Costa Rica Living ‘Rural’ – Food Availability and Costs

The topic this week is listed on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as ‘fundamental’.

It is essential to all, it is food. Food quantity, quality and cost are all extremely important to me.

First are fruits and vegetables. We have many sources. Many of our neighbors have small “fincas” (pieces of land on which they grow stuff). They frequently drop by and give us things like; bananas, mangoes, beans, oranges and other items we have never seen before.

We have a truck full of fresh vegetables and fruit which stops at the house every Saturday. He sells tomatoes, pineapples, apples, cabbage, carrots, bananas, avocados, carrots, potatoes, mangoes and many other items.

The prices for these items are about the same as the market in town. Bananas are less than 2 cents each. The other prices are less than or equal to the US. Most are grown here in Costa Rica, but he buys the apples from Washington State.

We wash all of these thoroughly before eating. The taste, texture, and freshness are all better than or equal to the US. We make fresh fruit drinks on our blender nearly every day.

One of the highlights of food here is the eggs and chicken. The eggs are delivered to the door and sold by the Kilo. There are usually 16 eggs in a Kilo and the cost is $1.07. They are better tasting than any available in the supermarkets of the US. People who get farm fresh eggs in the rural US are aware of the significant difference.

We just call a neighbor when we want a chicken; it is usually delivered the same day, still warm. (It was just slaughtered and cleaned). These chickens are about 5 lbs and cost $3.00. They are all meat with none of that yellow fat. The flavor is excellent. They grew naturally, not force fed with chemicals.

Another highlight is our supply of fresh fish. We get fresh Dorado, Corvina, Marlin and Shrimp delivered from the coast 3 times per week. The cost is between $2.50 and $3.00 per pound. It is excellent.

Another great source of food is our two brick oven bakeries in town. The texture, taste and price are all remarkable. We take a pleasant and scenic 15-minute walk to town to get fresh French bread every couple of days.

We have a small store about 150 yards from the house that sells many basics and will stock items we request. They are my source for my Diet Cokes for the Cuba Libras I make with the excellent 5 year old “Flor de Cana” Rum I get at a “MegaSuper” supermarket store in town.

Quality steaks are not as easy to find out here in the boon docks but the hamburger is excellent, very lean.

When we do not cook at home, we go up the road to an open restaurant with a beautiful view of the mountains. Their fish dishes are superb. A nice Corvina (sea bass) or Dorado filet with chopped vegetables and cabbage salad, french fries to rival McDonald’s costs a big US$4.50.

So, our basic need of food is definitely satisfied and exceeded. Although we know many people that have lost alot of weight after they have moved here, we are not losing any weight

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Written by our friend George Lundquist, who you can see in our free online video here. If you are thinking of retiring in Costa Rica, you might want to consider the tour that George offers, his goal is to share his experiences here with you to save you time and money!

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.