20 Mistakes Expats Make in Ecuador (and How to Avoid Them)

Every expat in Ecuador has a list of things they wish they'd known before moving. Some of these mistakes cost money. Some cost time. A few cost relationships. All of them are avoidable if someone tells you about them in advance.

Here are 20 of the most common ones — organized by when they tend to bite you.

Before You Move

1. Not Visiting First

The mistake: Deciding to move based on YouTube videos, blog posts, and Facebook group enthusiasm. Selling everything, packing up, and arriving with a one-way ticket and zero firsthand experience.

Why it matters: Ecuador is not what most people imagine. The altitude hits you. The infrastructure gaps surprise you. The cultural differences are bigger than you expected. Some people arrive and realize within a week that this isn't for them — and now they've burned through savings on an international move.

What to do instead: Visit for 2-4 weeks minimum. Stay in an Airbnb in the neighborhoods you're considering. Walk the streets. Eat at the local restaurants. Navigate a bus. Visit a doctor. Try to buy something at a mercado in Spanish. If you still want to live here after doing all that, you're probably going to be fine.

2. Romanticizing the Move

The mistake: Thinking Ecuador is paradise. Expecting a stress-free life where everything is cheap, the weather is perfect, and you'll spend your days sipping coffee on a balcony overlooking the Andes.

Why it matters: Ecuador is a developing country. The bureaucracy will frustrate you. Power goes out. Water gets cut. Government policy changes without warning. Customer service as Americans understand it barely exists. Traffic is chaotic. Some things that take 10 minutes in the US take 10 days here.

What to do instead: Come with realistic expectations. Ecuador offers a genuinely excellent quality of life at a fraction of US costs — but it demands patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor. The expats who thrive here are the ones who can laugh when the power goes out during their Zoom call, not the ones who rage about it in a Facebook group.

3. Not Learning ANY Spanish

The mistake: Assuming you can get by with English, Google Translate, and pointing.

Why it matters: Outside of a few Cuenca expat neighborhoods and Galápagos tourist zones, Ecuador runs on Spanish. Your landlord speaks Spanish. Your doctor speaks Spanish. The mechanic, the plumber, the bank teller, the government clerk — all Spanish. You don't need to be fluent, but you need enough to handle basic transactions, ask for help, and understand when someone is telling you something important.

What to do instead: Start learning before you arrive. Even 3-6 months of Duolingo, Pimsleur, or weekly Zoom tutoring ($5-10/hour with an Ecuadorian tutor on Preply or iTalki) makes a meaningful difference. Once here, take classes. Every city has affordable Spanish schools — Cuenca has SimonBolivar Spanish School, Sampere, and Centro de Estudios Interamericanos. Quito has Cristóbal Colón and multiple options in La Floresta. Expect to pay $6-12/hour for private lessons.

4. Shipping a Container of Furniture

The mistake: Spending $3,000-8,000 to ship a 20-foot container of furniture, appliances, and household goods from the US.

Why it matters: Ecuadorian apartments and houses come furnished. The electrical system is 110V (same as the US) but outlets can be different, and your expensive American appliances may not survive voltage fluctuations. The furniture you ship will likely be too big for Ecuadorian rooms. And the customs process to clear a container can take weeks, cost additional fees, and trigger import taxes.

What to do instead: Ship only irreplaceable personal items and documents. Sell or donate the rest. Buy furniture locally — Ecuadorian-made furniture is good quality and affordable. A fully furnished apartment eliminates the need entirely. If you must bring things, use a consolidated shipping service (check Latin American Cargo or Liberty International) for a few boxes rather than a full container.

5. Not Getting Documents Apostilled in Time

The mistake: Arriving in Ecuador and realizing your FBI background check has expired, your marriage certificate isn't apostilled, or your pension letter is missing — and now your visa application is stalled for months.

Why it matters: Ecuador's visa process requires specific documents with apostilles (international authentication stamps). FBI background checks expire after a set period, and getting a new one from abroad takes 12-16 weeks. The apostille process through the US State Department adds more time. If you miss the window, you're stuck on a tourist visa while you wait — which limits your ability to open bank accounts, get a cédula, or access IESS healthcare.

What to do instead: Start gathering documents 3-6 months before your planned move. Get your FBI background check early (apply via the FBI's electronic submission process or use a channeler like Fieldprint for faster turnaround). Apostille everything through the US State Department or the appropriate state secretary of state. Make copies of everything. For a complete checklist, see our moving to Ecuador checklist and apostille guide.

Money Mistakes

6. Keeping All Your Money in Ecuadorian Banks

The mistake: Transferring your entire savings into a Banco Pichincha or Banco del Pacífico account because you live here now.

Why it matters: Ecuadorian banks are functional but limited. FDIC-equivalent deposit insurance covers less than in the US. International wire transfers from Ecuadorian banks are slow and expensive. If there's ever an economic crisis or banking freeze (Ecuador froze accounts in 1999), your money is locked up.

What to do instead: Keep your primary savings in a US bank or brokerage (Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard). Open an Ecuadorian bank account for day-to-day expenses and keep 2-3 months of living expenses in it. Use Wise (formerly TransferWise) or a similar service to transfer money as needed — you'll get better exchange rates and lower fees than bank wires.

7. Using the Wrong Debit Card at ATMs

The mistake: Using your Bank of America, Chase, or Wells Fargo debit card at Ecuadorian ATMs and getting hit with $5 foreign transaction fees plus a $3-5 ATM fee on every withdrawal.

Why it matters: ATM withdrawal limits in Ecuador are typically $300-500 per transaction. If you're withdrawing $300 and paying $8-10 in fees each time, that's a 3% surcharge on every dollar you access. Over a year, that's hundreds of dollars wasted.

What to do instead: Get a Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking account (reimburses all ATM fees worldwide) or a Wise debit card (low-fee multicurrency). These two cards are standard equipment for expats globally. Apply before you leave the US — it's harder to open accounts from abroad.

8. Not Understanding the Import Tax Threshold

The mistake: Ordering a $500 item from Amazon, expecting it to arrive like it would in Iowa, and then getting hit with a 42% import tax plus handling fees at customs.

Why it matters: Ecuador charges import duties on packages valued over $400 (4x per year, $400 aggregate per shipment through courier). The tax rate is steep — often 42% of the declared value plus a fixed handling fee. A $600 purchase can cost you $850+ by the time it clears customs. Some packages get held for weeks.

What to do instead: Keep individual shipments under the $400 threshold. Use courier services that specialize in Ecuador imports (like Club Correos or Miami Box) to consolidate and optimize. Better yet, buy locally or regionally when possible — electronics and appliances are available in Ecuador, and while prices are somewhat higher than US retail, they're lower than US price plus 42% import tax. For details, see our receiving packages guide.

9. Paying Gringo Prices for Everything

The mistake: Accepting the first quoted price for rent, services, taxi rides, and market purchases without question.

Why it matters: There is a dual pricing reality in Ecuador. A taxi driver might charge a local $2.50 for a ride that he quotes you at $5. A landlord might list an apartment at $700 that Ecuadorians rent for $500. Market vendors sometimes round up for foreign-looking customers. This isn't malicious — it's market economics. People charge what customers will pay.

What to do instead: Learn local prices. Ask Ecuadorian friends or coworkers what things should cost. Use the taxi meter (say "con taxímetro, por favor" or just use Uber). Shop at the same mercado stalls regularly so vendors know you and give you fair prices. For rent, search OLX, Facebook Marketplace, and Plusvalía — not just expat-targeted listing services. Learning Spanish and shopping like a local saves you 15-30% on daily expenses.

10. Not Filing US Taxes from Abroad

The mistake: Assuming that because you live in Ecuador, you no longer owe the IRS anything.

Why it matters: US citizens and permanent residents owe federal income tax on worldwide income regardless of where they live. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) and Foreign Tax Credit can reduce or eliminate your tax liability, but you have to file to claim them. Additionally, if you have foreign bank accounts totaling over $10,000 at any point during the year, you must file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114). FATCA reporting (Form 8938) may also apply. Penalties for non-filing are severe — $10,000+ per unreported account per year for FBAR violations.

What to do instead: File your taxes. Every year. Use an expat-specialized tax service that understands FEIE, FBAR, FATCA, and foreign tax credits. FileAbroad specializes in exactly this — US expat tax compliance from Ecuador. Don't learn about FBAR penalties the hard way. See our Ecuador taxes for expats guide for the full breakdown.

Daily Life Mistakes

11. Flashing Expensive Electronics and Jewelry

The mistake: Walking through Mercado Feria Libre with an iPhone 16 Pro in your hand, wearing a Rolex and Oakley sunglasses.

Why it matters: Ecuador is safe by Latin American standards, but opportunistic theft is real, especially in cities. An iPhone represents months of minimum-wage salary here. Walking around visibly wealthy makes you a target for pickpockets and motorcycle snatch-and-grabs. This isn't about living in fear — it's about not advertising.

What to do instead: Keep your phone in your front pocket or a zippered bag. Leave the expensive watch at home. Use a basic phone case that doesn't scream "this cost $1,200." Be especially aware in crowded markets, bus terminals, and tourist areas. Most expats who get robbed in Ecuador weren't assaulted — they had their phone snatched while staring at a Google Maps screen on a busy sidewalk.

12. Not Using Uber or InDriver

The mistake: Hailing random taxis off the street, especially at night.

Why it matters: The single biggest safety risk for expats in Ecuador is unregulated taxi rides after dark. "Express kidnappings" — where a driver takes you to ATMs and forces withdrawals — are rare but documented. Even without criminal intent, unmarked taxis have no accountability, no GPS tracking, and no record of your ride.

What to do instead: Use Uber or InDriver for every ride, especially at night. The apps track your route, record the driver's identity, and give you a digital receipt. If you must take a street taxi during the day, use yellow registered taxis and confirm the meter is on. At night, app only. No exceptions. See our full Uber and taxi guide.

13. Fighting the Bureaucracy Instead of Flowing With It

The mistake: Approaching Ecuadorian government offices with the expectation that things will work like the DMV — frustrating but predictable. Then getting angry when they don't.

Why it matters: Ecuadorian bureaucracy operates by different rules. Requirements change without notice. The person at window 3 tells you something different than the person at window 7. You need a photocopy of a document you didn't know about, and the copy shop is three blocks away, and when you come back the line has restarted. This is normal. Getting angry doesn't speed anything up — it slows you down.

What to do instead: Hire a tramitador — a professional fixer who knows the system, has contacts in the offices, and handles the bureaucratic legwork for you. Tramitadores charge $50-200 depending on the task and save you days of frustration. Your immigration lawyer likely has one. For more, see our navigating bureaucracy guide.

14. Not Registering Domestic Help With IESS

The mistake: Hiring a cleaning person or empleada and paying them cash without registering them in Ecuador's social security system (IESS).

Why it matters: It's the law. Ecuador requires that all domestic workers be registered with IESS, with employer-paid contributions covering healthcare and retirement. If you're caught paying under the table, penalties include back payments plus fines. If your unregistered worker gets injured in your home, you're personally liable for all medical costs plus damages.

What to do instead: Register your worker with IESS. Your lawyer or accountant can set this up in an afternoon. The employer contribution is roughly 12.15% of salary. For a domestic worker earning $200/month, that's about $24/month to IESS — cheap insurance against a much bigger problem. See our hiring a maid guide for the complete legal requirements.

15. Expecting American Speed and Efficiency

The mistake: Getting frustrated when internet installation takes two weeks, a plumber shows up three hours late, a bank transfer takes five days, or a government office closes for an unexplained holiday.

Why it matters: Your blood pressure. Seriously. The expats who struggle most in Ecuador are the ones who cannot adapt to a different pace. Everything takes longer. Appointments are approximate. "Tomorrow" often means "sometime this week." Mañana is a philosophy, not a deadline.

What to do instead: Adjust your expectations. Build buffer time into everything. When someone says a repair will take two days, mentally plan for five. When a meeting is at 3:00, bring a book for the wait until 3:45. This isn't defeatism — it's adaptation. Once you genuinely internalize that the Ecuadorian clock runs differently, your daily stress drops dramatically. The people who've been here five years? They barely notice anymore.

Social Mistakes

16. Only Hanging Out With Other Expats

The mistake: Arriving in Cuenca or Quito and immediately embedding yourself in the English-speaking expat community — attending gringo brunches, joining the English-language book club, eating at expat-owned restaurants, and never building relationships with Ecuadorians.

Why it matters: The expat bubble is comfortable but limiting. You moved to Ecuador. If your entire social life is with Americans and Canadians who also moved to Ecuador, you're living in a suburb of North America that happens to have good weather and cheap rent. You're also missing the entire point — the culture, the warmth of Ecuadorian friendships, the invitations to family gatherings, the local knowledge that no expat Facebook group can provide.

What to do instead: Make Ecuadorian friends. Take Spanish classes (and socialize with your teachers). Accept invitations to birthday parties, quinceañeras, and family dinners — even if your Spanish is rough. Join a local gym, church, volunteer group, or sports team. Ecuadorians are genuinely welcoming to foreigners who show interest in their culture. Your expat friends are a support network; your Ecuadorian friends are your life here.

17. Complaining Publicly About Ecuador

The mistake: Posting in Facebook groups about how the government is corrupt, the infrastructure is terrible, the people don't follow rules, the internet is slow, and nothing works like it does back home.

Why it matters: Ecuadorians are on the internet too. They read these posts. They hear expats complaining at restaurants. And it confirms their worst suspicions about foreigners who come to their country to take advantage of low costs while disrespecting the people and culture. It also makes other expats cringe — nobody wants to be associated with the ugly-American stereotype.

What to do instead: If you need to vent, do it privately with close friends who understand. If you have a legitimate complaint (and you will), frame it constructively. There's a difference between "Ecuador's healthcare system has some real challenges, here's how I navigate them" and "this country is a disaster, I can't believe I moved here." The former is useful. The latter is corrosive. If you truly hate it here, the airport is open — nobody is making you stay.

18. Ignoring Cultural Norms

The mistake: Walking into a shop and immediately asking for what you want. Not greeting people. Maintaining a large personal bubble. Getting impatient when someone is being "too friendly."

Why it matters: Ecuador runs on social greetings and warmth. You always say "buenos días" / "buenas tardes" before asking for anything — at a store, a government office, a doctor's appointment, a taxi. You greet with a handshake (men) or a cheek-kiss (women, one kiss on the right cheek). You ask how someone is doing before getting to business. Skipping this is considered rude — it signals that you see the person as a transaction, not a human being.

What to do instead: Greet everyone. "Buenos días, ¿cómo está?" costs you three seconds and completely changes how people treat you. Accept that meetings start with 10 minutes of small talk. Understand that personal space is smaller here — people stand closer, touch your arm when talking, and hug more freely. This isn't intrusive; it's warmth. Lean into it.

19. Burning Bridges in the Expat Community

The mistake: Getting into public feuds, badmouthing businesses, or behaving badly — and assuming it doesn't matter because you're in a big world.

Why it matters: The expat community in any Ecuadorian city is a village. Everyone knows everyone. The woman you argued with at the Tuesday dinner is the one who knows the best immigration lawyer. The guy you stiffed on a used furniture deal is neighbors with the person selling the apartment you want. Reputation travels at the speed of WhatsApp here.

What to do instead: Treat every interaction like it matters, because it does. Be honest in business dealings. Don't ghost people. If you have a conflict, handle it privately and maturely. The expat world is small enough that your reputation precedes you — make sure it's a good one. This applies to online behavior too. Facebook groups have long memories.

20. Not Saying Yes Enough

The mistake: Declining invitations because you're tired, your Spanish isn't good enough, you don't know anyone, or it sounds outside your comfort zone. Staying home instead of showing up.

Why it matters: Every invitation you accept in Ecuador is a door that opens to three more. The birthday party introduces you to someone who knows a great dentist. The community lunch connects you with someone selling the perfect apartment. The hike with acquaintances turns into a genuine friendship. The salsa night where you embarrass yourself becomes a story you tell for years.

What to do instead: Say yes. Especially in the first year. Go to the weird party. Attend the neighborhood meeting. Join the soccer game even though you haven't played since high school. Accept the dinner invitation from your Ecuadorian neighbor even though you'll understand 40% of the conversation. The connections you build by showing up are the ones that transform Ecuador from a place you live into a place that feels like home.

The Common Thread

Most of these mistakes come from the same root: applying American assumptions to an Ecuadorian reality. The expats who thrive here — really thrive, not just survive — are the ones who arrived with humility, stayed curious, and treated the differences as features rather than bugs.

Ecuador isn't perfect. The infrastructure frustrates you. The bureaucracy tests you. The cultural differences sometimes exhaust you. But if you can avoid the mistakes above, adapt to the pace, and engage with the country on its own terms, you'll find something most people never get: a life that costs less, moves slower, and somehow feels richer than the one you left behind.

Ready to start planning? See our complete moving to Ecuador checklist, visa types explained, and cost of living guides for practical next steps.