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I’m one year removed from earning a military 20 year retirement which will translate to approximately $3,000/month. I’m exploring a retirement to Costa Rica. I do speak Spanish fairly fluently. I have three main concerns with a move to Costa Rica: securing an excellent education for my 7 year-old son; feeling secure; and the ability and opportunity to do some part-time work if needed. I would appreciate an honest assessment by anybody that can address one or all of my three issues. Thank you in advance, John.
John, your $3,000 per year pension (from the military, I presume) will amply qualify you and your dependents for [i]pensionado[/i] status temporary residency. After three years, you can apply for permanent residency. You will be best served to retain a knowledgeable Costa Rican attorney who specializes in residency matters to guide you through the process. It’s a bureaucratic maze.
Costa Rica, like every other place on planet earth, has more crime than you’d like, but despite what some would have you believe, crime is hardly rampant here. There are parts of your current duty station town and parts of your home town that you wouldn’t venture into late at night. Same here. Lock your car. Lock your doors. You’ll be just fine.
There are excellent (which is not to say “cheap”) bilingual schools where your son can get a perfectly good education. They’re not everywhere, however, so deciding where to live may be governed in large measure by the school you choose for him.
Temporary residents (i.e., [i]pensionados[/i])are not permitted to compete for jobs with Costa Ricans. If you have a skill that’s not available in the local labor pool, then you [u]may[/u] qualify for a legal work permit, but the process is long and bureaucratic and there is no guarantee of success. You may buy or establish a business here, but as a temporary resident you may not work in that business.
What’s more, Costa Rican wages are absurdly low as compared to those in North America, so doing odd jobs, for example, would pay very little indeed. And despite Costa Rica being a developing country, you should not assume that its workforce is unskilled.
Your $3,000 pension should provide for your family very well with no additional income from work.
[quote=”mahalko”]I’m one year removed from earning a military 20 year retirement which will translate to approximately $3,000/month. I’m exploring a retirement to Costa Rica. I do speak Spanish fairly fluently. I have three main concerns with a move to Costa Rica: securing an excellent education for my 7 year-old son; feeling secure; and the ability and opportunity to do some part-time work if needed. I would appreciate an honest assessment by anybody that can address one or all of my three issues. Thank you in advance, John.[/quote]
You can find good educational facilities in Costa Rica but the same caveats apply as they do in the States. The schools will provide the knowledge but it is a parental responsibility to teach kids how to think.
Security is mostly a matter of common sense. These are my opinions stated many times on the forum: Don’t make a display of your possessions, fit in wherever you live, and live in a mixed or Tico neighborhood and make friends (living in an exclusively expat area draws the professional criminals). The amateur thieves are a problem in all areas, get a dog (the bigger the better) who will know the limits of your property. We have four salvaged from the streets.
Without permanent residency getting employment of any kind is illegal unless it is non-labor management or the position cannot be filled by a Tico.
Others will weigh in on this subject. We all have different experiences.
The Valley has some fantastic private schools offering the International Baccalaureate. The list is posted somewhere and they all have their own web sites.
While I do agree that the central valley would offer the most services and infrastructure–if you are planning on having a more quiet lifestyle, it might be considerably cheaper and more pleasant to avoid the city bustle and simply hire a private teacher
One could be found for $500-$600 per month–maybe less if there was room and board included.
Anyway, you would be guarateeing that you child grow up in a healthy enviroment free from pollution and most crime.
You children could actually be where they can walk down the street safely and play outside with the other children.
While it all depends on what your interests are–If you dont need to do business in the central valley–there are many
places more suitable to raising a familyAs a disclaimer–I dont have kids, but I do see how happy and secure the children are who live around me.
Sometimes the neighborhood kids go riding down the street–3 of them on a horse.
I cant imagines a better way to do it.Here we see three on a bicycle…:D
But crime [i]is not only[/i] in areas where [i]”…living in an exclusively expat area draws the professional criminals”[/i]
It are everywhere…so one must take precautions and not be ‘lax’ in your home security, and do not presume that your family will be ‘secure’ if you live in a large city, mixed neighborhood or in the countryside.
Both amateur and professional thieves can both cause trauma.
Be aware that now only a ‘Permanent resident’ of Costa Rica may purchase arms to protect their home and family.[quote=”costaricafinca”]But crime [i]is not only[/i] in areas where [i]”…living in an exclusively expat area draws the professional criminals”[/i]
It are everywhere…so one must take precautions and not be ‘lax’ in your home security, and do not presume that your family will be ‘secure’ if you live in a large city, mixed neighborhood or in the countryside.
Both amateur and professional thieves can both cause trauma.
Be aware that now only a ‘Permanent resident’ of Costa Rica may purchase arms to protect their home and family.[/quote]Well put, Finca.
My reference was to the fact that there is more “stuff” to draw the professionals in an expat area but the upper income Ticos face the same issues.
No matter where you live common sense is a must.
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