Costa Rica Living – Is it Right For You – Your Check-List

For those of us already living and enjoying ourselves in Costa Rica, we know you are on the right lines if you are considering moving here, but…

Before you pack your bags for good, just go through the points below. They will help you ask the right questions when researching what’s needed to make your step in the right direction.

Immigration Requirements.

This is perhaps the most important consideration that you will have to take into account.

As in most countries, immigration laws are constantly changing so it´s important you make sure that the information you have about the different kinds of residencies in Costa Rica is up to date.

Retired Or Working?



If you are receiving a pension, find out how to get it transferred to a Costa Rican bank. Currently, no taxation is applied to funds coming in from outside although this is also under review another space to watch. If you are considering working in Costa Rica you need to know what is involved in setting up your own business?

Cost of Living

The majority of expatriates that I have spoken to agree that the cost of living is lower in Costa Rica than most comparable situations in the US, Canada or Europe – if you are careful. The boom in shopping malls and American-style commercial centers means that you can buy many of the same products as back home but they will be priced somewhat higher.

Utilities tend to be slightly higher – although nobody uses heating and the majority of people do not use air conditioning – and real estate varies tremendously but tends to be lower. Vehicles are more expensive to buy although running costs and insurance are considered to be less.

Have you thought out just what sort of life style you are hoping to carve out for yourself in Costa Rica? Running a current year Landcruiser and renting a four-bedroom house with pool in Escazu will absorb many of your dollars.

Even weekly splurges at the quality supermarket, Automercado, filling the trolley with imported goods is going to keep the monthly budget pretty high. If budget is a consideration then you will have to be prepared to adapt by buying local products, running a second-hand car (or no car at all) and foregoing membership to the Cariari Golf Club.

Can your income, whether it comes from investments, pension funds or savings, keep up with expected living standards to be able to live in Costa Rica comfortably?

Insurance



INS (the Instituto Nacional de Seguros) used to have a monopoly on insuring vehicles, health, personal effects, house, boat but the insurance market is opening up so today you have many more choices. Your insurance back home may not cover you for Costa Rica or your premiums may go up once you move you and stuff here.

Health



Costa Rica, compares very positively in the region with up-to-date clinics, well trained doctors (often from US or Europe-based medical schools), wide availability of drugs and private care costs that are much lower than in the North.

However, if you have special health considerations, how close do you have to be to a doctor or a specialist clinic? Do you need special medications and are they available in Costa Rica? How does health insurance work for the main hospitals and doctors? Do you use alternative medicines? Do you need a chiropractor or homeopath?

Climate



There are two main seasons: dry and rainy, and these can vary greatly within the country. Most of the guidebooks will tell you that the climate is perpetual springtime in the Central Valley and a tropical paradise on the coast.

So let’s do a reality check here. I live in Pozos de Santa Ana, some 12 kms west of San Jose and 100 m lower in altitude. The rainy season starts in June and come September, my garden is a quagmire and clothes take days to dry on the line.

The dry season in my area is like living in a wind tunnel as winds whip down through our valley, flattening plants and piling up dust throughout the house. I’m happy enough with my little corner (though I curse the dust!), but this illustrates how important it is to choose carefully in this land of a million microclimates.

Question: The coast can be very hot and humid – can you take that kind of heat and exposure?

Question: The hills above San Jose can be cold and cloudy – do you mind days of mist and no views?

Question: The Caribbean side has almost year-round rainfall and the Guanacaste peninsula turns into a dust bowl during the dry season. Is that OK?

Other Natural Nasties.

There have been no recent disasters, but Costa Rica is still geologically unstable. This will be no worry if you are coming from San Francisco but it’s as well to find out something about natural phenomena that have been known to hit the area. What do you know about earthquakes or hurricanes and would this affect your choice of location?

Although Costa Rica is fortunately free of many endemic diseases that afflict other tropical countries, dengue, spread by mosquito bites, is an increasing health risk in some parts of the country.

Culture.

At the end of the day, you are thinking of relocating to a foreign country and if you have had no previous experience of Latino style culture or society or bureaucracy, this could affect your feeling comfortable here.

Question: Are you normally tolerant of other people’s habits and cultural differences?

Question: Are you prepared to learn the Spanish language and adapt to a way of life that is different from your own?

Family and School

Being a Brit, I put my then 13-year-old son into the British School when we moved here. In spite of prior correspondence with the school before relocating and extensive perusal of their Web site, it was shock to find out that around 90% of the student body was Tico (Costa Rican). That meant Spanish language and Tico culture permeate the school. My son luckily had Spanish already but it took him a while to adapt into an essentially foreign peer group.

Question: What do you know about the available bi-lingual schools? The main vacation in Costa Rican schools runs through December and January with a shorter summer break in July.

Question: Is it important for you that the school calendar is compatible with your country of origin?

Question: Can the school offer the curriculum options that your child would have had back home?

Transport

Personally, I am so used to having my own vehicle that the idea of not having a car panics me. I value the freedom of exploring this country or scheduling my work without waiting for buses.

However, many friends do not keep a vehicle and happily and safely move around the city and country on public transport. The network of inter-city buses is well established, cheap and mostly efficient. Internal flights are increasing their coverage.

Taxis need the fare to be agreed upon beforehand, but are also reasonable. Many of my friends cultivate a friendly ‘pirate’ driver in their neighbourhood to cover regular outings or early-start trips – it still works out cheaper than owning a car.

You need to decide on your transport requirements depending on whether you live in the city or at the beach. You have a choice whether to buy new or second hand or even whether to bring your car in from abroad. And what’s the deal with motorcycles?

Communications



Whether your business depends on it, or you are a computer nerd who gets nervous without broadband connectivity or keeping in touch with family are factors, then you will run up against a favourite topic for a good gripe: RACSA.

This also used to be the monopoly telecommunications company and service provider and many a beer has been poured to drown Internet connection sorrows with this company. Now with numerous competitors there are many different services to choose from especially in the Central Valley area which is in and around the capital San Jose.

Regular and Cellular Telephone.


Cellular phone costs have dropped a lot, but coverage is not nationwide. If you choose to live in an area that doesn’t have landline connections either, then you could feel pretty isolated so you need to check coverage.

Courier mail services.

Local mail service works – sort of, but it’s not worth the risk of mailing valuable documents or packages. You should research the various courier services or mail forwarding services that shuttle between Costa Rica and Miami.

Domestic Help.



Many foreign residents employ a maid, either full or part-time depending on life style. Also gardeners, nurses and nannies are available and what would be an unattainable luxury back home is an affordable benefit here! But you still need to be careful about whom you let into your home and a reliable recommendation is a must.

Ties ‘Back Home’



Come September and October, San Jose seems to empty out of people I know. The weather is not at its best here and my friends head off to visit family and friends ‘up North’. I too like to get to England at least once a year to catch up but since my son’s main vacation falls in December and January, I’ve had to accept that a European winter visit is usually what’s on offer.

The number of flights into and out of Costa Rica are increasing but bargain basement fares aren’t that frequent, so is this a consideration that needs to be factored into your decision especially if you feel you might have to fly back and forth on a regular basis?

Language.



Around San Jose, you will find that many locals can communicate in English and are only too happy to practise their language skills on you. But there will be many situations where English is not spoken and you will have to decide how you feel about being surrounded by Spanish speakers and not understanding what they are saying. There are dozens of language schools dotted around Costa Rica but they vary in quality and cost.

Social Expectations.

There is always plenty to do in life, but that can range from mopping your own floors to hiking into the hills, from organising charity fundraisers to living the high-life in the city. So, just what are you expecting from Costa Rica?

Question: What are you leaving behind – theater, movies, social clubs, sports clubs, church community?

Question: Do you need an urban environment with restaurants, bars, night-clubs, or is the quiet life in the country what you are really after?

Making Friends.


Question: Do you make friends easily? How do you intend to find people to socialise with? What about your spouse or partner and children?

Moving Household and Personal Effects.



You may decide to start up from scratch and buy everything here. In which case you need to research costs and availability and quality. Otherwise, you would need to look into the allowances and conditions for bringing in your worldly goods and what customs requirements apply to you. You need to research reliable removal companies and shipping costs.

Pets.



Question: Will you be bringing in a pet and have you considered how to do this? What veterinary requirements are there to import animals into Costa Rica?

Hobbies.



If snow skiing is your passion, then you may not be reading the right page! This may seem a bit facetious, but surely one reason for coming down to Costa Rica is to have more free time doing what you enjoy.

Question: Do you have a particular hobby or pastime that requires special equipment? It may be cheaper to bring in everything you need from outside with plenty of replacement parts.

Television.



This may also seem a minor point, but some parts of the country still have no access to cable television. This is changing but it could be a factor to consider if you like to watch TV but end up living outside a cable TV area and you don’t understand Spanish to follow the local channels.

The list is not exhaustive but it should start you on your way to deciding if Costa Rica is for you. Many thousands of ex-pats are happily settled all over Costa Rica, but it’s worth taking the risk out of that leap into the unknown by making sure you can tick off all the points on your own check list until you say, “Costa Rica – here I come!”

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Written by Vicky Longland With an honours degree in English from a Welsh university, South America seemed an obvious place to head! During thirty years in Latin America, V.L. has worked as language teacher, Spanish-English translator and as travel writer for local and international publications.

If you are serious about buying a home, apartment or land in Santa Ana or Escazu, then please contact us using the simple form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.