Does anyone, or has anyone live(d) in Costa Rica?

[Lucinda]

Doing a little research and want to get your impressions of ex-pat living in Costa Rica. We do have Tico friends in country FWIW.

TY!

[ProfessionalLeftist]

1. I'd like to know more about Costa Rica myself...

...since this country is in the toilet, thinking of moving there in the next decade if not sooner.

[Lucinda]

19. Hopefully we will both get some good info!

:hi:

[jmt5223]

33. Costa Rica Life

Well I do live in Wisconsin. Someday hope to move there I have purchased 2 1/2 acres in by San Mateo over looking the Bay of Nicoya. All I know is that most people are or cannot retire here in the USA and receive the Health Care you can in Costa Rica for pennies on the dollar and the same care if not better because the doctors go to school in the USA. But it is getting harder to live there because this economy here in the states us not letting me sell out so that I can leave. Where else besides Ecuador can you live for around $500.00 to $900.00 dollars a month and this cost includes everything for the month and I mean everything,food, lodging, electric, water, etc and yes Health and Dental. I pay over $922.00 dollars on just mortgage. The magazine International Living is a good source to start or if you would like an American Realtor who lived in the states but now lives in Costa Rica go to www.cr-home.com Randy and Rhonda Berg have a great website and they tell you about Tico life. Anymore Questions write to me at [e-mail]

[Lucinda]

34. Thank you!

And welcome to DU!

[Warren Stupidity]

2. lots of ex-pats and a pretty good health care system.

You are a little late to the party though, as the flood of usa ex-pats have pushed up real estate prices.

[Lucinda]

11. I always am...

:)

[randr]

3. Several friends have bought second homes In CR

As good deals on property have moved further and further out into the rural landscape the security of investment becomes iffy.
A wonderful land with great people, schools, food, and environs.
Biggest draw back is that if you leave anything unattended it may grow legs. Also some gnarley intestinal organisms.

[Lucinda]

12. Eeek. I read about killer bees too.

The country looks beautiful...and we have a great friend in Costa Rica who keeps telling us we should come there...so we finally started talking about it.

[seabeyond]

4. i hear it is one of the most americanized. i also hear there are parts americans stay out of.

i think costa rica would be one on my list, if i were considering.

[Lucinda]

17. Factors that you'd have in the US too...

It really is a beautiful country.

[seabeyond]

22. kidnapping. and no, it is not the same. that being said....

i have a friend who is from and family from el salvador. she has told me how families with money have to live and precautions. it is a way of life.

[Gato Moteado]

23. el salvador is very different from costa rica.....

we have a stable government, a stable economy and no military. i haven't seen or heard of any kidnappings...wealthy gringos and ticos alike walk the streets safely here.

[seabeyond]

26. yes. i know they are different. i read in the past where there was not an issue

i read more recently where there is now an issue. if you are there, you know better than i. we were going to take a trip there and i did research.

thanks.

[Lucinda]

35. ...

[Lucinda]

36. .

[Gato Moteado]

24. i guess you mean "united-statesified"......

....as costa rica is as american as the united states. canada down to chile is america.

there are US enclaves here....generally a couple of the suburbs of san jose. other than that, i would say, costa rica is costa rica. panama, on the other hand, is probably the most united-statesified....they use US currency and panama city is like a US city.

[seabeyond]

28. i heard Belize also. nt

[randr]

29. I have friends that have been going to Panama

and renting vacation homes on some small islands. They love the peace and serenity. They say it reminds them of days long past. My father was stationed in Panama during WW11 and I have always had a hankering to explore the area. Sorry to hear it is so "statesified", as you say, although that is what I sensed.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. Here are some resources I have collected

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=map+of+costa+rica&psj=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Costa+Rica&gl=us&ei=BZaTTMLBMcL_lgfw-fCoCg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ8gEwAA

http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/department75.cfm

http://www.welovecostarica.com/

http://www.abroadincostarica.com/2005/09/key_west_reside.html

http://www.nosara.com/

http://www.therealcostarica.com/

[Lucinda]

13. Awesome! Thanks so much for the info!

:hi:

[Generic Brad]

6. I've only visited

It's beautiful and the people are extremely nice.

[Lucinda]

14. The people I have met are wonderful :)

[provis99]

7. I figure most Americans live down there for the child prostitutes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Costa_Rica

[Lucinda]

18. Wow.

Kind of a broadbrush statement eh?

[Gato Moteado]

25. no.....that's not true.....

prostitution is legal here. child prostitution is illegal and is probably one of the most punished crimes here. certainly there are rush limbaugh types who come here looking for underage prostitutes, but if caught they get locked up in a central american prison.

most US people are here for no other reasons than to enjoy the exotic beauty, diverse climates, excellent healthcare, and lower cost of living.

i'm here for the people and the rain forest.

[CC]

8. This couple is just settling in

and the mom has been doing a short blog about it. (Really so us Aiman fans can keep up with him.) She might be willing to answer questions if you ask on the blog. They are younger but she is a good write and even make exploding melons interesting. Her mom is a DU'er. I gave the link to the beginning of Costa Rica though all of it is interesting.

http://alaskatoaustralia.wordpress.com/page/4/

[Lucinda]

15. Thankie.....Will take a peek!

:hi:

[Gato Moteado]

9. i live here in costa rica......

......been living here full time for almost 6 years.

what would you like to know.

[Lucinda]

16. Hmmm...what do you see as the plus and minus of life in Costa Rica?

Our friends are in Punta Arenas, and I understand coastal living is getting more expensive all the time.

Ideally, we want a small piece of land we can garden on and to live simply. The guys are carpenters, so we can build what we need. My Spanish is many years old but I can make myself understood until it gets better. I am mainly looking for a sense of life in Costa Rica from a non-native pov.

What do you love...what have the difficulties been...etc
And ty for answering!

[Swamp Rat]

20. In Punta Arenas you are many hours from a decent hospital, but the fishing is great.

I lived in Guanacaste (awesome if you love deep sea fishing and diving) and the Alajuela Provence... I love Costa Rica, but it's hard to get decent medical attention in the hinterlands. An uncle of mine lost his leg due to gangrene after they sewed up dirt into his wound in the hospital in Liberia.

There are many nice and wonderful things in Costa Rica, but it can be rough living (unless one is wealthy and lives in or near San José).

I liked living in San Ramón, where I went to school, because it was close to San José, Cartago, and other towns I like. Ticos are great!

¡Buena suerte! :hi:

[Lucinda]

21. Ack! Medical care is important for me

Thankie for the info!

[Gato Moteado]

27. health care here is excellent and affordable.....

costa rica is a top destination for what are called medical vacations or health vacations. the doctors here are great. people who can't afford expensive surgeries or procedures in the US come here for that. dental care is great here too.

i imagine, some of the hospitals in the remote areas don't have the equipment or staff and you might see some problems like what swamp rat posted about, but in and around the central valley, healthcare is great. by law, every pharmacy must have a doctor on staff...so if you are sick, you can go to the pharmacy and get a free consultation from a doctor and they'll write a prescription on the spot for you if needed.

[Lucinda]

30. I had heard it was great and very affordable. Good to know that is correct.

One of the video pieces I saw was an interview with a woman talking about the excellent affordable health care, so I'm not surprised.

[Gato Moteado]

31. good and bad

your friends live in the town of puntarenas or the province of puntarenas?

the province of puntarenas is quite large and covers the central and southern pacific coast and even a small part of the nicoya peninsula. coastal areas in puntarenas and elsewhere have seen real estate prices skyrocket over the last 5 or 6 years. i have two rain forest properties in the province, one near quepos and the other near golfito. they're each about 50 acres and i bought them years ago for about $720 an acre and $480 an acre respectively - i couldn't afford them if i wanted to buy the same properties today. land owners in those areas are asking 10 times those prices or more.

that said, you can still find beautiful areas in the country to live without breaking the bank to buy a property. land in turrialba is still reasonable and the climate varies depending on your altitude. the province of cartago has plenty of affordable real estate, but you're not near the coast. the northern caribbean slope near sarapiqui is also still affordable but it's hot and humid there. if you like mild weather, your best bet could be san vito in the south of the country...best climate in the world and plenty of affordable land....the drawback is that you're 6 hours by car from the central valley and san jose.

things i love about costa rica: the people, the climate, the rain forest, the beaches, the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables produced here in the country, the lack of a military

things that aren't so great: pollution in the central valley (mostly garbage in the streets and rivers), the need to lock everything up in the central valley because of theft, traffic and terrible drivers and roads in the central valley, the lack of money allocated for things like police force, traffic law enforcement, and capture and punishment of poachers and illegal loggers.

i live in the central valley now because of the need to be near a stable internet connection for work (so, i put up with the not-so-great items listed above), but i'm working my way to living on one of my rain forest properties where the crystal clear spring water flows year round, i have ample space to grow all my own fruits and vegetables and to raise chickens for meat and eggs and even to farm fish if i want. I'm a stone's throw away from the pacific coast there and i have plenty of monkeys, toucans, macaws, parrots and other wildlife to enjoy. that's what i'm here for.

[Lucinda]

32. Thank you for the info! This is very helpful.

Looks like we have the same general reasons for wanting to be there. Hope you make it to your property full-time soon!

[Schema Thing]

10. marking n/t

[costaricalawyer]

37. Costa Rica Attorney

Hello
I handle all the relocation services for Americans that have retired to Costa Rica. I will be more than glad to answer any questions about living in Costa Rica

Lic Giovanna Barrantes
http://www.lawyerofcostarica.com