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lois2b wrote:

I will start my search in Guayaquil, and hope I can find both home and work somewhere within an easy trip to the beach, other expats, and a horseback ride.  If you have any advice for me, don't hesitate to share...

Dear Lois,

Welcome to the Ecuador forum.

Perhaps you are choosing Guayaquil because it’s Ecuador’s largest city and many of the incoming international flights land there.

I suggest you reconsider.

Guayaquil is hot and humid ... and the street crime is the worst of any large city in Ecuador.  You can’t spend all your time in Sambo sector.

The Big G is over an hour’s drive from the ocean, but is subject to Ring of Fire seismic events.

There are some Expats there, but they usually don’t stay long.

As for cost of living around EC, there is city-specific pricing available at

cccmedia in Quito

lois2b wrote:

I wonder whether Cuenca would be a better bet.  I have read that there is a significant retiree expat community there.  Perhaps it is safer too.  But of course, job opportunities would be vastly reduced; yet Quito is just so far inland, making access to the beaches virtually impossible.  Decisions, decisions.

You’re right on four counts, Lois.  Cuenca is a better bet for Expat living than Big G, with more Gringo-friendly meetups and events in Cuenca than in any other place in Ecuador. 

It’s far safer, too, compared to Guayaquil.

Job opportunities in your field would be reduced in Cuenca, especially with more English-speaking Expats around seeking any available positions.

Both Quito and Cuenca are distant from the ocean, Cuenca being closer to the Pacific.  Cuenca is 110 miles or 177 km from the Machala-area beaches, so that’s about a 2-1/2 to 3 hour drive.

My personal recommendation is not to choose a trade-off that would compromise your quality of life apart from the job market.

cccmedia in Quito