I moved to Ecuador because the US was too expensive. I'd love to move back to Montana and be near my grandkids but I can't afford it.

Sat, 04/13/2024 - 06:23

A woman in glasses and a hat; a views of homes and mountains in the background. — Lonita Jensen in Montana; The view from Jensen's kitchen window in Ecuador.
Lonita Jensen

Lonita Jensen, a retired nurse, said she moved to Ecuador because of high prices in the US.
Jensen said her apartment in Ecuador would cost three times as much in her home state of Montana.
Montana is among the western states where high housing costs are pricing out some locals.

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with 71-year-old Lonita Jensen, a retired nurse who is from Montana but currently living in Ecuador. Business Insider has verified the rental prices. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.