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...]
Working in Costa Rica
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...]
Kamikaze Expats & the Boomerang
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...]
Storage Units
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...]
Questions About Moving to Costa Rica
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 … [Read more...]
Death & Taxes
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...]
Home Inspection Checklist
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...]
Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparisons
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...]
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...]
Residency Options in Costa Rica
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 Vinculo" - residency by connection/link. There are also special categories for famous athletes, notable scientists and religious … [Read more...]
Relocation Reality Check
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...]
Residency in Costa Rica – Perpetual Tourism
Citizens of most countries are granted a 90 day tourist visa at the immigration desk in the airport, dock or overland border crossing. The term "perpetual tourist" refers to foreigners who leave the country approximately every three months to renew their tourist visa and avoid becoming illegal … [Read more...]
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...]
Eating Cheap?
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]