Quite a few ex-pats live in beach communities up and down the Pacific Coast. While a smaller number of people live on the Caribbean coast.
However, many people are beginning to take note of the smaller towns in the Central Valley such as Grecia, Sarchi, Naranjo, and San Ramon as well as even smaller pueblos surrounding these towns. These towns and pueblos offer a relaxed pace of life, reasonable property prices, and an overall lower cost of living.
You can live in Costa Rica and not feel overrun by gringos. Or the high prices in other parts of the country. However, if you want to live among “your own kind,” you can do that too!
Costa Rica Attracts Retirees
Historically, Costa Rica was a country primarily attractive to retirees; those people in their late 50s or early 60s (and in some cases much older) who wanted a small house, and could live much less inexpensively than in North America or Europe.
However, Costa Rica is also beginning to attract a fair number of baby boomers; particularly those people not yet ready to retire.
Beyond living a quieter, simpler life, these people are certainly not done working yet. They may own businesses they can run from virtually anywhere.
They may also be writers or artists. Still, others are coming here to invest their time and money in new businesses.
Many people have made the successful transition from a corporate career in the states to running a bed and breakfast, managing a surf shop, offering tours, investing in real estate, and more much.
Costa Rica is a very business-friendly country and the opportunities here are still endless.
The Roads Are Terrible!
Like any developing country, it can be hard to maintain the roads in perfect condition all the time. Costa Rica has a rainy season for part of the year.
Trucks and cars are forced to share the same, often two-lane road.
Fortunately, significant steps are being taken to address these concerns. Millions of dollars have been allocated to new road construction and repair.
Costa Rica has come a long way in infrastructure improvements, and it is only getting better.
No hablo espanol!
While one can get by without knowing much Spanish, you’ll have a better experience if you try to learn at least some keywords, phrases, and sentences. In addition, befriending a Tico will go a long way in helping you get things done here.
On our Costa Rica retirement tours, for example, we provide a post-tour relocation service. We link up our clients with a Tico to help with some critical “post-move” tasks.
These include getting a driver’s license, hooking up electricity, phone, and Internet services, and a variety of other things. I couldn’t get by without my “Tico connections” and my Spanish is getting better all the time.
But Costa Rica is in Central America!
Central America does have a reputation for being very poor. It’s historically a region chock full of political chaos, dictators, communists, and meddling by foreign countries.
Costa Rica, however, has had a continuous and stable democracy since 1948. The transition to new administrations has been as peaceful as they are in the United States.
Yes, there are poor people here but it is nothing like the abject poverty found in Nicaragua or Honduras.
Costa Rica also has not experienced the gang warfare that is rampant in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras. It remains somewhat dangerous in these countries and the political systems are still not completely stable.
Housing and land may be much cheaper in these countries. Is it worth paying less to live there if you experience power cuts each day? Or more importantly, live in fear?
I’ve also found that people are much more welcoming to us gringos than in other countries in the region. They don’t just befriend us for our money.
They are very hard-working, genuinely interested in learning about North Americans. For us, it is not hard to integrate into Costa Rica society.
I cannot tell you just how many parties and dinners I’ve been invited to in Tico homes since moving here.
They are Friendly People Indeed!
With over 70 million baby boomers in North America retiring and living longer than previous generations, it will take a lot of money to live well in retirement, particularly in the United States.
Is retiring in Costa Rica still a good alternative? Yes! Will you do well here and enjoy yourself? Absolutely!
Come visit and introduce yourself to the wonderful people and natural environment that we still call paradise. We’re here, living our dreams, and happy to help you!
