Job Discussion Forums

waygukgaijinhaole · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:23 am Post subject:

Matt said - "Rent-$150-200/month for a room in a large shared house with cable TV, 5 day a week maid and all utilities. Large 2-3 bedroomed flat around $250+utilities."

I live in Cuenca, Ecuador. Fellow teachers pay $70-90 for a room with other teachers or a family...plus utilities, no maid or cable. My place is a small 1-bedroom. It is $120 a month, plus $3 a month for a phone.

The rest of the info he gave sounds about right.

...except ...who buys non-pirate CDs? Wink

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

MixtecaMike · Joined: 19 Nov 2003 Posts: 643 Location: Guatebad

Speaking of intellectual property, just how much intellect does it take to make a CD with lyrics like "F+++ yo, ho, who yo dawg, ..."

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

Yeah, my Ecuador flat prices are for Quito. Cheaper elsewhere.

Question for waygukgaijinhaole-What the hell do you do after dark in Cuenca? I was there for 10 days and thought the city was beautiful but possibly the most boring place i'd ever been once the sun went down, no nightlife, no one on the streets...

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Would still like to hear more on this, particularly from Panama and Brasil...

C'mon, I know you are out there!

Paulie2003 · Joined: 29 Mar 2003 Posts: 541

Brazil???

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 4:04 pm Post subject:

Hi from Quito, Ecuador, where the prices are extremely wonky.

3 bedroom flat (the only kind around) 225-350 USD
Lunch set menu 1.50-3.00
Buses $.25 in city, about 1$ per hour for travel around the country
Taxis $1-3, depending on how far you're going and how Gringo you look
Houses $5000-30000 (not in a major city)
Houses $100000- Infinity (in a major city)
Cars- USA prices, more or less, except with less depreciation with age
Teachers- $4.00- 8.50 an hour
Shaving foam:$2.50-$7.00
Computers: So expensive I'm still trying to use this piece of "#$% with a "!$&ed up keyboard...

Hope it helps, Justin

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 4:23 pm Post subject:

Hey Twisting,
I haven�t been everywhere, yet, but I'm not sure your list is up to date. I can attest to the fact that Ecuador is quite a bit more expensive than Colombia, and Argentine and Chilean friends all complain about how expensive it is here.
I wonder if you visited before dolarization. (sic) Bolivia, Peru, etc, seem right on, though.

And Guy,
Have you been teaching my students? They all seem to think life is a verb, too. Life, live (short "i"), live (long "i"), it's all very confusing. Smile

Justin

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Justin...help us out and post some prices for Quito.

Life is a verb, not when you teach it, but when you live it.

EDIT: whoops, must have been reading upside down. Thanks for the cost-of-living input JT.

Brasil, yes.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 4:47 pm Post subject:

Hey Twisting,
I haven�t been everywhere, yet, but I'm not sure your list is up to date. I can attest to the fact that Ecuador is quite a bit more expensive than Colombia, and Argentine and Chilean friends all complain about how expensive it is here.
I wonder if you visited before dolarization. (sic) Bolivia, Peru, etc, seem right on, though.

And Guy,
Have you been teaching my students? They all seem to think life is a verb, too. Life, live (short "i"), live (long "i"), it's all very confusing. Smile

Justin

Marcethebest · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 60 Location: Argentina

Hello,

I live in Argentina and I was also born here. I think Matt is quite accurate in telling you the prices in Argentina, though I think he expressed the prices in American dollars, is that right Matt? Wink

Let me tell you, also, that I don�t live in BA but in a city that is 450km northwards, called Santa Fe, and things like food, eating out, cinema tickets, entertainment, etc, are all cheaper than in BA (mostly).
Good luck! Very Happy

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Just got some cost-of-living info in Costa Rica info to share, straight from a teacher I sent to San Jose. Right now, 1 usd = 468 colones.

Rent will run anywhere from 200-550 usd a month he says. I imagine there is a lot of room to play with this one. At 200 usd per month, he says his place is 'plush'.

Beer = 400 colones (just under a dollar)
Bus ride (I think Heredia to San Jose) 100 colones (23 cents) Greyhound-like bus is 255 colones (53 cents), same trip
Hamburger coke and fries (straight up American meal) 1600 colones (under 4 dollars)
Taxi Heredia to San Jose 4000 colones (under 10 dollars)
Internet Cafe 300 colones per hour (75 cents)
Kilo of beef at a grocery store 2000 colones ($4.50)
Kilo of chicken at a grocery store 1500 colones ($3.20)
Cigarettes 500 colones (just over a dollar)

We figured his monthly basic expenses to come to under 300,000 colones per month and he's earning exactly that on 25 hours per week. Not a lot of room for extras, but if he had a few more hours per week...

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

portochuck · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 48 Location: Brazil

OK..Beer is cheap....about R$3.00 at a bar...can from the market..R$0.89..bottle...R$1.29..

Razors...before you leave...buy an electric razor...(Save money) They have razors here but they suck unless you buy the ones from the USA...So I bought a Braun while I was in the USA last.

Clothes are cheap...if they are Brazilian....Anything Imported....you can afford.

But the Brazilian clothes are cool...pants are from R$50 and up...(I think the name is TACO...)
Lunch at a Buffet is around R$7.00 with coke or juice...and it all you can eat. Dinner..you can get for around R$10 and up...Just depends on what you want.

Ive never had to rent anything in Brazil..(TO live)..but I know people who spend from R$200 up to..well lets say they have good jobs. I was lucky my wife is rich.......(not really just sounds good.)

BUS R$1.75 to UP...depends which bus and how far you go...in the city..(POA) its the long bus..R$1.75 and the short bus...R$2.50...

Anyother questions...just let me know...