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Hello,

There is families with kids coming to live in Ecuador lately, not only retires.

Are you planning to come for one year or for a extended time?

If you have kids you should think in a big city for them.
Then, what kind of weather: the Coast hot and humid most of the time or the Sierra usually mild-cold.

In the Coast the only big city with good schools is Guayaquil but, for me, is a difficult city, too big, crime is high.
In the Sierra you have Quito and Cuenca, Quito is a big city too and Cuenca is medium size.

There's a big difference in schools cost, too. Is recommended you look for a private school, in Guayaquil and Quito they're expensive than in Cuenca the same as the rentals. 

About working, kind of difficult, you need your Visa first, one than allow you to work, you can convalidate any diploma you have to ecuadorian standards.
For voluntering, there's many options and you will be very welcome.

I live in Cuenca so if you decide to visit, here I am.

Vinny

Hi Vinny,
Thank you for writing.  After a bit of research, I think we are really leaning toward Cuenca.  How long have you lived there?  We will want to stay for a year at least, hopefully two and I have been having a hard time finding the right visa.  Are private schools in Cuenca expensive?  I hope we can meet, we may be visiting in January to check out the city without the kids first.
Is crime an issue in Cuenca?  Is there an area of the city you would recommend?
Thanks again
Craig

Hello Craig,

I have been living in Cuenca for a little more than a year.
In order to live here for a year or more you need a Pensioner Visa, an Investment Visa or a Work Visa. with the Tourist Visa you can be here only for 180 days.

The most expensive private school is around $200 a month including lunch and transportation.

There's crime in Cuenca but is not as bad as in Guayaquil or Quito, for me is pretty safe. And most part of the city is good.
Expats concentrate around 1o de Mayo av., Ordonez Lasso av. and downtown.

Vinny

Good info Vinny, Cuenca or Quito would definitely work better for young couple with kids. Also, not sure how important it would be in your case Craig but the climate topic needs to be brought up when referring to Cuenca. Vinny will explain better! I live in the coast, and we get some expats relocating here because weather is warmer and there isnt much rain. However, within this area again in the case of this lovely couple the best bet would be Manta in terms of good private education and city like life with more things to do with kids. Regards.

I just moved to Quito two weeks ago. My son started kindergarten and is very happy with it, as am I. It is a private school with only 7 kids in his class so he is comfortable even though his Spanish is limited. I haven't had to much luck in the way of meeting other families so far (other than my husbands extended family that lives here). I think that will improve with my language skills and as we get more involved in our community. I think $1500 is a reasonable budget. $1000 would be a little tight for us. Of course, everyone has different tastes and spending habits. I don't consider myself a big spender but did pay a little more to have a nicer place.  Overall, we are enjoying ourselves. There is alot to see. If you decide on the Quito area it would be nice to meet up. Best of luck!