Job Discussion Forums

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 8:10 pm Post subject: Costs and wages in Guayaquil

Help! Anybody who's in Guayaquil, or has been there!

Here's my situation. I run the English teaching program for a mid sized Ecuadorian NGO. We've recently established a very interesting relationship with a branch of a government agency in need of language training. And they like us well enough here in Quito to ask if we can provide the same service to their people in Guayaquil. I would like to- so we're currently investigating how to go about setting up operations in Guayaquil- originally just for this program, but with an eye to establishing a permanent, growing presence there.

But, although I've been in Ecuador for quite a while, I know Guayaquil only slightly. My brief experiences there lead me to think that it's slightly more expensive than Quito, slightly more chaotic, and the people dance a lot better and talk faster- that's all I know for sure.

But I'd like to know:

Expenses: Housing, food, transportation, going out, etc. If anybody who is there or has been there can tell me what they spent on these things, I will owe you big. If you're still there, I'll buy drinks next time I'm there!

TEFL salaries- How much does a native English teacher in Guayaquil earn? And how well can you live on it? I'm nervous about this one, because while in my experience Guayaquil is somewhat more expensive than Quito, I've done a little research, and the prices for English classes can be more like 2 to 3 times more expensive. Is this reflected in teachers salaries? If I have to pay teachers twice as much in Guayaquil, the two "identical" programs will have drastically different costs to the students, which isn't going to be popular...

Thanks,

Justin

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:47 pm Post subject:

Please Help! SOmebody must know about Guayaquil!

Thanks again,

Justin

PS- is it a dirty trick to post again on your own thread, so it stays near the top where people will see it? I'm desperate...

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Justin, all I think of are silly answers...

Such as,

I hear the pay in Guayaquil is about $5000 per week, and that all of the best teachers come from the eastern seaboard of Australia and like turtles and Zippy from Rainbow. Can I have a job???? Wink

However, there is a fairly regular job posting in Guayaquil on TEFL.com. It's not there now, but maybe you can do a search on schools and contact them that way?

For the cost of livingy bits, try the Lonely Planet Thorntree?

Hope that helps a bit...
Lozwich.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:23 pm Post subject:

Thansk Loz-
I'm checking the TEFL.COM board now- I feel like an ignoramus- as I've lived in Ecuador for quite a long time, and 50% of its (2) major cities is a mystery to me...

Justin

fresas · Joined: 28 May 2005 Posts: 16 Location: Cuenca, Ecuador

I was in Guayaquil almost two years ago, so the prices might be different by now. But, when I was there:

bus:25 cents

taxi:between $1-$2.50 ($3 at the very most)

a typical Ecuadorian meal in a street-corner restaurant:$1-$1.50

laundromat (with dryer): $2-2.50/load

internet:$1-$1.50/hr (although it's more expensive in el centro)

movie theater: $4-5 (first Tuesday of the month, $2!)

housing: I was living with a family, so I'm not sure. "My" family was renting out a very small 2-room apartment for $100/month (that's not 2-BEDROOM--just two rooms).

salary: I was volunteering but while I was there, I checked out Spirit School of Languages and the director told me the MAX they pay their teachers is $7/hr. I'm not sure how that relates to other schools, though.
My friend (an Ecuadorian) who taught in the CEN made $5-6/hour). He told me that teachers in the University make $10.

For what it's worth, hope this helps!

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 4:14 pm Post subject:

Thanks Fresas-
It helps a LOT!
What I find interesting is that the wages for teachers you mention are very similar to Quito, if anything a little lower. And the day to day costs, transport, food, etc, seem about the same. It's true that rents seem a little high. (I used to have a 2 room apartment here for $125)

But what piques my interest is that while teacher's wages sound similar to Quito, yesterday I called a LOAD of language schools in Guayaquil (in the guise of a prospective student), and found that class costs are much higher than Quito. Anywhere from 50% to 200% higher. I smell a rat, but it may make it easier to find good teachers and clients in Guayaquil than I would have assumed.

Thanks all!
Justin

panamabob · Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 6

In Guayaquil, I had a high rent luxury apartment for $500.00 monthly.

Taxi rides to Americano were about $2.00. $4.00 to $5.00 to cross the city.

Food was the same throughout Ecuador.

I found nice apartments in the range of $100.00 in La Alborada and Guayacanes, but chose the nicer neighborhood and larger place for my family.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:38 am Post subject:

Thanks guys!

I've been on my first fact finding trip to Guayaquil- will post about it tomorrow, when I get some time...

Justin

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

if you make it out alive...

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:33 pm Post subject:

I made it out alive! And honestly, I liked it okay. It seems like a nice enough city, although the heat nearly killed me. Honestly, I've heard so many things about Guayaquil, I don't know where to start...and my trip was short- the next one will be longer, and I'll have a better idea-

But for now- everybody says the people in Guayaquil are "conflictive." Well, I certainly found them more direct than Quite�os- In the conferences I gave, explaining our services to various government employees, I found that questions were more frequent, more direct, and frankly borderline confrontational. It's a little uncomfortable, I'll admit, giving presentations to semi-confrontational strangers, but it's a nice counter point to the way they do things here in Quito, where you have to guess what they're thinking. In Guayaquil, they tell you what they're thinking.

Outside of a work environment, though, I found the people unusually friendly, and happy to show off their city. I was taken to lunch, take sight seeing, and generally given a good feeling of the pride people have in their city.

Crime levels are reputedly bad, and I imagine that there's some truth in this, though I was, on my first trip, limited to areas that are relatively safe- I'll try to explore a little more next time.

The view from the lighthouse rocks, and the Malecon (Boardwalk along the river) was tranquil and pretty, though not especially interesting.

My only negative on a day trip, mainly business, was a taxi driver trying to take advantage of the gringo, but honestly, I've been in Latin America long enough for that to lose any novelty it once had...

I'm back in Guayaquil for three days this week, so will know more about what it's all about by Friday.

Justin