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Hi all, how are you doing?
I have been reading some of the posts, but it could take forever LOL
I figured it’s time for me to ask some questions.
I do have several, but I don’t want to overwhelm, so I’ll keep this fairly short. (trust me, this is short for me : )
I’ve had enough of Toronto; it’s expense, & the laws that are in place, don’t seem to help me any unless I have tons of money to hire lawyers. I have recently learned the States is much better when it comes to protecting their citizens.
I have been struggling for years now financially moving from place to place for one reason or another. The stress has taken a tole on my health.
My dream is to move some place warm & run my internet biz from there since clearly I can be mobile so long as I have a great internet connection & a phone line.
I figured I would do this in another 5 years or so (I just turned 42) once I had more money saved up, but it looks like I may have to move again only 3 months after moving into this house I’m at. My son’s father isn’t increasing the child support, so I can’t pay the rent.
So anyway, I’m feeling down (don’t mean to bring anyone down with me), & the first thought that came to me is to get out of here. It’s about time, I’ve been living in Toronto since I was 18 y/o.
I’ve been wanting to do move, but my son (15) doesn’t want to, & my fears have been preventing me from taking the step. We moved around a lot when I was a child.
So, I may just have to leave my son behind if after going to court the judge rules in his father’s favour b/c this isn’t working for me, & I have to take care of myself.
So, I think I am prepared to sell everything & move. I will overcome my fears if it’s the right situation.
I’ve never been to CR, but of course I have heard tons of stories from people who have visited, & I saw Mr. Costa Rica at a biz seminar in June.
Sorry for the long preamble, I feel it will help you in answering, here are my questions.
1. How much money realistically would I need to get settled? Do they have 1st & last there?
I don’t like apartments, I prefer houses, & I don’t like old, I’m a modern woman, but I understand the grand mansion while not too far off, isn’t realistic right at this moment : )
2. I would love to come take George’s tour (is it only for people in their 60’s?), but to spend that money would cut into what little I have saved up, but yes I know I probably should visit, but I know I’d love CR, as my spirit really needs to be around nature since I’ve deprived myself for so long.
I am geographically challenged, so I thought CR was the name of the city this whole time until about 30 minutes ago LOL
I see there’s about 9 cities to choose from, & the weather George described in Limon is exactly what I’m looking for, although I could probably handle up to 85-87.
I was confused when I saw San Jose b/c back when I had money, I had taken a Carribean cruise & one of the ports was San Jose, but I thought that was in Peurto Rico, LOL, so now I have no idea if that was CR or not, but I’m thinking it wasn’t. That was a beautiful place too, known for its butterflies.
Any suggestions, is one city more expensive than another, or do they all have their expensive & middle class areas?
3. How is the high school education? I heard it was pretty good.
4. Once settled, how much does it usually cost to live over there. I know rent is a factor, I saw one house for $750 which is excellent, then another house was $1,600 which is way too much.
5. I read about the phone service re: long distance, using a calling card would be ok, as I do have to call my clients, & for social calls, I would just get others to call me since it’s only around 9 cents per minute.
How much is local land service per month? Wish there was a flat rate unlimited LD package like over here : )
I take it there’s no such thing as call waiting (let alone visual call waiting LOL), is there at least 3way calling? Actually they would have to have call waiting to have 3way, as you have to open up another line.
6. Is the DSL pretty good? I use cable right now & prefer it.
7. Last question I promise : )
How do you get your furniture down there, or do you just sell & buy from scratch?
I appreciate any help you can give me.
Thank you
Michelle
Michelle, you need to plan an extended visit to Costa Rica. Taking George’s tour (appropriate for an aspiring expat of any age) would be a great beginning, but it’s only that. If what he charges will challenge you financially, then your hope to move here probably isn’t realistic.
Once you’ve decided that Costa Rica really is an appropriate destination for you, only then should you begin asking these specific questions. And understand that, especially with regard to financial/cost questions, you will get a wide range of appropriate, accurate answers. Just as the cost of living in Toronto can vary widely depending upon one’s tastes, demands and needs, so can it here. No one else can give you a definitive answer to what it will cost YOU to live here.
What you will find is that some things here are dramatically cheaper. On that list is local phone service (including call waiting), Internet access (including high-speed where available), other utilities, medical care, domestically-produced food, etc. On the other hand, vehicles and fuel are quite expensive as are all other imported items. And there things you simply can’t get here — maybe things that are important to you. You need to do your own research.
First, you need to thoroughly familiarize yourself with what’s written about Costa Rica. If you’re confused by the fact that there are two or more San Joses, then your research has only just begun. Having read everything you can get your hands on, you need to take a careful look at Costa Rica through your own eyes, on the ground. Only then will you begin to have the basis for a decision.
Hi there, Reading your post reminded me of how difficult a divorce usually is on a woman with children—It brought back some of the thoughts that also went thru my head while I was going thru my divorce and immediately moved to CR in 1992 with a 3 year old, but I had lived for one year in CR 10 years prior and my sister & friends lived there so I had a bit of a security blanket set in place even before I arrived. I think it’s wonderful that you’re interested in CR and I think you would probably like so much of it, but I also think that you need to visit before you can actually do a little soul searching about picking yourself and your son up from Canada and landing in a country you barely know. What David says is so true, arm yourself with information before ever taking this on. Read Scott Oliver’s book about buying in CR (even if you’re not planning to buy just to get to know about how things work there), find as much info on CR on this site and elsewhere (not only from Travel guides that seem to idealize many issues), and definitely come visit. I don’t think you need to do a structured tour of any kind (even though that probably would be most efficient in terms of time management–I know plenty of people that have moved to CR without them), but you do need to network, get organized and then actually experience the country. CR is very diverse in locations and the amenities you will find available to you in each and the costs will also vary accordingly. You mentioned Limon and that’s one of my favorite places in the world, I will be there later in January (Manzanillo area), but it’s for the very relaxed, easy going type of person who doesn’t mind dirt roads, a mixture of Afro-Caribbean/Indigenous flavor that is dominant there mixed in with Chinese that came to help build the railroads long ago, you will also find European and American expats that also call Limon their home–All of which is very different from the atmosphere in San Jose (capital of CR in the CV area) or surrounding areas of the Central Valley (CV). Not to mention that you will NOT find good schools there for your son. Great people, great food (including the best Tuscan restaurant I have ever dined in), great music, great surfing/snorkeling/etc., great artists, but NOT great high schools…and Internet service, although getting better, probably not that great….Oh, they do speak an interesting form of English there so that would be a plus since it’s very understandable….
You do seem to have a lot on your plate right now and if your 15 year old son is not comfortable with this move, your timing may not be the most appropriate for your family in the long run. He will only be 15-18 once in his lifetime and it’s a crucial age for children making that passage into young adulthood. In Canada you and your son have certain family & friends, a gov’t social support system that may not be available in CR although some (health care) can be thru INS or once you become a resident, thru their nationalized health care system, but it’s a different culture, a different language and although beautiful and filled with very friendly people, teenagers are very peer oriented and this may just be too much for him to maintain his emotional stability. On the other hand, if he visits first, he may just decide he’s up for the challenge…
As far as education, the public school system may not be appropriate for him since he would not know anything about the language and would probably need to go to an English speaking private school…there are all different kinds with budgets that also vary, but I can tell you that I paid more for my daughter’s private school than what I paid for my college education in CR. Also, in CR the kids not only have to pass the 11th or 12th grade (depending on system), they also have to pass this test to go to college in CR so you need to consider his educational needs and the requirements CR imposes on it’s students before schlepping him to live there when he’s almost done with HS because this may put an awful lot of pressure on him….
If you decide that he will stay in Canada and you will relocate, then your considerations will still be around what you are looking for regarding services and you will also still need to consider safety…I never lived in a gated community, both houses I owned were in nice neighborhoods, but today I might be more inclined to find something where I could count on more security regarding possible break-ins and the like…especially if living alone…
I hope some of this helps you sort out some thoughts and do come and visit CR, I have a feeling that you would just love it there…Keep in touch…Pura Vida!
Ok, I think I just responded to someone’s e-mail addy. LOL
I thought maybe I should take this off the board.
If someone received my response, please let me know.
Thank you David & rebaragon
Michelle
As far as private schools, furniture and cars:
Again, your choice will depend on the location you choose to live in (although they do bus the children, but this will also add to the cost), bi-lingual or English/other language speaking only, type of curriculum offered, school calendar and budget. I imagine that if you do a google you will get some. Here are the ones I can recall of the top of my head and I got found their websites for you (SJ will mean in the San Jose Province or near not that it’s in the capital city):
Country Day School (Escazu-SJ and Guanacaste)
http://www.cds.ed.cr and http://www.cdsgte.comLincoln School (Moravia-SJ)
http://www.lincoln.ed.crAmerican International School (Heredia)
http://www.aiscr.comBlue Valley School (Escazu-SJ)
http://www.bluevalley.ed.crBritish School (Rohrmoser-SJ)
http://www.bscr.ed.crEuropean Schoo (San Pablo de Heredia)
http://www.europeanschool.comHumboldt (Rohrmoser-SJ)
http://www.humboldt.ed.crInternational Christian School (Santo Domingo de Heredia)
http://www.icscr.netMarian Baker (San Ramon de Tres Rios-SJ)
http://www.marianbakerschool.comPan American School (San Antonio de Belen)
http://www.panam.ed.crMonteverde Friends School (Monteverde)
http://www.mfschool.orgThe Cloud Forest School (Monteverde)
http://www.cloudforestschool.orgPlease note that there are other smaller ones that may offer bi-lingual education such as IPI in Moravia which is very good and you can get contact info here (there are some duplicates, but they also have some smaller or more bilingual schools on this site):
Also, some schools go up to 12th grade and follow US or European curriculum and school calendars while others are only up to 11th and follow CR curriculum & calendar. The schools may offer the National Baccalaureate and the US/Europ equiv diplomas or both.
The WLCR site has info on furniture, unless it’s something you love, probably not worth the cost of taking it to CR. Now the car is another matter (also info on the site). Cars are doubly expensive in CR due to import taxes levied so you’re better off bringing yours especially if you don’t owe anything on it rather than spending double the money to buy a car that might have had trouble in the past in CR.
Foremost, don’t forget to check with the CR consulate in Toronto regarding residency requirements so that you can feel at peace once you’re in CR and don’t have that hanging over your head….
I wish you the best and hope you will let us know how your info trip went and if you move to CR, how you and your son are doing….
With all due respect to rebaragon above, the opinion not to bring your furniture and other household contents is not universally held.
And you will pay the import duty regardless of whether you bring your own car from Canada or buy one here. The question rightly put above and elsewhere is just what you get when you buy a car locally. With one you import yourself, you know.
San Jose or San Juan (that’s in Puerto Rico)- you need to do a lot more research if you thought Costa Rica was the name of a city. LOL Picking up and moving to a country you’ve never been to is a frivolous idea. Costa Rica is NOT Canada, OR the US — it has its own systems, own rhythm, and another language. Do you speak Spanish? If not, start learning because it will make things so much easier for you. Personally, I have a really hard time with gringos who move to another country and then expect everyone there to speak English! Costa Rica is a beautiful country, the people are fantastic, and it is diverse enough that you may find your own personal niche. Taking George’s tour is not a bad idea, but there is also another tour group for baby boomers called boomers in Costa Rica (I think). Some of the people who take George’s tour should be looking for funeral homes, not retirement homes!
No offense taken davidcmurray, there are diverse views and opinions on this site and that’s one of the reasons it’s such a wealth of info for anyone considering a move to CR. I was personally immensely shocked at the street value of any used car in CR and not just because of the import duty levied, but many people choose to avoid any hassle of importing their car and buy a used or new car in CR and all goes well. I’m sure these are some of items sensualspirit will look into when she visits CR…Pura Vida and Have a wonderful and blessed Holiday Season…
SS
No one mentioned the biggest expenses of all.
1. The cost of acquiring residency, varies maybe $1000. TO $1500.USD.
2. The cost of Rentista status, depositing $60,000.USD (for 1 adult) in a Costa Rica bank to cover you for 5 years. It’s not practical to leave the country every 90 days, plus they are supposedly cracking down on that.
There is a lot more to consider then telephone service, cars and furniture.You need to do a lot more research, the majority of which can be found right on this site. Do your homework, visit and make sure CR is the right place fo you.
Good luck.Good point, Peg. She stated her age as 42 so she’s way too young to collect a pension, so that means Rentista status and the $60,000 in a bank account, which doesn’t seem like an option given the facts that she stated. I know people who do leave the country every 90 days, and it gets expensive — anywhere from $300 – $800 for those little jaunts across the border. Not to mention their complaints that just as soon as they get settled into a routine, they have to pick up and trot out of the country. Perpetual tourist status is an option, but if you get caught you’re deported and barred from re-entering the country for 10 years. Imagine the financial losses if that happened? So, please SS, do a lot more research b/c it’s just not that easy to pick up and move to a foreign country as if there were no rules and regs about doing that.
Foremost, as I mentioned before, anyone looking to move to CR needs to speak with CR Consulate in their country of current residence regarding the requirements for CR residency–the rest would be immaterial if someone can’t legally reside there. I did those “little trips” for a while until my residency came thru (since my sister is a Tica) and it was not only expensive and disruptive (especially with a school aged child), but from what I hear today, CR immigration is cracking down on this practice which doesn’t make that a viable option right now…Pura Vida y Feliz Navidad!
Peg’s, Maravilla’s and Rebaragon’s points are well made. Not only is the “perpetual tourist” merry-go-round risky because you may find yourself excluded one day when you attempt to reenter, but it’s more expensive, too. If Maravilla’s right that it costs around $800 for that three-day soujourn out of country, then two such trips and you’d have your legitimate residency paid for. Even if she’s off by a factor of 50%, the argument is still a good one.
Can you imagine the fun it’d be to find yourself excluded? What would you do about your assets in Costa Rica? Unless you had previously given someone a power of attorney to dispose of your assets, how would you do so? You’d have to pay a Costa Rican attorney and your representative to come outside the country to wherever you are to transact the business.
That would certainly be cheaper than applying for residency, right.
David, I said $300-$800 — it’s about $300 to go to Nicaragua for three or four days, including bus transport, hotel, and meals, but if you go back to the States, well, you do the math cuz it ain’t $300 anymore even if you fly to Miami, or if you go to Bocas in Panama, and have to fly there, it’s a lot more expensive than a cheapie trip to Granada. Maybe you could do the Nicaragua jaunt for less than $300, but I can’t imagine that would be much fun or the kind of flea bag hotel you’d be staying in. And it’s not like it’s an hour away either. So, yes, under those circumstances, your residency is paid for just in three trips to almost anywhere, and it surely is worth every colon for the peace of mind it brings.
Thank you for the private schools rebaragon, much appreciated that you took the time to find me the URLs.
For everyone else, it states on… http://www.costarica.net/features/relocate.htm
Pensionado Residency Source of Income – minimum income US$600 (or equivalent) per month from a qualified retirement plan or pension source, such as a government pension. The qualifying income must be for the applicant only – combined income is usually acceptable.
I may not have the pension, but I have the min. $600 US coming in.
I will contact the consulate after Christmas.
I wasn’t planning on going in & out of the country, not sure why everyone thought I would.
I have another very important question…
I am not sure about the electrical standards in CR.
Can I bring my computer &/or VCRs, & they will plug right in?
Thank you & Merry Christmas to all who celebrate : )
Michelle
Michelle, Costa Rica’s electrical service is fully compatible with the equipment you’d bring from Canada. Wall outlets are the same. Voltage, etc is all the same. There is some variance in the quality of electrical service (surges, minor brownouts, etc), so you’ll want to be sure to fully protect your equipment. In our home, we’ve installed a surge protector that serves the entire house but we also use UPSs on all the electronic stuff.
To qualify for “pensionado” residency status, you must have a monthly income of $600US or more from a qualified source. Normally, that means a governmentally-guaranteed pension (such as U.S. Social Security, a military pension, a state or local government pension, etc) although some annuities and large private pension plans may meet Immigration’s standards.
What will not suffice is to prove to Immigration that you have the capacity to earn $600 per month from your Internet-based business, from the rental of property you own, from investments, etc. If you do not have an acceptable guaranteed source of income, then you must apply as a “rentista” and, among other things, deposit $60,000US per adult and $30,000US per dependent child.
If anything, Immigration will interpret these requirement strictly rather than liberally.
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