COST OF LIVING - PART 2

Someone asked me via e-mail what is the typical food here. I hope the above gives an idea. Plus the earlier post on cost of living also provides an idea on some of the foods that are found here. With globalization, one can almost find anything anywhere. 

I have lived in Vilcabamba for more than a month now and hence have a better sense of what my monthly cost of living here is. It is 30% of what it was in Santa Clara.  That is considering that I had some unexpected onetime costs while here.  A typical lunch as shown in the picture above which consists of soup, rice with meat and vegetables and a drink will cost US$3 (US$ is used in Ecuador).

There is a laboratory here that is able to do all kinds of blood tests, poop tests etc. I was actually impressed that they were able to do that given that Vilcabamba is such a small town.  In fact, when I was in Singapore the last time, I wanted to do a fasting insulin test and the doctor told me (in a condescending manner) – “There is no such thing as fasting insulin test. There is only fasting glucose test”.  Of course you can get this and others tests that I am looking for in the US. But they cost more. If a cost of a test is $100 in the US – it is $20 here. Yes, medical tests costs based on the specific tests that I am looking for are 20% of that of the US. In any case, I did some of these tests since I have not done them before.  Some of the results are ready that very afternoon and the others I have to wait three days. I am positively surprised by the results I have received so far. They are not just good. They are exceptionally good. :)