Why Move to Costa Rica? Why Not!
The most obvious reason is the climate. People are tired of freezing winters, scorching summers and the high utility bills that go with them. In Costa Rica they can enjoy one of the best year-round climates in the world (72 degrees average in the Central Valley.) We have only two seasons here, dry and rainy, both with an abundance of sunshine. We rarely need air conditioning and never need heat. Costa Rica has more winter sunshine than Hawaii or Florida and fewer people.
Many come here for the lifestyle. Costa Rica fits the bill for anyone sick of the hustle and bustle, seeking a more laid-back way of life. One of the tour participants remarked, "Costa Rica reminds me of the U.S. about 40 years ago when everything was unspoiled, unhurried and less crowded." It will also appeal to people of all ages seeking to move to a new and exotic land outside the States and Canada, as well as the energetic entrepreneur, the burned-out baby boomer, those sick of long rush-hour commutes and anyone seeking an alternative way of life.
Costa Rica is called “the Switzerland of the Americas” by many due to its neutral political status and spectacular mountains. From the huge, curling waves of the Pacific coast, to the sight of molten rock tumbling down the sides of a volcano, Costa Rica’s natural beauty has something for everyone. This unique little country offers a real paradise for the nature lover, fishing enthusiast and water sports fanatic as well as the retiree.
Is the Country Affordable?
Although much has been written about the high cost of living here, what you spend depends on your lifestyle. If you must have a luxurious home, drive a late model car and buy imported goods, you will spend as much or more than you would in North America. But if you live more like the locals and watch your spending, you will spend considerably less.
Many Americans living below the poverty line in the United States can live in moderate luxury on a modest retirement or investment income in Costa Rica.
The cost of food, utilities and entertainment are all substantially lower than in the United States.
In most areas housing costs are less than what you would be accustomed to paying in the United States. I just purchased a new three-bedroom home in San Francisco de Heredia, about five miles from downtown San José, for $85,000. It has a cathedral ceiling, sits on a 270-square- meter lot and is very comfortable for three people and a dog. I have a 15-year mortgage and pay $600 monthly including insurance, with a nine percent loan from a Costa Rican state bank.
Besides our home, I have two cars and a full-time maid. Household help makes life easier. (You can hire a full-time maid for as little as $200 per month or $1 per hour.) My son goes to one of the best private schools in the country. I eat out a few times a week and enjoy various types of entertainment. We spend a week at the beach during Easter and go to the United States every Christmas. Our monthly expenses are about $2,500.
Costa Rica’s affordable medical care is among the best anywhere. The quality of health care is comparable to North America but the prices are one half or less. Considered by many to be the healthiest country south of Canada, Costa Rica has a longer life-expectancy than the United States (76.3 for men, 79.8 for women), rumored to be the third longest in the world.
Costa Rica’s inexpensive medical care, affordable housing, excellent transportation and communication networks, and abundance of activities with which to stay busy and happy, all contribute to the country’s appeal and place it at the top of the list of retirement and expatriate havens.
How is Costa Rica Different from the Other Countries in the Region?
Nicaragua, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala have lower living costs, but you get what you pay for. The quality of life and lack of infrastructure in those countries leave a lot to be desired. Safety is a concern, especially where paramilitary police have power or where police are corrupt, as in Mexico. Costa Rica is politically stable and is unique in having no army. Although theft occurs, violent crime is minimal.
One expatriate said about Costa Rica. “Costa Rica has one of the most pacifist cultures in the world. Think of it: it has been almost 60 years since Costa Rica outlawed the army. This is the reason that I always return to Costa Rica its lack of an army. When I first arrived here in 1978, they used to boast that they had more teachers than policemen. I don't know if that is still true but they still put more emphasis on education and health than any other Central American country, not to mention the States and many European countries.
So to the person who is wondering about retiring to Costa Rica because it is more expensive than Panama or Beliz, I would say research more than just economics because other things in my mind are more important.”
Good Investment Opportunities - Costa Rica has one of the five best real estate markets in the world!
Costa Rica has a myriad of business opportunities awaiting creative, hard-working individuals. You can run a global business from here by using Internet access, fax machines and cell phones. It is also relatively easy to start a small business on a shoestring. Tax incentives and a government that encourages investments and affords investors the same rights as citizens contribute to a propitious business climate. Many countries either do not permit non-citizens to own property or place restrictions on foreign-owned real estate, but this is not the case in Costa Rica. Anyone may buy real estate with all the legal rights of citizens. Actually, an investment in Costa Rica today is much better than an investment in California real estate was 30 years ago.
What gets people excited about Costa Rica is that it offers some of the best real estate on the planet at affordable prices. The price will eventually go up as the rest of the world catches on. There’s only so much beautiful beachfront and prime real estate left in the world. When you consider that almost every bit of coastline in the United States is becoming overcrowded and overpriced, Costa Rica seems like a bargain.
A burgeoning global economy and the Internet communications revolution have created unlimited possibilities for doing business in Central and South America. Furthermore, trade pacts between Costa Rica, the United States, Mexico and South America will soon become a reality. These free-trade treaties promise to link all of the nations in the hemisphere in to one trading block.
Costa Rica’s current prosperity is being fueled by the immigration of affluent baby boomers from around the world seeking their own piece of paradise and the same engine that has fueled the growth in California for the last 30 years, technology. When Intel decided it needed more capacity, they looked all over the western hemisphere and chose Costa Rica for the very same reasons you will.
Word is getting out about Costa Rica. And that’s why now is such a good time to invest.
Why People Move Abroad?
Most citizens of the United States and Canada feel comfortable living where they have always resided. Some are lucky enough to have invested in property and have good retirement programs, affordable health insurance, stocks, bonds or IRAs to ensure a good quality of life during their retirement years.
Others may not have been as fortunate. They realize that they may have not planned well and may be a little short on money to maintain their present lifestyle. A simple solution is to try to lower their standard of living and be more frugal in their own country to compensate for poor financial planning and/or bad investments. They can downsize to a smaller home, move to a more affordable but less suitable area, give up their yearly vacations, fire the gardener and cut back on other areas of their life to just scrape by. But what if they could move to another country with the same amount of income and improve their lifestyle dramatically instead of reducing it?
Living in the right country outside the United States. can make all the difference in the world between just subsisting and maintaining the lifestyle to which you are accustomed. Costa Rica may offer a viable alternative.
The idea of living overseas is not new. The huge number of Americans due to retire is staggering. Currently almost 40 percent of the population of the United States is over 50. By 2020, half the U.S. population will be over 50. Most Americans ages 41 to 59 say they will move when they retire.
You Can Change Your Life Here
Some move here to start over and seek adventure in an exotic land. They are tired of dead-end jobs or the rat race and want new challenges, a chance to pursue their dreams and achieve greater personal growth. As a foreigner, you have the challenge of immersing yourself in a new culture and, if you choose, the rewards of learning a foreign language.
Newcomers can make friends easily because foreigners gravitate towards one another. One transplant from Florida told us he had lived in Florida for 20 years and hardly ever had contact with his neighbors. He claims not to be the most sociable person in the world, nevertheless he has made more than a hundred friends in Costa Rica. He proudly says, “Everywhere I go I bump into people I know.”
You Won’t Be Bored Here
Adjustment to a new way of life can take many months. However, an open mind, a positive attitude and a willingness to seek out new experiences can make the transition relatively painless.
Costa Rica has come a long way in the last decade. Satellite and Direct TV, private mail service and the Internet make it easier to stay in touch with family and friends in the United States and keep up with what is going on all over the world. If you don't own a computer, you can go to an Internet café.
Costa Rica’s modern technology has made life easy for foreign residents. In most areas of the country you can get cash at a local ATM, manage your investments online and read almost any major newspaper in the world the day it comes out.
A friend of ours, a 20-year resident of Costa Rica, said, " My days are so filled with exciting activities and interesting experiences that each day seems like a whole lifetime. I really feel that I have discovered the fountain of youth."
Single men are attracted to the country because it has the reputation of having the most beautiful, flirtatious and accessible women in Latin America. It comes as no surprise that Costa Rican women are highly sought as companions by foreign men of all ages. Single men will have no problem finding love, romance and a second chance in life with a devoted Costa Rican woman.
You will never be bored here unless you choose to be. Costa Rica has something for everyone. In The Tico Times, the weekly English-language newspaper, you can find hundreds of interesting activities: movies in English, support groups, computer and bridge clubs — you name it, Costa Rica has it.
Living in Costa Rica can open the door to a new and exciting life. Who knows? You may never want to return home.
Reasons the Author Moved to Costa Rica
About 32 years ago I spent a year as an exchange student in Puebla, Mexico. It proved to be the best experience I ever had and the turning point of my life. I truly became enamored with the Latin culture and decided I really wanted to live in a Spanish-speaking country.
I was bareley 20 years old and still had to finish my last year of undergraduate work at UCLA. Nevertheless, I did not give up on my dream. After graduating, I obtained a teaching credential so I would have three months of vacation each year to explore Mexico and the rest of Latin America.
My journey began with Guatemala. Every country I visited in Central and South America had something to offer. But as a whole Costa Rica was by far the leader of the pack. Brazil had Rio and its vibrant culture. Argentina had cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Mendoza, the Pampas, Patagonia and Bariloche. Chile had its Switzerland-like lake region in the south and Santiago in the center of the country set against the backdrop of the Andes. Peru had Lake Titicaca, pre-colonial Cuzco and Machu Picchu with its rich Incan culture. Ecuador had the Galapagos Islands and colonial Quito. But none of these countries, including beautiful Mexico to the north, came close to Costa Rica as a whole. So, after extensive research and travel I decided the country where I really wanted to live was Costa Rica.
I began to return to Costa Rica every chance I had. My first trip was for two weeks. My next visit was for a month. Each time I found a way to protract my stay. I was living in the San Francisco Bay Area but found myself spending most of my time thinking about Costa Rica. I really felt more at home there than in the United States. Consequently, I decided to follow my heart and move to Costa Rica to pursue my dream. I did not want to wait until I was 65 years old and retired to make the move.
All of my friends and relatives said I was crazy to give up a secure teaching position and move abroad. They just couldn’t understand why I would leave the comforts of the good old U.S.A to move to a third world country. Some even asked me if there was a revolution going on in Costa Rica. Obviously they were confusing Costa Rica with Nicaragua and El Salvador of the 1980s.
Needless to say, I made my move twenty-five years ago and have never looked back. I love the country, the culture and the people. My adopted country has been very good to me and I have found success and happiness here.
¡Pura vida!
On Foreigner’s View of This Special Country
Michael Pierpont, the founder of Sunburst Coffee, fell in love with Costa Rica a few years ago and knew right away that this was where he wanted to live. You, too, may find that you want to spend more than just a few weeks every year in this delightful country.
“People ask me all the time why I chose Costa Rica,” says Michael. “I like this country for several reasons. First, it is a spectacularly beautiful place. Along the Pacific coast you will find rocky outcrops and pounding surf. The beaches look just like those in California, which is where I am from. But you can buy here for one-tenth the cost of California. Inland you’ll find a lush jungle Lake Arenal, the Irazú Volcano and coffee plantations and the most beautiful rain forests in the world. In the northwest you will find white-sand beaches, many declared turtle reserves, one of the numerous areas in this country set aside for wildlife research and preservation.
“Second, and important to me, is the cost of living. I can live well in this country on as little as $1,500 per month. You can rent a comfortable house in San José, where I chose to settle, for $500 per month. You can employ a full-time maid for $185 monthly. You will spend $300 per month on groceries, $65 per month on electricity. You can see a movie for $3 and have a nice dinner with drinks for $15.
“ Third, I was smitten by the people. Costa Ricans are good-natured and kind, trusting and friendly and extremely beautiful. I knew I’d be happy living and making friends here.”
“A few more notes on why I came to Costa Rica: the weather is great, the Spanish colonial history and architecture is delightful, the small expatriate community is welcoming and an extremely interesting bunch. Everyone’s got a story. And best of all the taxes are low and easy to deal with. ”
Another Resident’s View of the Country
There are many reasons why people come to Costa Rica, but here are the reasons I personally hear most frequently:
- The sweetest people in the world. The ticos welcome foreigners and, are affectionate, and sunny.
- One of the world's best climates. Even in the rainy season, it beats almost anywhere else.
- Still affordable prices: you can build a simple but pleasant home here for $35 per square foot.
- A government that allows you to retire here with a modest pension.
- Almost any part of Costa Rica is cheaper than most parts of the United States and Europe. Exceptions might be Florida, Texas and other southern states.
- Medical care is excellent and inexpensive.
- The people here are generally handsome and well groomed. The ladies I emphasize lady, please are pretty, slender, appealing. We do not encourage, however, exploitation although it sometimes happens.
- There are micro-climates for all tastes. I personally like the higher elevations and mountainous areas where it is cooler and fresher. Others crave beaches, hotter and more humid. There are literally dozens of climates, and you can pick what is comfortable for you.
- This is both a rustic, primitive country, and an upcoming economy with many amenities, Internet, movies and shopping malls the best of all worlds.
- Although there is constant petty pilfering here, it is also a gun-free country for the most part, and people feel safer here than in equivalent areas in the United States and abroad. The worst thing that might happen to you is that someone takes your T.V. because they think they need it more than you do. “
Costa Rica is Like the U.S. In Some Ways
I've lived in San José for six months and I've found I can get almost anything here that I could get in the United States.
I live in a house with all the same services I had in the United States: electricity, hot water to all my sinks and showers, flush toilets, cable television with US programming, high-speed Internet service, etc. The main difference is that I don't have or need air conditioning or heating and we are able to leave our windows open year-round.
I go shopping at supermarkets, pharmacies, malls, and other stores very similar to the ones in the United States. They close earlier, but stock almost all the same stuff.
Más x Menos and AutoMercado are very similar to U.S. supermarkets, except some of the foods are different and the cash registers and sales displays are actually more advanced than the ones I'd seen in the US. I can also buy liquor in the grocery store which is a nice change from my home state of Washington.
The pharmacies here are well stocked and you can buy many more drugs without a prescription than you can in North America; just tell the pharmacist what is wrong with you, and he or she will hook you up.
Hipermás is bigger than any Wal-Mart I've ever been in. PriceSmart is very similar to Costco or Sam's Club. There are Office Depots here.
The malls here are very much like the malls in the United States, except the VIP theaters in Terra Mall in Cartago are far superior to any movie theater I've been to in the United States.
Cars and gas are more expensive than in the United States but are becoming more common as rising middle-class incomes allow people other than the rich to buy them. There are new car dealerships, used car dealerships, private party sales, etc. just like in the United States.
I have yet to find a service that I used in the United States that isn't
available here. Not only are services widely available, they are much cheaper than in the United States. A general rule of thumb is services are cheaper and physical things (especially imports) are more expensive.
I said I have been able to find "almost" everything here. Here are the few things that I have not been able to find (yet):
- Christmas cookie cutters
- Bubble tea
- Foundation and powder in my skin tone (very pale)
- The selection of English-language books is not very big
- Occasionally the brand of shampoo I use is sold out in all the stores at the same time-
- The Sci-Fi Channel is not available on cable here, but all I wanted to watch was Battlestar Galactica and I discovered that I could buy and download the episodes from iTunes
Other than the above I have had no problem obtaining the goods and services necessary to lead an "American lifestyle", for significantly less money than it would cost me to live a similar lifestyle in the US.
Yes, there are some significant differences between the United States and Costa Rica, but these have to do with culture, language, politics, economics and climate — not with the availability of material things. So the people who tell you that you can't life the same sort of lifestyle here as you can in the United States are either a) lying (and who knows what their motives are), b) living way out in the country, or c) very poor. |
