Personally, I don't think any expansion pack is worth $40. The sales price (and sales happen often) of $20 seems closer to a fair price.
EcoLifestyle, to me at least, only looks interesting for the possibility for a grungy world for less-than-honest Sims to live in. Too many of the worlds are pretty and perfect where Sims lead ideal lives. A world of filth would be so refreshing (again, in my opinion). But like the OP, I fear too much of the gameplay will be focused on the opposite, on making the world identical to every other world from the other packs: clean and pretty.
