Costa Rica Guide

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Digital Nomad Visa for Costa Rica

Sue hard at work summarizing the day's research in a hammock on the porch of Lodge Arena Tropical in Manzanillo

Working remotely from the beach has always been a possibility in Costa Rica but now it's becoming more convenient. Previously you could stay in Costa Rica as long as your money held out AND you did a border run to renew your tourist visa at least every 180 days. Now, if you have income from … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Residency in Costa Rica – Perpetual Tourism

New: in late 2022 a new type of visa the "digital nomad" finally became available eliminating the necessity of "perpetual tourism" for many...read more & apply here Citizens of most countries are granted a 180 day tourist visa at the immigration desk in the airport, dock or overland border … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Finding Long Term Rentals – How To

Costa Rica House, Condo Apartment Term Rental Map

It's easy to find a long term rental in Costa Rica at a reasonable price if... You want to live in the city - online listings are plentiful and relatively accurate for the San José greater metropolitan area You're staying six months during the rainy season - occupancy in tourist areas … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Working in Costa Rica

Beach bus bar

One of the most common questions about relocating is "can foreigners work in Costa Rica?" Whether it's a full time job, something part time to supplement social security, or running a B&B on the side - practically and legally the concise answer is usually "No."  At the same time there are … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Kamikaze Expats & the Boomerang

beer delivery to airplane bar

Kamikaze expats are the ones who are convinced that to succeed they have to "believe" in themselves and "prove" it by fully committing, burning their parachute and jumping in with both feet. Boomerang Expats are the Majority A recent article in Travel and Leisure Magazine about "Boomerang … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Storage Units

6 square meter storage unit

The most important thing to know about trying to find a mini-storage or self-storage unit in Costa Rica is that they are called "mini-bodegas".  Google translate will tell you that means "small winery" but don't let that confuse you. Info on prices, security, locations and potentially cheaper … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Questions About Moving to Costa Rica

Simple Living

A few questions inevitably arise in any conversation about relocating to Costa Rica. Is it expensive? Yes and no. Can I work there? No. Do I need to become a resident? Maybe. Where is the best place to live? On the Beach in Guanacaste. Should I buy a house? Probably not. How do I bring my stuff? … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Death & Taxes

fruit stand in Parrita

The consumer cost of many goods and services in Costa Rica jumped 13% with the new value added tax (Impuesto al Valor Agregado - IVA) on July 1, 2019. death | taxes | tourists | how much more? | exceptions Costa Rica desperately needs the money and the improvements it will buy if the … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Home Inspection Checklist

National Fenestration Ratings Council Label

It's expensive and difficult to determine the structural quality of construction after the fact - whether the concrete was appropriately mixed, poured and reinforced using the right grade of material, whether the ground was correctly compacted and stabilized, or if the right gauge of wire is hidden … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparisons

Costa Rica Costa of Living Comparison - Housing

One of the biggest sources of uncertainty and cause of concern for anyone considering a move to Costa Rica is "How much does it cost?" We recently ran a Costa Rica vs. Colorado test on a couple of website databases that theoretically allow you to compare costs of living around the world - … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Change of Scenery

Just packing up and leaving a miserable, complicated, stressful existence behind hoping to start a new, simpler "better" life in Costa Rica is a common fantasy. The belief that "the grass is greener" and moving will change everything is so common that it has been given a name in the psychology of … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Residency Options in Costa Rica

New: in late 2021 a new type of visa the "digital nomad" was approved and eliminates the necessity of "perpetual tourism" for many...read more The easiest and fastest path to residency in Costa Rica is to have a child or marry a Costa Rican which permits application for "Residencia Permanente Por … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Relocation Reality Check

Costa Rica vs Connecticut

Instant & Free NO e-mail, name or credit card info required Fewer than 2 out of 10 foreigners who move to Costa Rica are still there after 5 years. How successful a move will be depends on many things. The questionnaire below will calculate your "Relocation Success Probability Score" to … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Relocating

Costa Rica was rated the the #1 best country in the world for a comfortable retirement by U.S. News & World Report and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in a study naming "...the top countries affluent people consider for living out their lives." It's not surprising.  The … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Eating Cheap?

supermarket produce section

Supermarkets, Produce Stands and Local Mercados Buying food in stores is cheaper than going to restaurants but it's still relatively expensive in Costa Rica. Comparing the untouristed rural area where we work in Costa Rica with our hometown in Colorado, shopping in the local produce markets, … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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News and Discussion

Costa Rican Newspapers There are several online news services for Costa Rica and many of them also have free classified advertizing. AM Costa Rica has a pretty relaxed style and hometown feel. You can view the classifieds online and list employment and rental property wanted classifieds for … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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How to Search a Webpage

If you don't know how to search the contents of a webpage it's high time to learn On a desktop or laptop - press ctrl+f and type what you're looking for.  Modern browsers will automatically scroll to the first instance and then skip to the next every time you hit enter. On an i-phone or i-pad - … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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HTML and ASCII Codes for Special Characters

Name Code Number Code Glyph Description ‘ ‘   left single quote ’ ’   right single quote ‚ ‚   single low-9 quote “ “   left double quote ” ”   right double quote „ „   double … [Read more...]

Ray & Sue

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Living

Living
  • Digital Nomad Visa for Costa Rica
  • Residency in Costa Rica – Perpetual Tourism
  • Finding Long Term Rentals – How To
  • Working in Costa Rica
  • Kamikaze Expats & the Boomerang
  • Storage Units
  • Questions About Moving to Costa Rica
  • Death & Taxes
  • Home Inspection Checklist
  • Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparisons
  • Change of Scenery
  • Residency Options in Costa Rica
  • Relocation Reality Check
  • Relocating
  • Eating Cheap?
  • News and Discussion
  • How to Search a Webpage
  • HTML and ASCII Codes for Special Characters



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