Costa Rica Retirement – Rich Living on the Cheap

I am commonly asked: Can I live in Costa Rica on $800 a month? The answer is a qualified yes.

There is no doubt that living here is comparatively less expensive than in the United States, Canada and other industrialized countries. That’s one of the reasons I moved here – to make my retirement dollars last longer.

You get to choose your standard of living, and there are many options. At the extremes: If you live in a sparsely populated area where the real estate/rent is less expensive; depend on public transportation; forego Internet and cable TV; eat simply like many Ticos, i.e., fresh produce, rice, beans, bread, eggs, chicken, fish and pork, you can live very cheaply.

However, if you live in a popular area; buy imported, packaged food; drive a gas-guzzling vehicle; have Internet, cable TV, 24/7 security and other creature comforts, then you are going to pay big bucks. There are many options in between these extremes, and it’s up to you to decide what you need and what you want.

I am a single woman of 56 who lives in Santa Ana in the Central Valley. I think I live a somewhat frugal lifestyle but I don’t feel deprived. My monthly budget averages $1,300, which includes $550 to rent a spacious, secure, two-bedroom apartment with water.

On top of that budget, I pay for health insurance and I make one or two trips to the United States each year to visit friends and family and to stock up on items that I cannot buy in Costa Rica. High-speed Internet, cable TV, a land-line phone and electricity cost me $95 last month (March, 2006).

I do not have a cell phone. Recently I bought a 1994 Hyundai Elantra and it costs me about $35 to fill the gas tank once a month. I still take the bus whenever I go into San Jose because it’s so convenient.

My biggest indulgence is food, although to look at me you’d never know it. I’m not quite 5′ tall and I keep my weight down by walking a lot. I love to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables at the local feria (farmers’ market) on Sunday mornings.

The banana and broccoli vendors know me and make sure I take the best produce they can offer. I spend about $3 a week on a hand of bananas, a crown of broccoli, a head of lettuce, a cucumber, 4 sweet red peppers, a bunch of cilantro, a pineapple, a cantaloupe, a zucchini and a few tomatoes. If I were to buy the same items at a supermarket, I would probably pay 2-3 times that amount.

Knowing where and how to shop can save you money each week. When I’m in downtown Santa Ana, I stop at Palí for yogurt, rice, beans, coffee and beer. That’s the cheapest chain supermarket I have found.

I buy organic spinach and stock my freezer with higher quality chicken and pork from AutoMercado, the upscale chain supermarket that also carries foreign packaged products.

Occasionally I make a trip to PriceSmart, the big box membership store, for a large slab of salmon that I cut up and store in my small freezer. PriceSmart also is where I buy raisins, peanut butter, sliced turkey, toilet paper and paper towels in bulk.

In addition to buying food to stock the larder, I usually eat out twice a weekend and sometimes during the week when I have time. The restaurants I go to charge about $6 for lunch and $10 for dinner. I spend about $25 more in entertainment. I get my short hair cut monthly for $5. I pay $7 a week for my maid to spend three hours cleaning my apartment and doing a little cooking for me. Because of the great climate, I don’t have air conditioning or heating expenses.

Fortunately, I am healthy and take only one weekly prescription drug, Actonel, which I buy at PriceSmart for about $11 per pill. My biggest health expense is the chiropractor (Dr. Jim McClellan, Santa Ana, 282-3998), who charges $15 per session and is the best around. Vitamins (I take a lot) cost me about $20 a month.

I see the dentist every six months for a cleaning and exam for $40 (I could find a less expensive dentist, but Dr. Laura Vives is in Santa Ana (282-7882) and she speaks English.). If I get sick, Dr. José David in Santa Ana (282-6890) will charge me $20 for a visit (more for a house call), and there is a lab next to his office.

I have friends who marvel that I live so cheaply and friends who marvel that I live so high on the hog. When you decide what you must have, what you want to have and what you can live without (if anything), you will know how much money you will need to live in this wonderful country.

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Written by Margie Davis

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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.