Email penpal insights about Costa Rica

Hello I'm 60+,active retired female. Planning on visiting CR soon,and possibly move there. Looking for email penpals to correspond with. If interested, email me!😊🌺

Hello Bhu11163,

Welcome on board !

Till you find members interested to exchange emails, I would recommend that you post your questions on the forum should you have any to ease your move.

Have you been able to gather information about formalities and visas ?

Regards

Bhavna

Hi,

I'm a 60+ male and looking to do about the same things you mentioned....an initial "look around" trip and another if it feels like a good place to live.  I've been looking into it for the past cpl years.  I am semi retired....living in Florida working part time and collecting SSI Retirement and some day I will leave my part-time job and depend on SSI retirement (approx $1600 per month).  My thinking is...."wouldn't it be nice if I could find someone who might want to share rental/utilities and such so that the money would go further, and we could afford a more decent place than one income would allow".  I am not suggesting a romantic type of relationship....just something symbiotic that helps both be comfortable.  Let me know if this interests you and if it does....give me an idea of where you are now.  US?  Which state?  Approx income that you would depend on in CR .

Thanks for replying to my message. Haven't even gone yet,so I don't know if I'll move. Have you been there before. From New Your State. What about you?

@Bhavna

Still working on that. Did I not post my request on the forum?

Questions to make your move easier if you have any, on visa, formalities etc can also be posted here.

Your 1st post might get you an penpal but if you have precise questions on visas, members can shed the light on your query ...

I don't know why but I'm having trouble replying....I'll work on it

Well that seemed to have worked......long story short.....No, I have not visited CR yet.  I was on my way to CR from the New Hampshire/Boston area just when Covid broke out.  Had to put the brakes on in Orlando, Fl.......got a part time job and am now taking another look at a 1 - 2 week trip sometime early 2024.....if that works well I'll start a plan on a 3 month stay (will need to quit working) and begin the process (1 yr long) of applying for a Pensionado Visa.  At that time I will be relying on SSI Retirement (approx $1600 per month) and this is why I think it would be great to share living expenses.........the sharing could start right from the initial 1 - 2 week visit or the 3 month visit and grow into permanent residence.....I'm open for discussion.  I would completely understand why anyone would be hesitant.....I am hesitant .....let me know if you want an email address to discuss further.

Thanks,

Michael

Hello to the expat community. I'm Dennis and like many have considered CR as my final relaxation place to live. I've taken four trips to CR my last 2.5 months leaving at the end of May. So much to consider and I really don't want to blow this. I have found CR to serve my wants n needs especially during the dry season.

Im 59 from the western end of the upper peninsula in Northern Michigan. We receive so much of Gods beauty here during our five seasons of weather.  In the last 10 years the Lake Superior winds and very cold temperatures have made it not fun anymore.

In 2021 I tried Florida and I am  not interested in the flux in the weather.

Between my Veterans check n one other monthly check gets me to $4700 per month. I own my family home and hoped to rent to compensate my cost however I'm skeptical and still considering this option.

CR is not cheap !! From the mountains to the cities I've  seen incredible beauty & everyone from the elders to the toddlers made my visits special. I do have a few unfortunate experiences but I can't allow them to dictate my decisions.

God willing I will return again in November until the end of May.

I would consider renting a house or apartment with someone too.

@Michael Trainor also consider Medellin Colombia. All my retired gringo friends moved to Medellin from San Hose. 40-50% cheaper than CR.

@ridtherogue .......From the unfortunate experiences I am sure you are getting beyond the myths of Costa Rica.

Hi.  Sorry for the delay in responding.  My computer went on vacation.  I have lived in the Central Valley of Metro-San Jose for almost nine years.  I moved down here at age 62 when I retired. 

The pros are the culture, the large majority of people, the climate, and I met a woman who is the most patient mellow woman I have ever been with. 

The cons are the culture, a very small minority of people, the climate and traffic and the cost of living.

To explain a bit, the culture is friendly, easy going people who live a life appreciating their families, their jobs and everything else, including their soccer teams, local and national.  Costa Rica has a lot of poor people.  They work on average 45-48 hours a week.  They have a happy outlook on life and are always willing to help another person in need.  The con about their culture is they are raised not to complain about their governments or much else.  The result can be frustrating for gringos who see issues that could be a lot better but no one will raise a voice to help make it so.   The key to a happy life for a gringo here is acceptance.  One has to accept the good with the bad and appreciate the overall things that make living here a better more relaxing place than where one comes from.

The people call themselves Ticos or Ticas if female.  Because there is so much poverty, middle class americans look rich.   There is some crime of opportunity by some poor people.  Violence is rare but when it occurs, it usually involves someone from Nicaragua who are referred to as Nicos.  They are by culture a more aggressive people.  Some Ticos fall into this category, mostly young men.

The climate is a dry season, usually from mid December to April 30th and a wet season from May 1 to November 15.  During the dry season it is almost always sunny and little if any rain.   During the wet season it usually rains every afternoon with heavier down pours in the August to end of October stretch.  This stretch can be overwhelming and I usually leave at least the entire month of October.  May can also be a bit too wet for me.

Traffic is crazy in the Central Valley.  The car dealers continue to sell cars every year and the government doesn't have enough funds to continually make more and wider roads. ( who wants another LA? )  I plan my life around rush hours as otherwise one is stuck in traffic from 20 minutes to 2 hours potentially, depending how far one drives.I rarely drive before 9:30am and finish my errands by 3:00pm. 

The cost of living is a little complicated.  The government's main source of revenue until a year ago was and is import duty on everything !  Ranging from about 55% on a new car and up to 100% on everything else.  If you like to exist on beans, rice, eggs and fresh vegetables, one can live cheaper than in the US.  If one wants to eat good cuts of beef, chicken and buy products they want from the US, food will cost more than living in the US.  Rent is probably cheaper or was until mid 2022 when gringo money began flowing down here again into real estate.

Hope this helps. 

Hi Spoto,

Great Pro & Con balanced report of living in CR. It's nice to read commentary that depicts the Cons but also shares how to circumvent them.

Appreciate the time you took writing it.