diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8deb4d8c4bd4..efc5ae83baea 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ PENDING_SPECS = \
 WORKING_SPECS_1 = \
   spec/rspec_configuration.rb \
   spec/models/table_spec.rb \
-	spec/models/table/relator_spec.rb \
+  spec/models/table/relator_spec.rb \
+  spec/models/table/column_typecaster_spec.rb \
   spec/models/user_spec.rb \
   spec/models/user_presenter_spec.rb \
   spec/models/layer_spec.rb \
diff --git a/app/models/table/column_typecaster.rb b/app/models/table/column_typecaster.rb
index b24f88be90e6..fcdcc3653dd9 100644
--- a/app/models/table/column_typecaster.rb
+++ b/app/models/table/column_typecaster.rb
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@ def straight_cast(new_type=self.new_type, options = {})
     end #straight_cast
 
     def string_to_number
-      thousand, decimal = get_digit_separators_for(column_name)
-      normalize_digit_separators(thousand, decimal)
+      thousand_separator, decimal_separator = get_digit_separators_for(column_name)
+      normalize_number(thousand_separator, decimal_separator)
       nullify_if_non_convertible
-    end #string_to_number
+    end
 
     def string_to_datetime
       straight_cast('timestamptz', cast: "cartodb.CDB_StringToDate(#{column_name})")
@@ -209,14 +209,35 @@ def get_digit_separators_for(column_name)
       }, &:to_a).first.values
     end #get_digit_separators
 
-    def normalize_digit_separators(thousand=nil, decimal=nil)
-      return unless thousand && decimal
+    def normalize_number(thousand_separator=nil, decimal_separator=nil)
+      return unless thousand_separator && decimal_separator
+
+      replacements = [
+        [thousand_separator, ''],
+        [decimal_separator, '.'],
+        ['$', ''],
+        ['€', '']
+      ]
+
       user_database.execute(%Q{
         UPDATE #{qualified_table}
-        SET #{column_name} = replace(
-          replace(#{column_name}, '#{thousand}', ''), '#{decimal}', '.'
-        )
+        SET "#{column_name}" = trim(#{pg_replace_expression(column_name, replacements)})
       })
     end
+
+    # Takes a column_name and a mapping of replacements and returns an expression such as:
+    #   replace(replace(replace(column_name, k1, v1), k2, v2), k3, v3)
+    def pg_replace_expression(column_name, replacement_map=[])
+      # base case
+      k1, v1 = replacement_map.shift
+      expression = %Q{replace("#{column_name}", '#{k1}', '#{v1}')}
+
+      # rest
+      replacement_map.each do |k, v|
+        expression = %Q{replace(#{expression}, '#{k}', '#{v}')}
+      end
+
+      return expression
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/table/column_typecaster_spec.rb b/spec/models/table/column_typecaster_spec.rb
index 02882cddd54b..357e9af5eb25 100644
--- a/spec/models/table/column_typecaster_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/table/column_typecaster_spec.rb
@@ -1,49 +1,50 @@
 # encoding: utf-8
-require 'rspec/core'
-require 'rspec/expectations'
-require 'rspec/mocks'
-require_relative '../../spec_helper'
+
+require_relative '../../rspec_configuration'
+require_relative '../../../app/models/table/column_typecaster'
 
 describe CartoDB::ColumnTypecaster do
-  before do
-    quota_in_bytes  = 524288000
-    table_quota     = 500
-    @user           = create_user(
-                        quota_in_bytes: quota_in_bytes,
-                        table_quota:    table_quota
-                      )
-  end
 
-  after do
-    @user.destroy
-  end
+  describe '#pg_replace_expression' do
+    before(:all) do
+      @column_typecaster = CartoDB::ColumnTypecaster.new({
+          user_database: nil,
+          schema: nil,
+          table_name: nil,
+          column_name: nil,
+          new_type: nil
+        })
+    end
 
-  pending 'raises NonConvertibleData when trying to cast a non-supported time format to date' do
-    @user.in_database { |database| @db = database }
+    it 'takes a column_name and a set of replacements and returns a postgres expression that implements them' do
+      # e.g.: as it if where in spanish locale
+      thousand_separator = '.'
+      decimal_separator = ','
 
-    table_name  = "test_#{rand(999)}"
-    schema      = @user.database_schema
-    dataset     = @db[table_name.to_sym]
-    time_text   = 'Mon Oct 13 1997 15:32:18 GMT+0200 (CEST)'
+      # order matters, the innermost expression will be applied first
+      replacements = [
+        [thousand_separator, ''],
+        [decimal_separator, '.'],
+        ['$', '']
+      ]
 
-    @db.create_table?(table_name) do
-      String  :time_with_timezone
+      @column_typecaster.send(:pg_replace_expression, 'my_column', replacements)
+        .should == %Q{replace(replace(replace("my_column", '.', ''), ',', '.'), '$', '')}
     end
 
-    5.times { dataset.insert(time_with_timezone: time_text) }
-
-    typecaster  = CartoDB::ColumnTypecaster.new(
-      user_database:  @db,
-      schema:         schema,
-      table_name:     table_name,
-      column_name:    :time_with_timezone,
-      new_type:       'date'
-    )
+    it 'returns an expression quasi-equivalent to the previous implementation' do
+      # us locale
+      thousand_separator = ','
+      decimal_separator = '.'
 
-    expect { typecaster.run }.to raise_error CartoDB::NonConvertibleData
-    dataset.first.fetch(:time_with_timezone).should_not be_nil
+      replacements = [
+        [thousand_separator, ''],
+        [decimal_separator, '.']
+      ]
 
-    @db.drop_table?(table_name)
+      @column_typecaster.send(:pg_replace_expression, 'my_column', replacements)
+        .should == %Q{replace(replace("my_column", ',', ''), '.', '.')}
+    end
   end
 end