“Living in Costa Rica Costs Us Half of What it Cost Us To Live a Similar Lifestyle in California.”
At least once a week I have a conversation with a client about moving to Costa Rica and specifically Samara.
Inevitably, the question is asked, “How much does it really cost to live here in paradise?” My answer is always couched behind a big, “Well, it depends.”
“Living in Costa Rica, It Costs Us Roughly Half of What it Cost Us To Live a Similar Lifestyle in California.
It is certainly not hard to spend a ton of money anywhere on the planet and Costa Rica is no exception. Don’t expect the Four Seasons at Motel 6 prices. Hell, even most Motel 6 rooms are at least $100 US these days. Shouldn’t they have to change their name? Ah! But I digress. Allow me to expand and hopefully give you a fair picture of the cost of living here in Samara.
First, you will need somewhere to live. If you buy an existing home, you should plan on $175,000 and up unless you want to live on the real edge of cheap. Should you rent, plan on $400 and up per month. Come see us, we will fix you up.
Transportation is next. Cars and fuel are not cheap here. Plan on spending what you would in your hometown. Five years ago, we bought a late 2003, low mileage Toyota Prado for $33,000 which has served us well. There are other brands of vehicles that are cheaper, but we are Toyota fans.
Fuel in Costa Rica is more than in the US, oil is expensive, parts are can be bit cheaper albeit sometimes you wait for availability and well-trained and equipped mechanics charge about half the price of US auto dealer prices. Insurance is optional.
Utilities vary. Electricity is cheap unless you use a lot of it. If you like to run huge air conditioners, dryers, microwave and continual pool pumps your bill will reflect it. Cool breezes, clotheslines and gravity remain free of charge. Telephone service, if you choose the correct plan, is very affordable – iPhones are now available for free with two year plans.
Basic dish television is very reasonable but if you choose the 2,500 channel system (yep, it does indeed pull in the 24 hour Sumo Rodeo channel) be prepared to pay up. You can save your money by servicing your sports TV Jones at the local bar.
Food varies widely. If you cannot live without special foods and brands that must travel here by air or container ship, open up the wallet. With the bounty of outstanding local foods here, you can eat very well and very healthy on a reasonable budget.
The long arm of Wal-Mart (Pali Market, Maxi Bodega and other Wal-Mart brands) control the lion’s share of food distribution throughout Central America. No matter what you feel about Sam’s dynasty, they have provided variety, availability and low cost foods.
“I Pay Less than 10% of my US/California Property Tax.”
We here in Samara are lucky to have options like Samara Organics selling organic fruits and produce along with a nice inventory of healthy, locally produced foods comparing very favorable in price with the Wal-Mart monoliths. You can buy goat and cow cheeses, including Camembert and feta that are made within two hours of Samara.
Walnut breads, flax seed breads, and sour dough breads are made fresh daily and can be had for $5. Spread some locally made garlic chevre and you have a picnic. A bottle of organic wine from South America is $18.
Taxes in Costa Rica are easy. They are unbelievably cheap. I pay less than 10% of my US/California property tax and I happily pay my “Luxury Property Tax.” There is a 13% sales tax that is collected about half the time. Income tax is beyond the scope of this article. Consult your accounting and legal team.
Dining out and entertainment is a tough one. For me, a sunset firing off in the western sky with my toes in the sand and an ice cold Imperial beer (1,000 colones at my favorite beach bar) is about as good as it gets.
Our range for two of us dining out is $10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch and $25 – $50 for a great dinner. You can definitely spend more if you like hanging out with sunburned tourists but you will find a café or restaurant for every budget including fresh made ceviche on the street for $2 a cup. Or load up your canvas bags after a trip to our local farmer’s market and you will not likely even need a stop at the local Pali.
The market is every Friday from 3-6 in downtown Samara and you can find fresh veggies, breads, cheese, coconut water ($3 here and $5+ at Whole Foods), locally made Kombucha, along with a whole host of other taste treats. You can have a smoothie for less than $2 which is quite a bit less than Jamba Juice.
So, to sum up and get to the punch line, we live well here. Not flamboyant or extravagant, but well.
All told, living in Costa Rica costs us half of what it cost us to live a similar lifestyle in California. But, your mileage will vary. Come on and give it a try for a few months and see what you come up with. In the meantime, drop by and I will tell you where to get the coldest and cheapest beer is in Samara. They even throw in a free boca. That’s livin’!
“Living in Costa Rica Costs Us Half of What it Cost Us To Live a Similar Lifestyle in California.”
Article/Property ID Number 3479
Andrew Makarik
to@welovecostarica.comAndrew 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.
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