Living in Costa Rica certainly has its advantages!

Not sure if  you are 100% correct on this

CR is not that cheap to live or relocate too

unless you live in a metal Shanty and do the rice and beans diet

my monthly cost was on Average $5000k a month housing, food, drinks, restaurants, gas, Tolls, car Tax & insurance, utilities

fyi restaurants and drinks are in comparison to going out in the States for two people you can average $150 to $300 depending on the quality of the restaurant

my auto insurance was $900 a year

New York I paid $1400 a year

CR is a great place but we decided to head back to the states after 4 years living in CR.  We fall in the statistics of the 1 to 5 year shelf life that foreigners stay in the CR living

beautiful country and enjoyed every minute but the hype it's cheap to live in CR all I can say is “don't believe the hype”

@JBuonopane12 What you spend in Costa Rica really depends on your lifestyle and where you live. If you want all the goodies from home it can be very expensive here. In Beach towns that cater to tourists prices are high. Most people who downsize and simplify their lifestyle spend far less than in the U.S.

The majority of expats I know spend much less than they did at home and very few of them over $5,000 monthly. Yes, you can end up spending a lot if you frequent expensive restaurants and do not simplify your lifestyle.  Many expats live for a lot less than in the United States because they know where to shop. Fruit and vegetables are dirt cheap at the outdoor farmers markets. Both public and private medical care are also more affordable as is hired help. Public transportation is also affordable (buses, taxis, and Uber).  Once you know the ins and outs and dos and don'ts you can cut down on expenses.

Other countries in the region are less expensive but the quality of life is not as good.

I agree and i try not to paint a perfect place for people thinking about heading to CR

we lived in the high end areas and up in the mountains

the cost had not varied much

most of lower end markets are owned by Walmart (maxi, pali & Mes x menos) and not cheap

Automevado is the best of the best they carry most Foods from states but very expensive

farmer markets are great but at the end of the day

when you read in blogs you can live in CR for $1500 a month that is a fantasy

my guess is minimum is $3500 if you don't want to live live below standards of life

we still have properties and business in the CR but decided to head back to the states because the thrill has worn off of CR life

seen it done it.  We definitely missed the conveniences

of living in that states

But what work for some doesn't work for all

like I said most gringos bail after 1 to 5 years after doing the move to CR for both missing home or medical reasons

i definitely disagree with you on the medical care in CR I know to Many people who received sub standard care and conditions worsen or passed away

like I said we will still puddle jump back an forth to CR

but full time living for us does not work

this is just my experiences and opinions on CR

Also with inflation and economy in uproar petty theft in CR is at extreme

my wife and step son just got help up at knife for IPhones, passwords and colones at government vehicles agency

police and OJI were useless in helping or recovering phone

the law in CR only works for the government and it's 900 road check points to make sure they are receiving all the funds for car taxes, registration and inspections

other then that when you get robbed or killed your on you own

Best way to put it keep you phones hidden and a head on a swivel

I think it is possible if you move from NY or California, sell high and buy low. If you don't want to live near the ocean and choose to live more like a local you can find a cheap house but it won't be a North American quality house.

Three big things you didn't mention are the CAJA, MARCHAMO and the RITEVE.

CAJA - This is mandatory for all new residents. Now they are charging two "taxes" in the CAJA. The public health system charge and the CR pension fee. This means you are paying into the CR public pension plan funding the govt pension plan for Costa Ricans. Then you are forced to pay into the public health coverage.

This can be as high as 18.9% for someone making over $3000 usd/month.  This is not a lot of money thus most foreigners moving to CR for the pure retirement life are paying almost 20% surtax to live there.

MARCHAMO - The annual registration fee for your vehicle. This can easily be $1500-$2000 usd per year depending on the vehicle you buy. Cars are very expensive in CR. If anyone wants to drive a new vehicle they could pay the equivalent of $400-$500 per month for this registration fee plus the crazy cost of the car.

RITEVE - The annual safety inspection. This is where everything on the car must work. If the O2 sensor light is on you must get it fixed. ABS or 4WD not working, fix it. A/C not working, fix it. Pollution test etc. I'm sure there are honest mechanics but you could be had by the short and curlies in this situation. If you are driving a cheap car in CR ($10,000 usd) you go in for the inspection. They see a rich gringo, perhaps not fluent in Spanish, needing their inspection. If they start finding lots of things wrong most Americans are just going to pay it to get it done and move on. Perfect opportunity for scam artists. Anyway, this could easily run you $1000 usd each year, especially considering the shape of the roads in CR. Bushings, tie rod ends and ball joints are most likely a common theme without the other fake repairs.

For the average person making $5000 usd/month in pensions you could easily be paying $945 to the Caja. $150/mth for Marchamo and $100/mth for the Riteve. There's $1200 per month in what equates to a foreigner tax. Now, I will not pass judgement on the CR govt and people. It's their beautiful country and they see a way to help their local population with the caja and taxes.

Initially I was all over Costa Rica, completely sold on the country until I started to really dig into the details of what it costs to live there.

You can go to the sodas and eat beans on the cheap and live in a small, quaint old CR house, drive a '93 Corolla to save some money but you can't avoid the caja. I really don't want to live in my 60's and 70's scrimping and saving. I want a house with a pool in the backyard, a newer vehicle and I want to eat decent meals. Maybe the Caja thing will change in the next few years but as it stands now the average person with a $5000 usd pension is paying almost 25% of their income to the govt to drive a car and Caja. 19% with no car plus you have to pay some income taxes to your country of citizenship.

Theft seems to be much worse than what I've experienced in Mexico. With a worldwide recession and massive inflation crime will only get worse.

CAJA - We are Inversionistas, supposedly the highest category ....... we pay $47 USD per month

Riteve - Last year paid $33.27.  Under the new system this year (Dekra) it will be less than half of it.

Marchamo - Last year with a 2009 Hyundai it was $267 per year.  This year with a 2023 Mazda it is $1617 for the year.

@Blackwatch

Great add BW. I agree that myth you read that you can live very well for $2000 a month in CR  is an impossible challenge

I recommend to try  it for a year, don't buy any home rents are cheap and the cribs are beautifully furnished

or $800 to $1500 month

rent a car or use Uber

do the 90 day tourist visa do a few border runs

explore the country to see if it works for you

BW hit it on the head and his research was in line with mine

$5000 a month is where you will dial in on if you want to call CR your home.. FYI and the $5000 a month you ain't living Tom Brady life style in CR but you can survive

hope this helps

CAJA - We are Inversionistas, supposedly the highest category ....... we pay $47 USD per month
Riteve - Last year paid $33.27. Under the new system this year (Dekra) it will be less than half of it.
Marchamo - Last year with a 2009 Hyundai it was $267 per year. This year with a 2023 Mazda it is $1617 for the year.
-@TerrynViv

I don't know how they calculate investor class immigrants. I believe there was a change however, with the calculations for each group, pension vs investor.  The YouTuber travel CR now was saying his Caja doubled as an investor.

I think you have to look at the new system of "double caja" tax for new arrivals when people talk about how cheap it is to live in CR. The people already living there are under the cheaper raja calculation. Under the immigration law you must divulge all of your income when applying to live in CR. Some people may qualify with one pension and then not disclose the other pensions or investments then take the money from their house sale back home and buy a CR house. So you could pay the Caja based on a $1000/month pension and appear poor to the CR govt. For me my pension will be at least $72,000/year plus investment withdrawals. The Caja on $72,000 is $13,608.

Income tax in your home country is another consideration. I'm not sure how it works for Americans but as a Canadian if I move to CR and do my taxes as a resident of CR I pay a flat 25% income tax because there is no tax treaty between the two countries. If I live in Mexico I only pay 15% income tax in Canada. That will be close to $10,000 per year in savings.

How much is the MSRP for the 2023 Mazda? The registration you mentioned for the Mazda is 10X what I pay per year in Canada to put a plate on my vehicle. I don't think cell, internet or electricity is any cheaper than what I pay in Canada. Eating out was just as expensive or more than what we pay in Canada.  Albeit property taxes are very low in CR.

I loved CR and I'm heading back for another 2 weeks in March with my kids. For some people who landed there before the Caja change it might work well for them. For me I would pay an extra $23,000 per year to live in CR as a retiree not including the car thing.

For me if I had to decide today I will buy an old 4Runner and pay the $100/month to store it near the SJ airport. Fly in sometime in December or early January and leave 3 months later renting in different places. Due to taxation and fees I will call Mexico home.

@Blackwatch

BW  I did similar to what you are saying  , I lived in CR for just about 4 years  on a tourist visas I always kept a full time rental house and kept my vehicle at the house

Because I travel still a lot for work I was out of CR 1 week a month

Financially nothing with CR government, taxes and banking made sense for me even CAJa

i kept a two small  bank accounts at a Groupo Mutual Bank in in Dollars & colones just to pay utilities. That bank doesn't require temp or permanent residency cards

The banks are very difficult to deal with in CR always long waits time and rarely no one ever speaks English which I found odd

I lived in CR using my Amex and Chase banking cards

with no conversion fees and I received reward points

Trust me it made life simple then trying to figure out the colones and carrying around 30 lbs of coins

they us large denomination on paper bills and they love giving back heavy coins

i even purchased my 2021 vehicle brand new at the dealership using my credit cards

For me i kept my banks in the USA and my credit cards because CR banking systems are way to difficult to navigate and in this time of  technology i was not wasting hours of my time standing in bank lines in Rain or extreme heat. Yes they make you visit a bank for just about everything in CR

Bank of America works in partner with BAC bank so i paid no wire transfer fees when I purchased investments in CR. Most of my business deals went through BAC

And here is the Kicker I am married to a Tica and we were married in CR and I still chose not to get caught up in the CR  government corruption and high cost they hit us gringos for taxes. Yikes the car taxes is by far the biggest crime of all

To end my story we decided 2 months ago to live most of our time in the States and travel back to CR every few months since we have businesses and investment properties in CR

but the full time or retirement life in CR definitely not for me.

Yes BW hit the nail on the head Rain yes it rains a lot a Mucho Mucho amounts from April to end of November

October and November being the extreme months

and I'm talking major flooding and land slides

But as I always say these are my opinions and come from 3 years of living and working in CR from Escazu to Tamarindo to the mountains of Puriscal

even a few months on the Caribbean side

Best advise is try it on and see how it feels some like it some don't. Some stay for life and many last 1 to 3 years .

Hey I'm a Tico they say… I do love  CR and will always be in and out of the country

Just not going to call it my place to die

LIVE LIFE PEOPLE!!!!!      I live life as tomorrow is not promised

Enjoy and I wish everyone happiness, health and success no matter where you hang your Hat

I apologize for any grammar errors definitely getting hard at 56 to write on these phones

@crbooks

Can you provide contacts or a website where we can review options? Wife and I are tennis and golf players looking for both either in or nearby.

Jeff... this is an old post.   Hopefully you'll get some response if the originators are still around.

Golf.  Few and far between.  Four on north Pacific coast... near or part of resorts like the Four Seasons... one down in Nicoya (remote)... a few in San Jose city proper; and one of south Pacific coast... just north of Jaco Beach.  Not a popular sport for Ticos... generally played by visitors.  Tennis...  again, not popular.  I wish it was... I have only seen two tennis courts in 5 years... but I live in the north and Soccer and Rodeo are the sports... along with cycling.

I think if you are looking for a Golf and Tennis lifestyle...  Costa Rica is at the bottom of the list...  why bother coming here if your passions are not easily accessible here??  Mexico has everything and is closer. ??

I love CR... but it isn't for everyone.  It's more for the relaxed (hammock and a nap) and or adventure type of expats.   Running around in perfectly pressed country club garb and being 'served' by picture perfect waiters is only going to happen in a Hotel or Resort.  This is not Bermuda.  Believe me.

I am very comfortable here, and I don't live in a 'tin shanty'.  I have a nice, sturdy, cool, Concrete house, metal roof, huge kitchen... etc.   Nice quiet village on a paved road and I only eat rice and beans for breakfast... 2 or 3 times a week... I like it!.  Monthly budget is less than $1000.  I own... so no rent is paid.  Utilities are CHEAP!!  My water bill is never more than $10/month; electricity always below $30.  I use public transportation... it is everywhere, cheap, and since the bus is already 'going' to where I want to go... why add another car to the road??  So... zero car expenses... and if I need the service of a car... taxis, both legal and pirate, are PLENTIFUL.  And, you can enjoy the view better if you aren't busy driving.  Just saying.

I'm in the central north of the country... meat, dairy, and produce are plentiful and very reasonable.  I tend to not spend time 'trying to find' what I use to eat 'up there'... if the Ticos can, and have, lived without Peanut Butter, Nutella, and Wagyu Beef for generations... then so can I.   It's not painful.  My only taxes are property taxes ($225/year... 1500 sq. meter lot with concrete house) and, of course, sales tax on non-food items.  No Big Deal. 

This country really isn't the ideal host for the 'country club' life unless you live in a very nice, gated community for Foreigners... or in a very nice suburb of San Jose where the people are trying desperately to not be typically Tico.   I know some of them.   But if that's what you want... why bother coming down here, dealing with residency, and learning Spanish??    Florida has everything you need and English is spoken everywhere. 

Pura Vida

since the average wage of a university graduate in costa rica is about $800 to $1200 month and i see most living a decent life in decent houses maybe not luxury with pool and tennis it makes me wonder how anyone could spend $5000 month to live here

i know a 64 year old man who had a nice apt all included for $600 month and paid the caja $45 month and recieved free medical care at the hospital for seniors which would have cost $50,000 per year maybe more

his social security was only $1450 month and he lived better here than he would have in some small town in the south

there is 25 years of blogs which i think tell the history of living in costa rica on the web site which angela jimenez rocha a licensed appraiser and architect has published since 1996

one of her clients purchased a luxury 48 meter 1 bed 1 bath apt with a pool and 2 underground parking spaces and 24 hour armed gated entrance 3 weeks ago for $100,000

the client was from switzerland and told her the cost of living there was no longer bearable and the same apt would be 1 million dollars

of course we know switzerland is expensive but USA today states that in 29 states a family needs $150,000 income to have a decent life and that is not including golf and pool amenties

the surprise for me is this article says it takes $100,000 in Mississippi which is the least expensive state

it is a rare event for a family to make this kind of income here in Costa Rica but most live fairly well on much less income

@rainagain

Hi rainagain. I have read several of your posts and always find them interesting and informative. I , too am considering relocating to CR in the near future. I have been doing research on the different areas and while I would not mind living the Tico life as opposed to living in an ex-pat gated community I have to ask, would you consider it safe for a woman to live alone in an area such as the one you reside in?

In the vicinity of Grecia, we're aware of a number of single women who do not live in gated communities and, so far, have reported few or no problems, as have we not.

We have been here nineteen years with no gates or fences, no guard (armed or otherwise), no alarm systems or surveillance video systems, and first one and then another of the sweetest dogs you could hope to meet. "Guard dog?", hah! Our Belgian malinois is everyone's friend. Our "Perro Bravo" sign is a neighborhood joke.

Could something unpleasant happen? Sure, but where in the world is that not the case? If you live in a crime-free environment, please let us know and stay put. It certainly wouldn't be in some gated commumity here or in North America.

@daveandmarcia

Thanks for your reply.

Glad to hear that the ladies ( and, presumably , everyone else)  in Grecia are happy and safe.

As a younger woman I traveled freely and moved several times , always optimistic - never worrying ( I was a bit naive. Lol) .As I have aged though, I think more about personal safety. Perhaps it is  because I am considering moving to a different county and maybe feeling a little vulnerable, however your reply does help.

Thanks again.

( I have not researched Grecia yet , but will certainly do so !)

Hello Tammy.

The 'daveandmarcia' response pretty much says it all.  Basically, it's the same as most other countries... CR has areas that are good, and areas that are bad.  Anybody with eyes and a basic sense of logic can 'read' a place and make their own conclusions.  Sad to say... but just looking around will tell you if a place is going to be safe, or not. 

Anywhere that seems clean, where there is 'normal' activity...  like people coming and going from work, or taking kids to school, etc. is going to be 'ok' to live in.  One mustn't have a 'super high' IQ to know that living remote or where there are very few 'signs of life'... is most likely going to be... a risk.

If you choose to live in a town, big or 'kind of' small; or even in a city... as long as it appears to be a reasonably clean and well functioning neighborhood where people don't look strung-out or unsavory; you will be fine living single.

I am rather rural here.. but not remote.   400 yards from my house is a bus stop... on a Nat'l highway that goes from San Ramon up to La Fortuna.  I see at least a dozen 'turismo' vans and small buses every day.  There are plenty of single people living around the area... women and men both, but most are from here.  There are expats of all ages, scattered in my area.  Some have been here over 30 years.  It is not rare that I will bump into a Canadian, a Belgian, a Gringo, or somebody from Germany or Holland or France... at the bank or even a local hardware store.  We just aren't clustered behind a gate.  My one-road village is on (same) a dead-end road... everybody sees everybody... every day.   I can't get yard work done because I get constant visitors, or just 'snoops' or the village kids want me to get them a coconut from high up and then, of course, cut it open for them to drink the water.   It's almost like an accidental comedy and I'm tied up in the center of it all.

The locals act as though it is a little bit strange for somebody to be 'single' ...  and I get that question a lot.  No wife?  No kids?   But I remind them that that kind of 'lifestyle' is very common in most of the worlds' larger cities and urban areas... which is where I come from... and that many people live professional lives and being married to their careers is Normal.  Its not a bad thing!!  I loved my career and my freedom.   I also remind them of people right here in this tiny village who are 'single' and have been for life.  They look a little bit dumbfounded once they consider that their 'cousin' or brother in law, or their aunt, or whomever... is really no different from me; except that they can't read and have spent most of their life here in the village swinging a machete, growing culantro, moving cattle from pasture to pasture, or working a job that they've had since they were 20 and requires little to no skill.  But things are changing in CR as fast as they are in the rest of the world... everybody is attached to their phones, the kids are 'staying in school' so that they can have a modern life; etc.

The only crime i have heard of since living here, in this village, besides the infrequent 'petty' theft of a shovel, or another tool (why didn't I put it away??), is when somebody (professional) broke into the little village 3-room school and stole all the computers.  That wasn't a local 'inside' job ... but nobody got hurt.

So it's safe.  I feel far far safer here than I did in my South Philadelphia neighborhood.   Night and day.

But yes... it will be natural for you, Tammy, to feel vulnerable being single and not knowing anybody nor speaking the language... but sometimes, the so-called 'pressure' from that kind of situation... can result in a faster assimilation.  I knew that I wasn't getting younger... so I jumped right into the middle of it all and never looked back.  What, really, did I have to lose???   I'm not telling you to go and try something 'outside' your comfort zone.  Play it safe; but by all means... make it worth the 'jump'.   Living 'near' expats isn't the same as living 'with' them... so you can get a good, authentic Tico experience and still have good expat neighbors... like Dave and Marcia. 

The more you mix with the Ticos... I guarantee you that your experience will be more rewarding.  Just living the daily life... getting groceries, going to the hardware store, taking a bus into 'town' for dentist or pharmacy or banking or just for fun... will increase your exposure to the culture, make you more comfortable... and that will make you appear to be less vulnerable and less of a target.   If you look lost and scared... you'll be a magnet for trouble... and that is as true in Minnesota as it is here in rural west San Carlos.  I was adopted by a little Tico dog about 6 months after moving here... and it is very true what they say about having a dog... you will meet people!!!   I have never had a dog before, so she is showing me 'the way'.  I walk her 4x a day because I hate seeing those 'chained' dogs that live in a 'circle'...  we discover things together; and everybody knows us... and we know them.  I'm just as likely to take extra pineapple or cas or plantains, or whatever I have too much of in my garden... over to my neighbors... as they are to show up on my porch with a container of fresh, still warm, Arroz con Leche; or some produce 'overage' from their garden or farm.   Please know that things grow 365 days a year here...  having 'too much' is common...  But, Once you are 'in' ...  you will be safer and thus, more confident.   Learn Spanish now!!!!    Duolingo is free... it's on-line; and I used it religiously until I could 'make my way' through daily life in rural Central America.  I still use it, but not as much because I honestly don't need it as much.  I'm teaching English as a volunteer in my village... which helps my Spanish a lot.

Relax.  Come down.  Take a look.  Drink some of the best water on earth; sit in a natural hot water 'termale'; and breath the fresh air.  Listen to the rain, the birds, and the silence of the night.  Let some of that hectic, modern, north American, high stress life melt away.

Remember this about 'selecting' a place here... if you rent first... and you don't like it or you 'find' someplace that better fits 'you' ... then you move on to 'that' place; or the next.  Don't put your feet into the cement until you are sure.  But be practical.  Don't forget that you're not getting younger, and that older people have 'older people' needs.  Not just rocking chairs, but reasonably 'close' hospitals; daily shopping; etc.

I may even, someday, make yet another move as I see myself slowing down.  It's not rocket science.

Pura Vida.

@Tammy CR.....As soon as someone tells you that Costa Rica's problems"is the same as most other countries"you are getting fed fraudulent information.Last year Costa Rica smashed its record for violence and more than doubled the U.S.homicide rate.....There is a lot of dark holes in the culture,think twice about living here as a single woman in Tico barrios.....Costa Rican neighbors do not think twice about their unleashed barking dogs or blocking access/entry to where you are living....If you can reduce your standards further to indifference(gringo gouge) and mediocrity,Costa Rica is going to be your place !

@rainagainWow, what a great post! You paint such a beautiful picture. Thank you for all that. I am still in the planning stage. Anticipate moving within 3 years. I currently work in healthcare and am happily planning for my retirement. 😊 I am thinking about taking my first trip down to CR possibly this November. I have an old friend who " snowbirds" in CR from Nov. - April in Guanacaste. Will probably start there and then try to see a few other areas. I plan on several trips within the next few years to explore before settling in somewhere.I have already thought about learning spanish ( my HS espanol is a little rusty.lol) Thanks for that web site and thanks again for taking the time to post all that great information. It really is helpful.

@Tammy CR

No problem. You sound like you've got a good head on your shoulders; and are thinking ahead of time which is SMART.   

Guanacaste is a really good 'spot' for snowbirds... but most of the expats that come and stay put tend to be in cooler areas, or at least, within a reasonably acceptable distance to hospitals and other amenities.  I've read testimonials from more than a few expats who started out in Guanacaste because of the Pacific and the beaches and such... but it's Hot!! and very touristy... and the only big city, Liberia... is far from many of the beaches... especially Nicoya area.  But Liberia has an intern'l airport... so that's a plus if you are coming and going a lot.

Central Valley (mostly west of San Jose) has many good options... from the suburbs all the way west to Atenas and San Ramon and lots in between... including Sarchi, Naranjo, Grecia, etc;  The south Pacific beach areas are good and popular with expats too... where the Mountains are really close to the sea for cooler temps... and the occasional 'beach day' is close enough; those areas have the big town of San Isidro de el General as their 'go-to' city ... for hospital; shopping, etc.   And also... there's a good scattering of expats in the La Fortuna Area... spreading out across the valley SE of Fortuna... over to Ciudad Quesada.  That's where I am... and I've met people living in this 'area' that are from at least 10 different countries... even Iran!!  But we aren't 'organized' as a group nor do we lean on each other much.  The Ticos are better resources once you are here.  But there are other areas to consider... it all depends on your 'needs' list which should always be considered before your 'wants' list.   Almost anywhere is great.  I was really into the Osa and Golfito area (far south pacific) and Porto Viejo (far south carrib. side... great laid-back vibes) until I realized how remote they were... for somebody in their late 50's at the time.  But if I was 35????

   Pura Vida