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Okay, we’re on day 5 of our 25 day adventure here. My wife and kids have so far taken it easy just driving around San Jose and making a few day trips as far as Atenas.
– First and foremost, I just love it here. The streets are not as bad as I had expected, and I am truly surprised how clean San Jose is, relatively spreaking.
– People are genuinely friendly and easy going. I’ve asked so many for help on directions as well as other things. I do have to agree with the comment made by most here, its essential to become fluent in Spanish to truly enjoy your stay here.
– Car rental place I have to recommend is Thrifty. They seem to be the lowest price for the best vehicles. I made online reservations, but just to check if I might be able to save some money, I asked the taxi driver for a recommendation. We went to Mapache rental and we agreed on a price for a decent suzuki 4×4. I was not really going to save much since even though his price is lower, the vehicle is also a big downgrade. After he added another $60 to our agreed price, I said no more, I’ll stick with my original reservation at Thrifty. I got the much bigger 4×4 and it was brand new with only 30 miles on it.
– House prices are all over the map. On this front, we are actually quite disappointed. I was surprised by how much security there is for almost every household. I expected the barb wires or broken glass on top of walls, but electric fence on top of the walls truly surprised me.
– It is definitely cheaper here. But you have to be cost conscious in order to save. A perfect example is eating out. A nice meal at a good restaurant such as rosti pollo or inca grill would cost $25 for 2 adults and 1 kids meal with drinks/dessert. However, a meal for the same number of people at a KFC would be close to $20. Another example is juices, a welch juice bottle would be about $1.50 but a similar jumex one would be about $0.60, basically imported goods are about 3X more. If you are going to be brand conscious, then its not cheap here.
– We also had our residency papers processed going through the lawyer power of attorney, photo, and fingerprinting. Its been very smooth so far, I would definitely recommend Javier Zavaleta from residencyincostarica.com. He’s been very helpful and makes the process less problematic.
So far, that’s about it. I’m truly enjoying it here.
kimyoa650-Enjoyed reading your comments. Curious as to the type of residency and if the new law for Rentista bank deposits per person are actually in effect? Also, it sounds like this is your first trip to Costa Rica and that you and your family made the decision to move there before actually visiting? Not that I blame you, our family is so wanting to get there, like yesterday, or no . . .more like we wish we had moved there five years ago. My wife and I and our daughter hope to make the move soon. If you really want some great stress free time, check out Peace Lodge, they’re a little pricey but their rooms and the environment is such an awesome experience. Hope you have a Great Time! The people and the country are wonderful!
Keith,
Unfortunately, at the moment the new rentista bank deposit is in effect, which basically is a blow for families trying to move down there. As far as I know, everyone trying to apply for rentista must meet this new requirement. Maybe they might revoke it later, but as of now its in effect.
We are not moving here yet, just getting the paper work done. If everything goes well, hopefully early next year we’ll move. Currently, we are staying only for 25 days. Mostly driving around and staying at different places. Because of kids, we have to narrow down our choices to the San Jose/Escazu/Santa Ana/etc. area.
I have to agree with you, the people and the country is wonderful. Way, way better than I had expected. The language is the biggest hurdle I can see, but in some ways its good that most ticos doesn’t speak english it will force us to truly learn their language.
Anyway, its midnight here now. Adios y pura vida.
Kimyoa650,
Don’t miss out on the little mom & pop restaurants. They may not “look” inviting, but that’s were the cheapest, best and most traditional foods are. You didn’t travel 2,000 miles to go to KFC!
Try the Central Market. Put your wallet in your front pocket, and hang on to your purse with both hands. Once you get past that, the food served in the various small establishments there is some of the best around, at 1/2 the price of KFC. The main traditional dishes include “Gallo Pinto” (rice & beans mixed together, best eaten with eggs – I can’t get enough of it! Don’t for get the “Salsa Inglesa”), “Casado” (rice, beans, vegetables, cole slaw & meat or chicken), and “Olla de Carne” (beef soup with vegetables). Try them all. They’ll be a bit different everywhere you go. They may sound bland, but they grow on you. This is real food! I can’t even eat fried chicken anymore.
As for bad roads, you need to get out into the countryside for that particular tourist attraction.
i have enjoyed reading your tales of life in CR ….my husband and i are planning a 2 month trip next summer….can we start paper work for our move in advance? we will be retiring there soon….but need to stay near coast where our property is….i assume most paper work needs to be done in the city….correct?
thanks for your stories and keep them coming
deniseKim . . .
Don’t overlook the fact that once your residency is granted, you must actually spend four months per year in Costa Rica. It doesn’t have to be four continuous months, but at residency renewal time you’ll be audited.
I am not sure if the paperwork HAS to be done here in San Jose. These are things that those professionals will help guide you. However, I do think that if you are fluent in spanish and get a good lawyer here, then you could possibly do it yourself.
They have informed us that we need to stay at least 4 month/year. I am hoping we do make this jump permanently.
As for the stories, I’ll try the best I could. We are driving to Lake Arenal tomorrow and I am not sure if I get internet access at the places we’re staying. I do hope I have something interesting to talk about.
does this apply to those applying as retirees….pensiones(?)….we don’t plan on working… but i thought there was a difference between residency and retiring there
Denise,
You can contact Javier at residencyincostarica.com for all your residency questions.
He is a PRO! He is also very nice and extremely helpful! He can tell you everything you need to know.
Hope this helps!
Just wanted to comment that there are some other options for schooling for children in other areas. We were just down in CR again and a women I met has two school teachers from the states home-school her two boys. I think there are options like this in many places. Jaco just opened up a new English school by Los Suenos and there is another bi-lingual school there too. I also heard of a good school in Orotina that has some Costa Rican children going there too. When we were in Alejuela we saw a public school that is getting grants from a corporation in Washington. They had computers and good teachers etc. Supposedly there are several other public schools in CR that also have these standards and have received grants from this source. I met some other people who have hired a private teacher for their small group of children down on the Oso penninsula in a very remote area. I think there are many options, you just have to find them. We paid special attention to these issues too and have decided that San Jose is not for us. Santa Ana is nice though.
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