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My wife and I have scheduled a vacation this year in Costa Rica. This will be our first trip and we are looking to reture in the next few years. Some would consider us young (in our 40’s) for retirement, however we have raised three of our four children and have one remaining at home. Would any of you have advise for us on our vacation, or on a move to the country? We are tired of the rat race and are looking for somewhere we can Relax enjoy a slower pace of life and help people along the way? Any input would be great, thanks and Pura Vida.
JP:
go and visit the country first
A fair warning: Spanish is spoken there, the culture is completely diferent and also the religion, food, clothes, etc..leave all your opinions at home and try to understand a NEW set of rules and those are the Costa Rican ones
when in Rome, act like a Roman, think like a Roman
you will have to adapt yourself to many things while in CRkeep a positive mind and you can live in France, Jamaica, CR
just like visiting a family member, you follow the rules of their house
Check out the requirements of [url=http://www.costaricalaw.com/residency-general-information-and-summary.html]living here legally[/url]
Visit for [u]extended[/u] time is possible, seeing what the areas in the country have to offer.Earning a living here is a very difficult undertaking. Many have tried and most have failed. The best advice is to bring your money with you. That’s why the majority of expats other than Latin American workers are retirees with stable unearned incomes from Social Security, pensions, or savings.
Too, Costa Rica is cracking down on “perpetual tourists” who leave the country every ninety days to qualify for a new tourist visa. To be safe, you should fully understand the requirements for legal residency and be prepared to meet them. Meeting with a knowledgeable Costa Rican attorney who specializes in residency matters would be a wise move if you are seriously considering living here.
As for the cost of living . . . Well, it all depends on what you need, what you want, and (maybe) what you can live without. Many things are cheaper here than in North America, but that is not universally true. Your best bet would be to carefully consider the lifestyle you want to lead here and to price it out on your first visit. Then decide if you have the necessary resources. Only you can tell what your costs will be.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]Earning a living here is a very difficult undertaking. Many have tried and most have failed. The best advice is to bring your money with you. That’s why the majority of expats other than Latin American workers are retirees with stable unearned incomes from Social Security, pensions, or savings.
Too, Costa Rica is cracking down on “perpetual tourists” who leave the country every ninety days to qualify for a new tourist visa. To be safe, you should fully understand the requirements for legal residency and be prepared to meet them. Meeting with a knowledgeable Costa Rican attorney who specializes in residency matters would be a wise move if you are seriously considering living here.
As for the cost of living . . . Well, it all depends on what you need, what you want, and (maybe) what you can live without. Many things are cheaper here than in North America, but that is not universally true. Your best bet would be to carefully consider the lifestyle you want to lead here and to price it out on your first visit. Then decide if you have the necessary resources. Only you can tell what your costs will be.
Yep, good advice David.
I have an uncle and aunt on my mom’s side who were born in Costa Rica and both are retired with great pensions. I venture to say that between both they probably take in $5 to $6 thousand per month. They live in Ontario CA in a nice track home, and they visit Costa Rica at least once a year. Funny thing is that my uncle related to me that when they were in C.R. last year, they visited a nice resort, and the gringo manager after getting acquainted told my uncle: What! You mean to tell me that you prefer to live in California and both of you are also Ticos? That’s crazy! I’m a gringo and I prefer to live in Costa Rica!:D
In regard to your question, I would recommend you and your significant other take an introductory tour when you arrive. I can highly recommend the tour hosted by George Lundquist. It’s very informative and the best part is you get to meet real expats and hear their stories and chat face to face. These folks tell it like it is and do so for your benefit.
The second thing I would suggest is take Dave’s advice. He’s been in Costa Rica for a while and is quite insightful. And………you can learn a lot on this forum. Just don’t overthink Costa Rica and let the country talk to you………versus having your brain spray out all you think you know. Having all that advance research is great, but don’t let that cloud your experiences.
I hope you find Costa Rica to be a special place as it is for so many…..but remember it does not work for everyone, and that’s OK too.
Pura Vida[quote=”costaricafinca”]The tours offered are geared toward retirees.[/quote]
True enough, but most of the critical issues are the same whether you’re retired or not. That’s especially true regarding the costs of living here. The original poster has implied that the youngest child will be coming, too. If that’s true, then education costs enter the picture, but otherwise, they gotta eat, they gotta get around, they gotta have utilities and shelter, etc, just like us.
costaricafinca wrote:
The tours offered are geared toward retirees.
As Dave commented on costaricafinca’s thoughts, that’s true, but if the tour I took is any indication of what’s to come, where 2 out of 5 couples on our tour were NOWHERE near retirement age as we know it, it could be the demographics of the tours are shifting a bit. These folks were not window shopping, but looking for an alternative lifestyle to replace something that has been largely lost in the US. We shall see how it all works out, but don’t be too surprised to see a younger group start showing up in Costa Rica. This may be a trickle now, but we all know the power of flowing water
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