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Prepare for your Housing Search

The first step to find the right housing, is checking out neighborhoods. Choosing the perfect neighborhood depends on your lifestyle wishes, if you will own a car, the location of your office and the schools of your children, etc.

In Quito, most expats live in the northern part of the city and the valleys, Cumbayá and Tumbaco. The valleys have less traffic and a pleasant, more moderate climate, but are located further from the city centre and traveling there by public transportation takes about an hour.

Of course, budget is also an important influence on your choice; for the price of an apartment in the area of Carolina Park, you can rent an entire house in the upper north part of the city, for example.

If you have your wishes, priorities and budget clear, you can start looking for your perfect house in Quito.

Flatsharing

Many young people in Quito, both Ecuadorians and expats, share an apartment to lower monthly expenses. Flatsharing gives you the opportunity to live in a more central and pleasant neighborhood for a lower price. Moreover, especially if your moving to Quito by yourself, it is a good way to get to know more people and start a social life.

A room in a shared apartment or house in Central North Quito costs between $150 USD and $300 USD. Besides the EasyExpat forum, Facebook is a good platform to look for a room in a shared apartment, like in the Expats in Quito Facebook group.

Hostels and Volunteer Houses

Ecuador has plenty of hostels and hotels for each price range. To give you an idea, a bed in a shared room in a hostel costs around $10 USD per night. Some of the hostels lower their prices for people staying for a longer period, which can be a good starting point for your housing search.
Another temporary housing option is a volunteer house, where people in general stay for a longer time and you are more likely to meet, mainly young, people living (temporarily) in Quito. A room in a volunteer house between around $250 USD per month.

Most hostels and volunteer houses are situated in the historical centre and in La Mariscal, the modern center. In the neighborhood La Floresta and further up north you find these type of accommodations.