We often travel to the United States, there are direct flights year-round to Miami, Atlanta, and Houston but most tend to be red-eye flights. There are not a lot of direct international flights out of Quito or Guayaquil but there are some options to Spain, Amsterdam, Panama, Colombia, and Peru.
3. What years did you live here?
2023-2025.
4. How long have you lived here?
Almost two years.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Housing comes in a pretty wide variety; we live in a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home that shares a wall with our neighbor with our own driveway. We are in a guarded, gated community with a park and tennis courts. An American international school is right outside the community. It is usually 15 minutes to work from my location during rush hour.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Pretty good availability and cost lower than the U.S. (except for imported household supplies). Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free products are available at the grocery store.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Maple syrup, spices, Trader Joes snacks, allergy-sensitive laundry detergent.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Tipti is a great online delivery service. UberEats and Rappi also common. There are a few American chains and pretty good Korean food.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Some houses have reported an infestation of scorpions but this can be treated. The mosquito population seems to be increasing lately with climate change - even at the high altitude of Quito. The presence of household pests overall seem to be low.
Daily Life:
1. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
It is very common to hire household help including nannies, housekeepers, gardeners, drivers, at much lower prices than in the U.S. and many services will come to your home to pick-up and deliver (dry-cleaning, furniture repair/making, houseplants, etc.) Labor laws dictate many benefits favoring the employee so it is recommended to have a contract and get good referrals.
2. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
I don't recommend doing these activities outside by yourself, especially at night, unless you're in a gated community. Quito and the surrounding area are very hilly so it's hard to find a flat place to ride a bike but there's the Bicentenario Park (formerly Quito airport) and road closures on Sunday near downtown.
3. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Cash is still pretty common. Ecuador adopted the U.S. dollar in 2020. ATMs are fairly common but fees can be high and I'd recommend only using ATMs in the high-end malls, for example.
4. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Spanish is helpful and there are a lot of language tutors and schools. Many health providers speak English and received their education in English.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
I don't take the bus and there's a metro opened in 2023 that is nice and modern. Only licensed taxis should be used and you pay with small bills. Uber is technically not legal so you are asked to sit in the passenger seat.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
High-clearance, all wheel drive vehicles are helpful for extensive potholes, speed bumps of varying dimensions, and for venturing out on dirt roads and accessing natural areas. I don't advise bringing an electric vehicle due to the lack of charging stations and unreliable electricity grid.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes it's been pretty good quality.
Health & Safety:
1. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Air pollution is low except for vehicle exhaust at the street level. When there were daily electricity blackouts for three months, generators caused a lot of noise and pollution.
2. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
The weather doesn't change much year-round. Sunrise 6am and sunset 6pm, it rains at more times than others, temperature ranges from mid 40s to low 70s. Humidity in households tends to vary.
3. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Mild climate with increasingly unpredictable wet and dry seasons, year-round.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
For a city this size there is a surprisingly long list of international schools. We like Academia Cotopaxi.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
Academia Cotopaxi makes every effort to support special-needs students and their families with regular check-ins and jointly-developed learning plans. They will meet with health providers as well to include them in plans and approaches.
3. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Many schools offer afternoon activities and providers offer summer/winter break camps as well.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Morale among expats is pretty high, except during the September - December 2024 nationwide electricity blackouts which had some people feeling pretty desperate and actually moving out of Ecuador. 2024 also featured 2.5 weeks of nationwide school closures due to the security situation (high levels of violence in Ecuador overall and especially in the coastal region, although living in the Quito and the highlands I personally do not feel like I face very high risk).
2. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Quito is a pretty quiet city well-suited for families and couples that like the outdoors as opposed to an active nightlife. It would be helpful for single people to have a good level of Spanish to socialize.
3. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
The Ecuadorian culture is very welcoming.
4. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The Galapagos (land-based and cruises) and Papallacta thermal springs.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Situations (political, environmental, natural hazards) evolve quickly so have good safety and emergency plans in place. Be diligent about daily sunscreen - you are on the equator and will develop sun damage spots.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
flashy jewelry.
4. But don't forget your:
daily sunscreen, patience, and optimism.
