Retire in Costa Rica – Overview

Just north of Panama sits Costa Rica, pristine beaches, friendly people, strong infrastructure and affordable living. Costa Rica has year-round great weather typically 25C/77F much of the land mass is considered tropical rainforest.

If you’re adventurous, activities like zip lining, hiking, water activities, and golf, there is lots to keep you busy during retirement in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has had a real head start on recruiting expats to move to their country, they have retirement and visa programs are being mirrored by other countries trying to follow their lead.

One of the great upsides of considering to retire in Costa Rica is there is a very large expat community that lives there so you can get away with not speaking much Spanish. Having a large expat community also provides great opportunity to reach out, socialize and learn all the tips and tricks to living in this beautiful country.

The larger city centers San Jose, and Escazu have large communities for those out of the country. They even have a Walmart in Escazu! there are many markets selling local fruits and vegetables, these will almost always be cheaper than the city shopping spots if you looking to save money.

We have friends how have been to the Tamarindo region multiple times and they absolutely love it. They are considering to retire in Costa Rica in the city of Playa Hermosa. You can surf, go for wonderful meals in many different restaurants and there are many places to stay and relax. Every time they have been, they use VBRO and they are only a 4.5-hour direct flight home.

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Fine But My God Man Do They Have Internet?

Why yes they do, and its high speed in most areas. You’ll obviously have to check if you are looking somewhere a little more remote but the overall infrastructure in Costa Rica is very modern. Television, Cellular networks are also modern.

Public transportation is very accessible, road improvements have been made all over the country, there is even a 4 lane highway between San Jose to the Pacific coast so these towns are now so much more accessible directly from the airport. Four-lane highways in Central America are few and far between.

Healthcare is excellent in Costa Rica. It is one of the best systems in Central America. Doctors and dentists are all well trained there are private and public hospitals available and insurance is also available. The same service and care can be expected like those in Canada or the USA.

Dental Tourism is a new industry for Costa Rica as the costs are significantly lower than in the USA or in Canada. So why not get a root canal when you plan a visit. Lol! Forget what I said, root canals really stink.

Is it safe in Costa Rica

Is it safe? Costa Rica is very safe reporting only 11 murders in 100,000 people in 2006. Petty crime and assaults are in line with other countries. When in city centers use common sense, no shiny jewelry or wads of cash.

Overall Potential

The housing can range from $300 a month for a small “Tico” house to $1800 a month for a nice condominium or “Gringo house” in the larger city centers. For a full description of the difference of a Tico and Gringo house Click here.

Costa Rica has built its economy or eco-tourism and welcoming expats to its country, they have worked very hard to ensure they are the premier choice for retirement for folks out of the country.

Costa Rica is beautiful and diverse in terms of its geography. Although it will be more expensive to live there in terms of cost of living, the average rental will be approximately $1000 depending on location. That cost of living comes with the perks of a more modern infrastructure, internet, and great healthcare.

In terms of cost, you’ll have to do look around as there is a great deal of variety as well as developed areas to consider moving to. If you want to consider to retire in Costa Rica I think it would be best to visit multiple times, as the regions can vary greatly from tropical, to the rainforest to subtropical.

There are many developed communities that are gated much like in the USA, so there is a pretty solid chance you’ll find something within your price range, and given the country’s advanced infrastructure Costa Rica is very high on our list to look more into.

Daddy needs his internet. Lol!

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If you have any questions don’t hesitate to drop me a line at theteam@wickedretirement.com

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