Other

900 $

In Quito at 25-30min from the uni

The University propose this program of housing in host families.

I really enjoyed going in a host family they were very kind and helpful. The breakfast and diner were inluded with private bathroom and cleaning of my clothes also. If I had to choose again I would choose it again of course.

The most famous place to parties on Thursday is Katari there are many students. Also, Safaera and Soho are good nightclubs. There are many bars in Quito also.

I took a classe called "Ecology in Ecuador" and it was fantastic I learned about Biodiversity of Ecuador (and South America also) and how to preserve it from human's actions.

The campus is cool and cheap to eat at lunch (4-5$). I struggled for registration but the admin Veronica who helps international students was available at all hours. After talking with the other students in Quito from Ieseg I think it was the best uni in Quito because of the courses and the proximity of the campus.

In Ecuador its very cheap to travel by taking the bus. There are so many things to see such as many volcanos (Cotopaxi, Chimburaso,...) beautiful cities (Cuenca, Otavalo,...) and the Amazone. The coast is described as dangerous but I know people that went there and had no problems it was beautiful.

Transport is easy there is one line of metro and buses every 2minutes. The historical center is beautiful and the museum "La capilla del hombre" is beautiful. The teleferico also is good to visit and for hiking. Nevertheless, after doing this, you can struggle to find new things to do in Quito it is better to travel in the country.

Ecuador is not dangerous if you are a little bit careful its amazing!!

Airbnb

300/350$

La Mariscal

In Airbnb, the building is called Edificio Mariscal

The apartment is really nice and big. I shared it with 2 other friends. The building is safe, with guards at the entrance, and even though La Mariscal is known to not be the safest neighbourhood, the apartment is next to a big street so there is always good light and people around. There are supermarkets and good shops very close. The only downside is that it is 1h bus ride to USFQ, but we still enjoyed very much the experience of living in Quito rather than Cumbaya

Many nice free events organised around the city (check Teatro Capitol Quito on instagram for events at the theatre). Nice bars, salsotecas, ask locals for reccomendations, they know better than anyone!

I took some very chill classes like Ecología, and Lenguas de America Latina. I also really enjoyed Sociedades Amazonicas. Generally classes taught in spanish are less work bc they are not writing intensive

Very cool campus! Many nice cafes and green areas. If looking for cheap lunch though (2.5/3$), go just outside the Uni, on the street below the bridge to local restaurants

There are so many places to see! Like Otavalo, Mindo, Puyo, Tena, Cotopaxi, Cuenca, the coast among many others. Nature is beautiful, both the Amazon and the many vulcanos around. There is everything u could ever want

I don't really like big city. Lots of traffic and noise. But you learn to co-live with it :)

Ecuador is an amazing country and I am sure you will have a beautiful time if you come here! I have been learning so much and made some very good friends!

Other

700

Cumbaya

via the university

It was a housing family offered by the university that included breakfast, dinner, laundry service. I liked it because it allowed me to practice my Spanish, and discover the traditional food every day. The only (but major) con was the location but it depends on your luck, it was in cumbaya more specifically in lumbisi which mean half an hour in bus from Quito or by uber (especially at night when the buses don't work anymore. I would recommend to live in Quito even for the USFQ because that is where most international live and even if you have to go to cumbaya to go out in clubs or other you can share Ubers with others while living in Lumbisi I would do pay my Ubers to join others. So if I had to choose again I would get an apartment or a house family in Quito.

the best club is Katari in Cumbaya because the mood is great and there are a lot of students here. In quito you will find good clubs like Safaera or Soho.

you can test your clases for one week and then change so choose what you like.

The campus is great with gym, tennis courts, foot courts, beach volley, a lot o from cheap traditional ones to the food courts of the campus to the commercial center that belongs to the university with a lot of restaurants, fast food chains, Italian, French etc and supermarkets also.

It's the best of part of Quito, you have various differents opportunities for visits around the city where you can go for the week end. I would recommend Cotopaxi, The Rucu Pichincha (just one day), Baños, Otavalo for greats hikes and the market, basically all the volcans. More far you have Cuenca, the Amazon rainforest, the cost with great beaches and of course Galápagos Islands.

the cost of living is very cheap, the most costly part will be the Ubers because it can be dangerous to walk alone by night. but all the bars are cool especially in La floresta. take a lot of pulls because it gets cold at night so you don't get cold on rooftops and all.

Coliving / Shared House

365€/month

In Quito, in the safe neighborhood of La Carolina/Bellavista

https://www.stgallenhaus.com

It's a very cool place where different kinds of people live. There are rooms with private or shared bathrooms. I think there are 6 rooms in total. The rooftop of the house has one of the most beautiful views in all of Quito. There's a housekeeper 5 days a week who cleans all the rooms for free once a week. There is also a paid laundry service. The owner is very friendly and helpful. The neighborhood is really cool and safe

The city is very lively, like most cities in South America. The best club is Katari in Cumbayá, but there are plenty of other cool places in the city.

All the classes are really easy. The exams are done on the computer or as take-home assignments. It's easy to arrange your schedule to have less than 15 hours of classes per week, and only over 3 days.

There are places to eat, work out, etc. on campus, which is very modern and beautiful. The only downside is that the university is far from the city, so you have to take the university’s free buses, which run throughout the city almost every hour

The coast of Ecuador is beautiful and easily accessible by bus for cheap. Then of course, there are the Galápagos Islands, which are a must, and the Amazon rainforest. Ecuador has one of the greatest landscape diversities in the world, which makes it a very enjoyable country to visit, and you’ll feel like you never really finish exploring it.

Let's be honest, it's not the most beautiful city in the world. Once you've visited the historic center (which is very dangerous at night and should absolutely be avoided!!!), there isn't that much left to see. The Ecuadorians are some of the kindest people I've ever met. You can really feel that they want you to love their country, and they're genuinely happy to see foreigners (locals, taxi drivers, etc.). Life is definitely much cheaper compared to Europe. The weather is always the same: around 23°C during the day and 10–15°C at night. It rains from time to time but never for long. The food is good but very simple. Nothing exceptional. I recommend using Uber to get around, it's the easiest and safest option.

Don’t walk around at night (especially not alone), just take an Uber, it’s the safest and easiest option. Also, Cumbayá is a really cool area to go out, there are lots of great bars and clubs there.