Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 95
  1. #1
    Thailand Expat
    Sumbitch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Last Online
    29-04-2020 @ 04:54 PM
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    5,596

    Which country do you want to retire or relocate to?

    There is a very interesting table on the Numbeo Web site (Quality of Life Index by Country 2015) that ranks 86 countries on a variety of indices: quality of life, purchasing power, safety, health care, consumer prices, property price to income ratio, traffic commute time and pollution. Click one of the indices and you can list the countries in the order based on that index. The only thing of interest to me left off the table is weather.

    I'm making this post about comparing the cost of living and quality of life between LOS and Ecuador.

    About Numbeo's reputation I went to practically the only web site I ever use for that: wikipedia. (Numbeo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This is what they say about Numbeo:
    Description[edit]
    Numbeo is a collaborative online database which enables users to share and compare information about the cost of living between countries and cities. [1]
    Website is operated by Numbeo doo, company registered in Serbia. Founder of Numbeo is ex-Google software engineer.
    ...
    Popularity[edit]
    Numbeo was mentioned or used as a source in hundreds of major newspapers around the world, including Forbes, Business Insider, Time, The Economist, BBC, The New York Times, China Daily, The Telegraph. [3]
    Numbeo claims to be the biggest website of its kind with more than 1.3 million data collected as of August 2014. [4]
    According to alexa ranking, in August 2014, Numbeo.com was among top 10000 websites (ranked by traffic). [5]
    ...
    Criticism[edit]
    Numbeo is considered a good site for comparing everyday prices. But columnist Alistair Walsh suggested in an article written for the website Property Observer, that Numbeo's information is based on what people say and should be taken with grain of salt. [6] However, Walsh does not cite evidence that aggregated self reports on the scale made possible by Numbeo, are less accurate estimates of prices than sponsored price research.
    According to numbeo, the data used in its indices was last updated May 2015 and came from the previous 18 months. Here is Numbeo's own summation of the cost of living difference between the two countries based on its indices:
    Indices Difference
    Consumer Prices in Ecuador are 3.37% higher than in Thailand
    Consumer Prices Including Rent in Ecuador are 0.34% higher than in Thailand
    Rent Prices in Ecuador are 9.26% lower than in Thailand
    Restaurant Prices in Ecuador are 18.96% higher than in Thailand
    Groceries Prices in Ecuador are 6.38% lower than in Thailand
    Local Purchasing Power in Ecuador is 17.80% lower than in Thailand
    This is my own rankings comparison, including quality of life and pollution:
    On the quality of life index, Thailand ranks 2 places higher than Ecuador.
    On the purchasing power index, Ecuador ranks 11 places higher than Thailand.
    On the safety index, Ecuador ranks 16th overall, 36 places higher than Thailand.
    On the health care index, Ecuador ranks 43 places higher than Thailand (82 of 86)
    On the consumer price index, Ecuador ranks 3 places higher than Thailand
    On the property price to income ratio, Ecuador ranks 12 places higher than Thailand.
    On traffic commute time index, Thailand ranks 5 places higher than Ecuador (74th)
    On the pollution index, Ecuador ranks 25 places higher than Thailand.

    This is what I found on Wiki's site re: Ecuador's climate:

    The climate of Ecuador varies by region, due to differences in altitude and, to a degree, in proximity to the equator.[1]
    The coastal lowlands to the west of Ecuador are typically warm with temperatures in the region of 25 °C (77 °F).[2] Coastal areas are affected by ocean currents and between January and April are hot and rainy.[3]
    The weather in Quito is consistent to that of a subtropical highland climate. The city has a fairly constant cool climate due to its elevation. The average temperature during the day is 66 °F (18.9 °C), which generally falls to an average of 50 °F (10 °C) at night. The average temperature annually is 64 °F (17.8 °C) There are only really two obvious seasons in the city: dry and wet. The dry season (summer) runs from June to Sept. and the wet season (winter) is from October to May. As most of Ecuador is in the southern hemisphere, June to Sept. is considered to be winter, and winter is generally the dry season in warm climates. spring, winter, and fall are generally the "wet seasons" while summer is the dry {with exception of the first month of fall being dry.}
    Ecuador lies directly on the equator, so the entire country enjoys 12 hours of direct equatorial daylight 365 days a year. However, the climate you will experience depends largely on where you are in Ecuador, since there are four distinct geographical areas—the Sierra (mountains), the Oriente (eastern rainforests), the Costa (Pacific coastal plains), and the Galapagos Islands.
    For example, Ecuador’s capital, Quito, lies in the Central Valley between the Andean Mountains’ eastern and western ridges. The equator is less than 20 miles north of the city, yet at an altitude of 9,350 feet (2,900 meters), Quito’s climate is spring-like year around: about 50° F (10° C) at night and as high as 76° F (25° C) during the day. The sun makes the difference. You can comfortably stroll out on a glorious Quito afternoon in shorts and a T-shirt, but you’ll need to take your wool sweater in case the clouds roll in. The equatorial sun is intense, but when it’s obscured by clouds, you realize how high in the Andes you really are. In fact, cold weather gear is needed for high altitude hiking and mountain climbing.
    The beaches and rainforests, on the other hand, are characterized by the tropical temperatures that one would expect from equatorial lowlands, with highs ranging between 80º F and 90º F. Between these two extremes, just about any type of weather can be found in Ecuador.
    Ecuador does not have its own currency. Since 2000, the currency has been the USD.

    This is just a personal observation based on 3 visits to Ecuador, the last being in 2008. The girls are beautiful, love to party and are very easy going, no matter the very prevalent Catholicism everybody professes to. The internet has some very beautiful pix of Quito which I will try to post some time soon.

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    18,022
    Retire...?

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat
    Stinky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Next door to digit
    Posts
    11,174
    It depends on the situation I'm still a fair way off retirement, but all things being equal its still Thailand.

  4. #4
    Dislocated Member
    Neo's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Last Online
    31-10-2021 @ 03:34 AM
    Location
    Nebuchadnezzar
    Posts
    10,609
    Can't get enough of those temples huh.?

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,565
    What's so special about Ecuador?

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    13-09-2019 @ 04:18 PM
    Location
    Samui
    Posts
    44,704
    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    What's so special about Ecuador?
    They got Easter Island?

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat
    Stinky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Next door to digit
    Posts
    11,174
    Quote Originally Posted by Neo View Post
    Can't get enough of those temples huh.?
    Temples??? Oh yes the "Temples" ")

  8. #8
    ความสุขในอีสาน
    nigelandjan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Frinton on sea and Ban Pak
    Posts
    13,332
    If the UK remains in the EU the Canary Islands for us

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat
    Stinky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Next door to digit
    Posts
    11,174
    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    What's so special about Ecuador?
    They got Easter Island?
    They got great coke?

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat
    rickschoppers's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Thailand
    Posts
    7,171
    I've already retired in Thailand, so I guess the question is moot for me.

  11. #11
    Philippine Expat
    Davis Knowlton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Philippines
    Posts
    18,204
    Same here. Been retired almost 15 years. Didn't relocate...was already here. Just stayed.

  12. #12
    or TizYou?
    TizMe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    27-03-2024 @ 09:51 PM
    Location
    Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
    Posts
    6,451
    A few years back, when I was researching, Panama seemed to often win in "places to retire" listings that I've seen.

    The results might have been slightly biased by votes from Americans though due to its closeness to USA which of course wouldn't be a plus for me.

  13. #13
    I am in Jail

    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Last Online
    13-01-2016 @ 11:14 PM
    Posts
    3,962
    Syria.

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat
    rickschoppers's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Thailand
    Posts
    7,171
    Panama is on the top of my plan B list, more for cost of living and infrastructure.

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat
    Sumbitch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Last Online
    29-04-2020 @ 04:54 PM
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    5,596

  16. #16
    On a walkabout Loy Toy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    30,531
    Soi 6 in Pattaya! Just open my bank account and locK away the key with approved beneficiaries!

  17. #17
    R.I.P.
    patsycat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Last Online
    08-11-2017 @ 09:54 PM
    Location
    Geneva
    Posts
    7,387
    I'd stay where i am.

    Clean air, clean water, clean everything. And a good pension. Plus my dead husbands pension eventually.

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat
    Eliminator's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Last Online
    26-11-2020 @ 11:56 AM
    Location
    Thailand
    Posts
    3,804
    Hi Patsy, It's the LAW: He goes first. 555

    OMG, I reread that and you said: "{HUSBANDS" jeez, how many guys are you waiting to die for you? 555

  19. #19
    R.I.P.
    patsycat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Last Online
    08-11-2017 @ 09:54 PM
    Location
    Geneva
    Posts
    7,387
    Sorry, i forgot the apostrophe. Husband's. One husband. Never any other husbands. one was enough!!

    And probably most men think the same about me!!! One wife. or even no wife.

    Hey, i got good life insurance when he died. Now, it is coming up to when he should have been 65. And as his next of kin i may get a few pennies. And i shall take them, with pleasure. The man was a bastard. One time during a family argument he even went in to hit my mother... I have no respect for people like that and if i can get even 100 swiss francs i shall be happy. Nobody touches my mother, apart from hugs and kisses.

    The shock on her face was so upsetting.
    Last edited by patsycat; 24-05-2015 at 02:07 AM.

  20. #20
    R.I.P.
    DrB0b's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD
    Posts
    17,118
    That list seems pretty unlikely to me. Turkmenistan has a better quality of life that the UK? Turkmenistan is a poverty-stricken hell-hole ruled by thugs and maniacs.

  21. #21
    I'm in Jail

    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Last Online
    Today @ 02:30 PM
    Location
    Bungling in the jungle
    Posts
    10,387
    My better half has family in Laos. So winters there and if I don't go insane (or should I say when I've lost my mind) we may decide to stay more often. But I'm gonna need a bigger boat regardless. Hope the Chinese haven't screwed the river completely up by then. I'm not holding by breath on that one.

  22. #22
    Thailand Expat
    Sumbitch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Last Online
    29-04-2020 @ 04:54 PM
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    5,596
    Quote Originally Posted by rickschoppers
    I've already retired in Thailand, so I guess the question is moot for me.
    I presume you have a Thai retirement visa. So do I. I've been retired in Thailand for the past couple of years. I still consider my options open. For a Thai retirement visa I have to prove that I have income in the amount of approx. $2000 USD/mo. or have approx. $25000 USD in a Thai bank account. There are 3 types of residence visas you can obtain in Ecuador: 1) proof of $800/mo. in income to obtain a Pension's residency visa. 2) Buy a CD worth $25,000 from a lending institution approved by the Ecuadorian government to obtain an Investment visa. 3) Buy a home with a tax value of at least $25,000 to obtain a Real Estate visa. Consider this also (from http://internationalliving.com/2013/...sas-made-easy/)
    If you are 65 or older you are eligible for phenomenal extra benefits—free medical care and medications, half-price bus transportation anywhere in the country, half-price tickets to movies plus sporting and cultural events, discounted airfare, a free landline telephone, and refund of your 12% IVA (VAT) tax.
    Last edited by Sumbitch; 24-05-2015 at 09:02 AM.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    13-09-2019 @ 04:18 PM
    Location
    Samui
    Posts
    44,704
    Quote Originally Posted by rickschoppers View Post
    Panama is on the top of my plan B list, more for cost of living and infrastructure.
    I put Panama, Costa Rica & Brazil on my Plan B list.

  24. #24
    Thailand Expat
    Sumbitch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Last Online
    29-04-2020 @ 04:54 PM
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    5,596
    pix of quito:










  25. #25
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    38,456
    I'm quite happy retired here in western laos.

Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •