I'll second the view that CR is beautiful, especially if you get out of San Jose. The women are beautiful, however, I would not spend much time messing with prostitiutes--you can meet women everywhere. The economy has gone down with the decline in tourism over the past couple of years. CR had come to depend upon "ecotourism" and tourists from the US and Europe who were somewhat wealthy. Other types of expatriates you meet in the bars are "get rich quick" guys looking to put together "deals" of one sort or another, perverts and pedophiles, and runaways from civilization. A friend of mine has several businesses for sale in Quepos (on the pacific ocean). Real estate is a buyers market at this point--a cash offer can bring a price down 50%. Look for the online version of The Tico Times--I do not know the exact URL--for a good overview of the situation.
Tip: Watch out for those monkeys! They love to throw coconuts on newcomers.
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I have a book "Choose Costa Rica for Retirement" -- excellent book...
Says the medical care is excellent -- many of the doctors are trained in the US -- and lots of people fly in there from the USA for big operations to save lots of $$$...
It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there forever...
What were the rent/property prices like? My main concern with anywhere I live is if I can find an affordable enough place that's seperated from other buildings well enough so I can be loud.. ideally I could find a nice warehouse to convert..
I spent a few days in Costa Rica on business a year or so ago. It is beautiful, the girls are great and the climate is terrific.
However, after spending 4 days with what passes for a real estate broker there, (fording a river in his 4wd, while a boa constrictor swam along beside us) and spending an afternoon with an attorney I decided it was not a place I wanted to invest.
As the lawyer frankly told me, "if you want to be a millionaire in Costa Rica, come here with two million dollars." That pretty much did it for me.
I was doing the fact finding on buying bed and breakfast that was for sale. The price was great, until I got there, then it suddenly doubled. I saw the guy's business and although he had a lot of experience at running places like that, he was tanking fast.
There are also a lot of new laws there about what you can build and where...so that would be something of a factor I would think.
It's a great place to retire if you have an income that is not related to business there.
Just my 2 cents.
Brutal
"Don't worry, I won't bite...oh, wait a minute, I forgot, yes I will." www.brutalmaster.com
I'm moving there in late Sept. for atleast 2 years.
I've mostly only been in Jaco and Hermosa (surf towns on Pacific side), but love them!! Beautiful horny women (despite the fact they are all escorts, just be chill and you'll wind up with them all for free after your first day or two - once you build a rep), nice beaches and mostly non "fake" people.
I'll be living in San Pedro, just outside San Jose. Not sure what it's like but I'm there for work, on the weekends I got a place to stay directly on beachfront =)
I'd definately also recommend going rafting in Quepos, it's amazing!
Originally posted by jennycards Don't forget there is a serious rainy season. Some people moved away again because they became so depressed from all day rain.
Ahh, that's the best response so far.. Rain
I live in san franciisco, we're lucky to see 8 days of rain per year. (contrary to popular belief, it doesn't rain here.. just fogs over).
I miss doing business in jakarta during the rainy season..
Costa Rica is getting really appealing. .especially with a company offering me $120k/yr in a country with no income tax and a cost of living 50% lower than san francisco...
We are based in Costa Rica. At the moment it is the rainy season - the temp is about 72 - 85 depending on whether it is near the coast or inland.
The Central Valley area is the main base for the population, but I'd suggest you get outta there and see the *real* Costa Rica - I've lived in a few "paradises" and used to them, but this place impressed me!
The people are friendly... main language is Spanish. The cost of living for Latin America is expensive, but still nothing like "civilised countries". Depending on what you want, home rentals (for anything decent) range from $500/month upwards. The average is probably $800 - $1500. A full time maid costs around $220/month - same for a gardner.
The real estate market is on the upper.. always has been for many years now. There was a time when the only people coming here were retirees, but that has changed in the last few years and now includes "anyone" - professionals with families etc who are mainly coming from the US, Canada and Europe.
The CR education and healthcare system is excellent and on par or better than the standards in other "civilised" countries.
If you are into "nature" there is plenty to see. We have 900 acres of land which is abundant in wildlife - three species of monkeys, wild cats (ocelots and jaguars), parrots and tucans - our "eco guy" assessed around 148 species of birds on this plot plus lots more stuff. Next year we will be constructing on the land, but not messing with the wildlife.
Costa Rica is a stable democracy - one of the oldest genuine democracies in the Americas. Costa Rica does not have an army and maintains a good diplomatic relationship with all countries. (It is still the only country to have a open embasssy in Palestine at this time - and has no intention of closing this.)
We are based in Costa Rica. At the moment it is the rainy season - the temp is about 72 - 85 depending on whether it is near the coast or inland.
The Central Valley area is the main base for the population, but I'd suggest you get outta there and see the *real* Costa Rica - I've lived in a few "paradises" and used to them, but this place impressed me!
The people are friendly... main language is Spanish. The cost of living for Latin America is expensive, but still nothing like "civilised countries". Depending on what you want, home rentals (for anything decent) range from $500/month upwards. The average is probably $800 - $1500. A full time maid costs around $220/month - same for a gardner.
The real estate market is on the upper.. always has been for many years now. There was a time when the only people coming here were retirees, but that has changed in the last few years and now includes "anyone" - professionals with families etc who are mainly coming from the US, Canada and Europe.
The CR education and healthcare system is excellent and on par or better than the standards in other "civilised" countries.
If you are into "nature" there is plenty to see. We have 900 acres of land which is abundant in wildlife - three species of monkeys, wild cats (ocelots and jaguars), parrots and tucans - our "eco guy" assessed around 148 species of birds on this plot plus lots more stuff. Next year we will be constructing on the land, but not messing with the wildlife.
Costa Rica is a stable democracy - one of the oldest genuine democracies in the Americas. Costa Rica does not have an army and maintains a good diplomatic relationship with all countries. (It is still the only country to have a open embasssy in Palestine at this time - and has no intention of closing this.)
I'll probably know within the next 2-3 days
if I'll be moving.. Company wants me to fly down this week..
Originally posted by Webby rudeboi:
We are based in Costa Rica. At the moment it is the rainy season - the temp is about 72 - 85 depending on whether it is near the coast or inland.
The Central Valley area is the main base for the population, but I'd suggest you get outta there and see the *real* Costa Rica - I've lived in a few "paradises" and used to them, but this place impressed me!
The people are friendly... main language is Spanish. The cost of living for Latin America is expensive, but still nothing like "civilised countries". Depending on what you want, home rentals (for anything decent) range from $500/month upwards. The average is probably $800 - $1500. A full time maid costs around $220/month - same for a gardner.
The real estate market is on the upper.. always has been for many years now. There was a time when the only people coming here were retirees, but that has changed in the last few years and now includes "anyone" - professionals with families etc who are mainly coming from the US, Canada and Europe.
The CR education and healthcare system is excellent and on par or better than the standards in other "civilised" countries.
If you are into "nature" there is plenty to see. We have 900 acres of land which is abundant in wildlife - three species of monkeys, wild cats (ocelots and jaguars), parrots and tucans - our "eco guy" assessed around 148 species of birds on this plot plus lots more stuff. Next year we will be constructing on the land, but not messing with the wildlife.
Costa Rica is a stable democracy - one of the oldest genuine democracies in the Americas. Costa Rica does not have an army and maintains a good diplomatic relationship with all countries. (It is still the only country to have a open embasssy in Palestine at this time - and has no intention of closing this.)
We are based in Costa Rica. At the moment it is the rainy season - the temp is about 72 - 85 depending on whether it is near the coast or inland.
The Central Valley area is the main base for the population, but I'd suggest you get outta there and see the *real* Costa Rica - I've lived in a few "paradises" and used to them, but this place impressed me!
The people are friendly... main language is Spanish. The cost of living for Latin America is expensive, but still nothing like "civilised countries". Depending on what you want, home rentals (for anything decent) range from $500/month upwards. The average is probably $800 - $1500. A full time maid costs around $220/month - same for a gardner.
The real estate market is on the upper.. always has been for many years now. There was a time when the only people coming here were retirees, but that has changed in the last few years and now includes "anyone" - professionals with families etc who are mainly coming from the US, Canada and Europe.
The CR education and healthcare system is excellent and on par or better than the standards in other "civilised" countries.
If you are into "nature" there is plenty to see. We have 900 acres of land which is abundant in wildlife - three species of monkeys, wild cats (ocelots and jaguars), parrots and tucans - our "eco guy" assessed around 148 species of birds on this plot plus lots more stuff. Next year we will be constructing on the land, but not messing with the wildlife.
Costa Rica is a stable democracy - one of the oldest genuine democracies in the Americas. Costa Rica does not have an army and maintains a good diplomatic relationship with all countries. (It is still the only country to have a open embasssy in Palestine at this time - and has no intention of closing this.)
OK!! That's the quick run down!
What's Broadband like there? I'd hate to live
in a place where I couldn't get decent DSL..
I went on vacation there this January. My wife and myself took an offroader thru the nothern parts of CR. CR must be up there with the most beautiful countries of the world. San Jose of course is the same than any big city but if you get out the country is just beautiful. Beware the ever existing radar controls mostly on the transamerican highway.
The rainy season is different in the Mountains and at the shore so if you don't like rain you can get away from it. Spanish is mandatory if you seriously think of moving there as outside of San Juan only people that are frequented by tourists speak English. I got along but it is different to be there as a tourist or living there. The coolest episode of the vacation was when I went to a steak restaurant where the menu was in Spanish and noone there spoke English. We had the best meal of the trip and it was a lot of fun to use hands and feet to communicate.
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why would someone move from the great USA to a 3rd world country? Where's Colin to answer me? :-)
Been to the US for a while any many other places. I like the US - had a great time there, but it ain't by any long stretch as "great" as some claim :-)
There is a whole world out there and many nice places that (a) offer more "freedoms" (b) don't have taxes (c) do have other essentials that compare well against the civilized world.
Ironic when some of these places are known as "third world" countries when they offer their "nationals" more than the civilized world can offer. Tis little surprise the folks of places like Costa Rica don't leave - to the degree the US embassy was giving away 5000 visas to "encourage".
Originally posted by andi_germany I went on vacation there this January. My wife and myself took an offroader thru the nothern parts of CR. CR must be up there with the most beautiful countries of the world. San Jose of course is the same than any big city but if you get out the country is just beautiful. Beware the ever existing radar controls mostly on the transamerican highway.
The rainy season is different in the Mountains and at the shore so if you don't like rain you can get away from it. Spanish is mandatory if you seriously think of moving there as outside of San Juan only people that are frequented by tourists speak English. I got along but it is different to be there as a tourist or living there. The coolest episode of the vacation was when I went to a steak restaurant where the menu was in Spanish and noone there spoke English. We had the best meal of the trip and it was a lot of fun to use hands and feet to communicate.
Carne asada!
Err. or is that a mexican specific term? Hrm. I was hoping that'd the only spanish I'd need to know
Originally posted by Soul_Rebel why would someone move from the great USA to a 3rd world country? Where's Colin to answer me? :-)
My list?
- No Bush.
- No personal Income Tax
- They're paying me basically $120k/year under the table, plus performance bonuses, and paying for my housing, maid, and transportation
- America is boring. Except for a few cities anymore, everything is the same as everything else.
Originally posted by TheFLY So where do you CR people work? Nobody is mentioning spefics
Well I'm going to be in San Jose..working for a large online gambling company.. bringing in 3-4 of my friends (systems programmers/networking guys/db/perl guys) prepping their infrastructure for the football season..
it's going to be nice.. US salaries, but 3rd world prices
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