Costa Rica is on my list of places to visit one day. I have really been considering moving there as well. I just need to convince my wife.
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Costa Rica is on my list of places to visit one day. I have really been considering moving there as well. I just need to convince my wife.
Visit first, the typical "gringo" who says "Costa Rica is on my list" but who hasn't spent significant time there first, are the ones who make the stat "90% of gringos who move to CR don't last two years" a true statement. It's expensive, first and foremost, its not going to meet most North American expectations in most ways, and its hot as fuck, ALL the time. Except when its raining 9 months a year, because then its wet. AND hot as fuck too.
I wouldn’t consider myself a typical gringo. I grew up in several different countries and have traveled quite a bit as well.
Fair enough. Spend a LOT of time in CR and in about a half dozen to a dozen different parts of the country before any kind of purhase or lease commitment. It's nothing like any other country in LatAm, for various reasons, and very very very unlike what most people expect of it. This from watching thousands of forum posts and meeting people and visiting, then buying property and ultimately living there myself. You gotta basically be ready to pay extreme amounts for even the lowest and most basic lifestyles, if you want things like A/C, or hot running water or other things, well prepare for those to cost like luxuries not basic necessities. It's better in the rural central areas, especially in the north, but the beach towns and big cities? You'll find a better, more comfortable, cheaper life in Miami.
That sucks it is so expensive there. I’ve also been looking at places in Asia as well. If anything, we will be keeping one home here in the US and just travel around living in different countries for a few months at a time. I’m really just interested in moving around the world for the food and pictures. I won’t set up a permanent residence in another country.
Well Costa Rica is the blandest food in Lat Am too, but there are a few jewels available, mostly the fruits, chocolate and coffee though. If you want "latin" food, Mexico or Peru for sure. CR is just mostly poverty plates of bean and rice, which are good for me and my issues, mostly stomach related, but they aren't winning any culinary awards in CR for national cuisine.
Thanks for the insight. Good to know the food isn’t the greatest there.
Yup, its a very basic country. Which is why I say visit, a lot, first, people seem to get Costa Rica confused with a cheap tropical paradise, it's kinda really not that unless you are dumping mass tourist money at the beach.