Living Abroad in Ecuador, Where $1 Bills Go a Long Way

It’s probably hard for you to believe what I'm about to tell you if you're not already living abroad. After all, in the U.S., it's easy to pull $200 from the cash machine one day and wonder where it all went the next. But here in Ecuador the biggest problem we have is tracking down $1 bills.

Living Abroad in Ecuador? Stock Up on Dollar Bills

Everything is so inexpensive that no-one wants to deal with bills larger than ones. Using a $20 bill in Ecuador is akin to trying to use a $100 bill in Colorado to buy a candy bar; it can be done but it’s not easy. As for using $50 or $100 bills--don’t even try!

Consider this: A four-course meal--good soup, meat, vegetables, potatoes or rice, a drink and dessert--will cost you $1.90. You read that right, one dollar and ninety cents. White tablecloths, servers, delicious fresh food, in great locations all around Cuenca, for $1.90.

This is a country set back in time with all the comforts of today, and the prices and service of the U.S. in the 1950’s. A taxi across town will cost you $1, gas is still pumped by a helpful attendant, and Sundays are for families.

Kent Zimmerman
For International Living

Editor's note: Real estate is inexpensive in Ecuador, too--right now you can buy a large beachfront apartment in the primary resort destination on the north coast for $73,000…or something small for $28,000. But that's not the only reason to buy. In two days we'll release the February issue of International Living Magazine…and in it, reveal the big news on Ecuador's north coast that will cause real estate prices to surge. Subscribe to the International Living Magazine here.

For more IL articles on living abroad, see:

Living Abroad With Uruguay's English Speaking Expats

Where to Retire if You Can't Afford to Live in the States Anymore

Moving Overseas: How Winton and Debi Did It