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I am contemplating the move to Costa Rico. Would rather rent but not at the tourist rates. If anyone has info regarding this type of rental please advise. Definitely NOT luxury accomodations but longterm! ! A year at the least and more if it feels right.
Thanks for your help. Jobates
You need to let us all know what area or area’s you are interested in checking out. Splitting time with 6 months in one location and 6 months in another might be helpful if you are interested in checking out more than one area and climate. There is quite a difference between the Central Valley, Pacific, and Caribbean coasts. Also let us know if you have a specific budget in mind for your montly rental expenses.
That’s a catch-22. 1 year is not long enough to buy furniture, and furnished homes or apartments are usually only offered at tourist rates.
If you’re alone, you might consider renting a room. There are plenty of those available, and you can pretty much pay as little as you want (for a whole lot of not much). Look in the Económicos in La Nación (www.nacion.com) under “habitaciones”.
You are so right re: the room it will probably work better, thanks. I tried the website you suggested and did not find the “habitaciones”. My spanish is limited however and that may be my biggest problem . I would like to try both coasts but would be interested in your opinion .
Iwould like a moderat temp yr round . I have no idea where that would be. That is the whole idea in renting and trying different areas . As to monthly rent, around $350 tops as I have limited set income.
As a general rule, the climate in Costa Rica is closely aligned to altitude. The higher you go, the cooler it gets. In the main, altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 feet are the most desirable. In those areas, you’ll need neither heat nor air conditioning. At 4,200 feet, we rarely turn on the ceiling fans and sleep under a light blanket at night.
Looks like La Nacion developed an entirely new site for their classifieds. Go to http://www.economicos.com, then Bienes Raices (real estate), then Alquileres (rentals), then Habitaciones (rooms). There were only 11 there when I checked, but there’s probably 50 or more in the print edition. You’ll need to see it before you rent anyway, so line something up to begin with, then check them out when you’re down there.
Furthermore, all 11 were in or near San Jose. Everyone has their own definition of “moderate climate”, so go by altitude. I lived at 5,700′ above sea level, and the temperature was around 65-70 during the day. The beaches are more like 90-95 during the day.
Your best bet is to decide on the area you want to make your base (you can explore from there) then inquire as to rooms. People who rent rooms put out signs (cheaper than La Nacion), which usually read ” Alq. Hab.”
$350 monthly is a lot of green for just a room. I spent the equivalent of about $50 monthly for a very simple room in a very simple house, which included 1 meal a day. Sounds like you could afford an “Aparthotel”. These are basically furnished apartments which may or may not come with a kitchen. I’ve stayed in Aparthotel San Jose, which is right by the Museo Nacional in San Jose. Fairly basic, very inexpensive, no kitchen, but comfortable & free continental breakfast. Then there’s Aparthotel Los Yoses which is probably nicer. Google “aparthotel costa rica” & see what you find.
Can’t thank you enuff for all the good info ! Did find the rooms “habitaciones” but have not Googled yet to find the Aparthotel info. Will do that yet tonite.
As to the climate will have to do some research as I prefer 75-80 depending on the humidity .
What kind of transportation is available in the central part of the country?
That sounds ideal. Where is this location? The 4,200 feet. Is it a city or rural area? I am curious,curious,curious re: all things Costa Rican that only those who live there know .
In the Central Valley, at least, there are 4,200 foot elevations everywhere. Many of the ridges go up well above 5,000 feet.
I’ve said in the past here that I think there are three essential considerations in looking for a place to settle: climate, amenities and community. Climate we’ve covered.
Amenities are those things that you need or want to make your life comfortable — shopping, medical care, transportation, etc.
Community refers to the social network you’ll find in one location or another. If you speak no Spanish and move into a community where no one speaks English, you’re probably going to feel pretty isolated. Likewise, if you move into a touristy area where the neighbors all move out every week or two, there will be few opportunities for longlasting social relationships. Think about it.
Do you have any suggestions regarding English speaking communities . Such as location, medical facilities etc. I have considered these and would appreciate any info you could pass on .
I am looking at the Central area, at least in the beginning , unless you see some problem from my standpoint.Somebody correct me if I’m wrong . . .
I think you have two choices: You can seek out a predominantly English-speaking community which you’re most likely to find in a couple of areas immediately around San Jose and maybe in some “touristy” areas. Many such places are gated communities with little opportunity for meaningful interaction with the Costa Rican community. If you like being inundated with Americans, you’ll love this.
The other choice is to seek out a predominantly Costa Rican community with a significant sprinkling of gringos. We live outside Grecia where almost all (but not all) of our neighbors are Costa Ricans. They have been most warm, friendly, patient and helpful. But it is nice to be able to have a multi-sentence conversation with someone who speaks the same language you speak, so I think having some socially compatible gringos around is important.
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