Ten Great Reasons to Retire in Costa Rica
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I admit it: I'm a complete xenophobe.
The first time I heard that lots of American Baby Boomers were retiring to Costa Rica, my mind puked up a Banana-esque scene from a Woody Allen movie in which a bunch of formerly cool yuppie swingers from the 1970s get herded into the jungle by Che Guevara wannabes and machete-ed to death while howler monkeys grab at their wallets and shiny gold watches.
That wasn't very enlightened of me, I know.
Once I got beyond my Lou Dobbs poisoning and did some actual research, I was astonished at what I found. Costa Rica is GORGEOUS, and it's really, really cheap.
What's more, I began to realize that, despite the constant drumbeat of patriotic sound bytes fed to U.S. citizens by American cable news, the United States is not always the best in every single area and in every single way, forever and ever, amen.
I'm sorry, we just aren't.
I just have to say that flat out, right now, right here, while I still can say it without facing a firing squad. Believe me when I tell you that Costa Rica is one of those countries with surprisingly positive qualities.
Lots of them.
Other countries do have them you know (positive qualities, that is), and believe me, I'm not one of those lefty global gadabouts. You are hearing this astonishing-yet-true statement from a person who found Britain too unbelievably barbaric in 1972 because they did not put ICE in their cold drinks! (Those ANIMALS!)
I've changed, and maybe you should too. Just a little.
A Costa Rica retirement might not be in your future or in mine, but there are lots of compelling reasons to at least consider spending your golden years there instead of here (or instead of wherever you happen to be right this minute--New Zealand, Spain, Greece, Britain, Canada--you know, any of those foreign-ish places that we Americans tend to just think of as not here.)
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The Ten Reasons
1) Costa Rica Has Universal Health Care. You might recognize the name of this Central American country from somewhere or something in recent news, but maybe you can't quite place where you heard it. I'll give you a hint:
Costa Rica is the little country that outranks the U.S. on the WHO chart of national health care quality by one point. Costa Rica is #36 on the chart. The U.S. is #37.
(But Slovenia is #38, so take that Slovenia! We're #37! We're #37! Yaaaaay TEAM!) Costa Rica's health care system is similar to Medicare in the U.S., so you don't have to go bankrupt to use it, and get this: It covers cosmetic surgery and dentistry.
2) The Cost of Living In Costa Rica is about 30% of the Cost of Living in the U.S. That means that the 401k that you just lost 70% of back in the States will still work out for you in Costa Rica, assuming you had it about where you wanted it before it got sucked into the black hole we call Wall Street and the rest of the world calls Hell. You can buy a home for much, much less in Costa Rica than you can anywhere in the U.S. except maybe Detroit, and who the hell wants to retire to Detroit?
3) Costa Rica Has the Most Beautiful Beaches in the World. This is not as subjective as it sounds. Central America is a narrow, peninsula-like continent. So either side of Costa Rica is all beaches, and lots of 'em: black sand beaches, white sand beaches, rock beaches, beaches good for fishing, beaches for surfing, beaches that back up to jungles and nature preserves, beaches that are so empty you can walk for miles without seeing another person, beaches that are butt to butt hot babes in thong bikinis.
4) Costa Rica Has Every Climate Condition Imaginable. On either side you have gorgeous beaches (see Reason #3), and in the middle you have everything from dry prairie conditions, to Volcanic mountain ranges, to fertile farm land, to deep, primeval jungles. Cool or hot, wet or dry, exotic or familiar, you pick.
5) Costa Rica Is One of the Most Bio-diverse Countries on Earth. Ecologists from all over the world come to Costa Rica's rain forests to study the flora and fauna, much of which is found nowhere else on the planet. Rare sea turtles, frogs, monkeys, three-toed sloths, macaws and other exotic birds, caimans, peccaries, jaguars, and amazing prehistoric insects and trees and flowers are so plentiful you can see them in the wild, no zoos necessary.
6) Costa Rica Has a Democratic Form of Government. Forget your nightmare fantasies of rebels and revolution; Costa Rica has a stable and even boring system of democratically elected representative government, much like the U.S.
7) Costa Rica Is Small-Business Friendly. If you are an ex-pat retiree who works from home in your own virtual consulting business, online retail store, writing or web design service, or any other form of net-based self-employment, Costa Rica will exempt you from business and income taxes that would normally apply under other conditions. Why would the Costa Rican government do this? Because they want Americans, Canadians, and Europeans to retire there and spend their retirement savings there. This is especially good news for Baby Boomers who were caught short on retirement savings and who need to supplement their income with half-time or at-home employment.
8) The Food is Actually Good for You. Many people assume that Costa Rican native cuisine is just like Mexican cuisine, but the irony is, most Americans don't even know what real Mexican cuisine is like. The Mexican restaurants that are so popular in the U.S. mostly offer Tex-Mex cuisine: a starchy hybrid of Mexican peasant fare and American peasant fare. It's good, but it's not really representative of Mexico, and Costa Ricans don't cook anything remotely resembling Mexican food. They have their own culinary traditions. Small local diners called sodas serve up mostly beef and vegetable dishes. Yams, beans, rice, fresh fish, chicken, and wide variety of lightly steamed fresh vegetables are the raw materials of the most popular recipes, and international fare is widely available too. If you visit the Eastern Coast, you will find lots of Caribbean dishes and fabulous seafood.
9) You Are Never More Than Four Hours Away from Paradise. No matter where you choose to put down roots in Costa Rica, beautiful beaches, national jungle park preserves, mountain ranges, hiking, sailing, surfing and more are less than a day's journey away.
10) The People Are Really Nice. The people of Costa Rica represent all races and creeds, but most of them have Indian (Native American) ancestry. Caribbean influences are strong in the east part of the country. In the West, tourism makes up a huge part of the economy so you see people from all the world pretty much all year round.
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Comments
Well, if I live long enough and have enough money to retire....this sounds like the ideal place!
This sounds like a beautiful place to live, and especially if one is self employed and make just enough money to sorta survive in the USA. My nephew lives in Thailand as I have mentioned before in Hubpages, and his standard of living is much better there with his teacher's salary than he could have in the USA.
I'm packing!
Yeah I think I am packing too!! I am totally convinced!
Such vivid imagination, I was thinking after the first paragraph! :-) By gob, this was funny as all get out (and true to boot!)! You had me laughing all the way through!
I was in Costa Rica 5 years ago, and I have to nod to all 10 reasons, special hard and stressful nod to #10, people are incredibly nice, I can only compare to Indonesia in friendliness and hospitality, but I'd say they are even more easy going.
And can I add reason #11? Here goes: Education is taken very seriously in CR, they have a very high literacy rate, I think it was 95% when I was there. I couldn't believe my eyes when going through remote and lost in the jungle villages you could ALWAYS see a school building, often nothing more than a hut, but it made sure NO kids were left unattended even in the remotest of areas! Here in Spain, some of the small villages need to share one primary school in the biggest village around and kids may have to travel miles to go to school every day. ("Since the 70s the country has invested more than 28% of the national budget on primary and secondary education.")
Oh boy, I have reason #12 too: It's one of the safest countries I've ever visited. Women unescorted can safely travel all over the place, jungle or city alike, without being in the least concerned about personal safety. According to official reports, CR has the lowest crime rate in Latin America.
P.S. Great Britain IS barbaric... what they do with their cold drinks.... disgusting! Laugh!
Sorry about the long comment, too :-)
I don't put ice in my cold drinks either, so I'd probably enjoy visiting Britain.
This is interesting. I may want to look into more about it. What are the legal differences? Stable democratic government is a plus, the health care system suggests it's a progressive government. I may have to look more closely at it.
All I know of Costa Rica is that Jurassic Park got filmed there and various natural history articles about incredible wildlife. I was already familiar with its natural wonders, what I ask generally when looking at other countries is how much personal freedom there is on things. Whether it's got oppressive laws or not about anything from gays to smoking. The less violent the police are, the better.
The low crime rate suggests that it's not got that much going on in the way of oppressive laws or people would be getting jailed over things. Is medical marijuana legal there? That'd be a huge plus. I'd love to be able to use it for my chronic pain. It's one of the few things safe enough that I'd consider using it regularly for pain.
I'd find something cool to draw or paint as soon as I opened my eyes and the climate would probably rock for my arthritis as long as I stay out of the cold places. It's a thought. Not that I'll actually ever retire unless this counts as retirement, but it's a thought.
Thanks for a good informative Hub!
Thanks Steve & advisor4qb!
Percy One & Triplet Mom--I would SO love to go see the place in person. :)
Violet Sun--So many Americans are leaving the country to retire because they just don't have enough money to stay, even if they work. I used to think it was crazy but now it sounds like a viable plan, actually. Thanks for stopping by.
Elena--Comment as long as you like! lol! That all sounds so great. It's been especially depressing here in the U.S. lately what with all the angry crowds and gun toting whack job zombies roaming around looking for brains of the living. Just when I got used to the idea that I WOULDN'T have to leave this country, it went all weird on me again. I'm so sick of the cheat thumping and violence and ignorance here. It would be nice to visit a place where people are NICE and read books!
Robert--Those are good questions. I don't actually know the answers to any of them but Elena might. Elena? Do you know the answers to any of those? It does sound like a place that you would love, Robert. I hope we both get to see it someday. :)
Howdo, Elena at your service, or rather, not sure if I can be of service because I don't know for sure/for a fact the answers to those questions. What I would do, however, if I planned to retire there would be to get the hard facts, especially on legislation, in my Consulate or Embassy. In my experience, the info provided by these entities is a bit "tougher" than what you'd actually find in the country, I think they just want to make sure you're not misled by happy rosy details and know the hard facts. But they won't lie to you on legislation, or drugs being legal and such.
Police corruption or violence is a hard topic to get trustworthy info on. No one will admit to that being a problem, but there are two sources where I'd look into, first your run of the mill google search to check our the grapevine, and then I'd contact one or two of the national newspapers or magazines to get any reports they may have in print, or just their informed feedback. Personal experience, from all the Latin American countries where I've been, CR is the only one were I never even heard a pip on police corruption, so it must mean something.
Last, the climate varies depending on the region (6 main regions), but at large it's tropical with a dry and a humid season. Temp averages between 25º-30º Celsius for all of the regions and during any of the two main tropical climates. For what it's worth :-)
Thanks Elena! Robert, there you go.
Let's all meet down there on December 22, 2012 to celebrate the world NOT ending. :)
Costa Rica sounds fab. Might be a bit hot for my freckly celtic complexion but I guess there's always factor 50 sunblock to fall back on. See you in 2012!
Hi Amanda! It's a date! For my part, I'm a little scared of monkeys--don't ask me why. But maybe if I meet a few in person I'll get over that. I'd LOVE to visit the rain forest. It sounds awesome. :)
The rainforest is amazing :-) Geez, I'm in love with this hub! Someone please get a restraining order so that Elena can't keep trolling round here!
Elena you could never be described as a troll. Hang around all you want. :)
interesting and I thought about retiring in Brasil. Another challenger to think about.
This would be a dream!! I have often thought of retiring to somewhere in S. America. The value of a dollar really benefits the retiree, but I am not sure about the logistics on visiting family with the cost of travel constantly rising.
You could always move the entire family, Erick! :-)
Whoops! Add a gag order to the restraining one!
Keep it up, Grundy, and there'll be so many Americans in CR, some of us will not want to go there! ;)
Erick--That's true. I used to think of that when I was wanting to move to Toronto. I think Elena has the right idea. :)
Elena--Good plan!
Mindfield--It depends WHICH Americans move there I think, don't you? I'm thinking the gun toting bad-tempered variety are more likely to stick to Dallas, so hopefully it will all work out. (BTW Good to see you!)
My husband and I made our initial investigative trip to Costa Rica in June and we are very seriously considering moving there long term. I agree with your top ten reasons, but I will also say it is NOT a perfect place and if you are moving from the US, there will be a big adjustment in culture.
There are 20 microclimates in Costa Rica (which is about the size of W Virginia)
It is an active earthquake zone (part of the ring of fire)
They have active volcanoes (Arenal was beautiful!)
We have heard of some corruption with the police, but compared to other Latin American countries, it seems less common.
If you decide to go down for an extended stay or move, RENT do NOT buy! That was the most important discovery we made while down there. There is NO real estate regulation at all. You absolutely need an attorney (one that comes recommended by someone you trust there). There are Gringo prices and Tico (native) prices. There is no licensing requirement for real estate agents. Bottom line, due diligence is crucial for a successful permanent relocation.
Besides, you can rent a beautiful home for very little money (compared to US), so why tie up your cash? :-)
The immigration law was recently changed, and the financial requirements for various levels of residency have gone up, though in my opinion are still very very reasonable and for the most part, doable.
We plan on going for about a month or so early next year so I can get my teeth removed and have implants done and also give us a chance to see what it would be like to live day to day there. The cost for this treatment in the US? 50K! In Costa Rica? Should be less than 10K and that is with no insurance, just paying cash. :-)
The food is delicious, but if you're a huge red meat eater, you may be disappointed. Staples are rice, beans, fish, chicken, veggies and of course fruit. (not to mention incredible coffee that is grown all over the central valley!)
Hi Deb--Thank you for that great advice. When I put this together, I thought of writing a companion hub entitled, "Ten Reasons NOT to Retire in Costa Rica" so as to give a more balanced view. You are certainly correct regarding the real estate situation, and it is NOT for everyone, no matter how you set it up.
Maybe I will still write that companion hub and make it more general: "Ten Reasons Not to Retire Overseas" or something. You really do have to think it through very carefully or it can all go terribly wrong. Thanks for your comment. :)
I was fortunate enough to visit Costa Rica this year, but I was on a cruise. I didn't get to see a great deal of the country due to time constraints, but I was very impressed. I am even more impressed now that I have read your hub. I could live there.
Hi Connie--How wonderful that you got to go on a cruise! Sounds heavenly. I'd like to visit Costa Rica myself someday. It could happen! Thanks for stopping by. :)
pgrundy...you should go and visit it. It is as wonderful as you say...in every area. In one sense...I wish that it would not get spread around that it is so good...like the perfect little secret. My wife is from there. 1/2 of her family is still there. When I went down there and toured the countryside...I didn't want to come back...and extended my vacation. Everything you stated in your research...is true!
The "Tico's" (Costa Rican's) are fabulous people and very hospitable. Many speak really good english...and you can do really well over there with a small Spanish vocabulary...as well (Like me). The food is very good...lot's of rice, black beans, bananas, platana, yuca, pineapple...to go around. And all tasty...when added to grilled shrimp or fish. So...yes...it is healthy! Some places have been slightly Americanized-(by prices going up)-some haven't. It is very easy to travel for real cheap around their country if you stay away from the touristy places....which are usually around the more popular beaches and resort areas...of course. But, it is a diverse land...with lots of things to see and do! Can you tell I love it...and will probably retire there...for sure!?
Hi manlypoetryman--That sounds heavenly! I'm so envious. I may get to see it someday though. :)
I know what you mean about not wanting too many people to find out. My grandmother lived on the Oregon coast, and they were like that there---like, no, no, don't come here! lol!
Ten reasons... you only needed to mention the beach to convince me :)
Living in foreign countries is not for everybody but it is really good for those who are willing to give it a try and are not afraid to start again. Costa Rica sounds like a beautiful place that I would like to visit, and now that you mention all the extra benefits of living there I might even consider staying!
Hi Princessa--You are right about it not being for everyone It's easy to underestimate the impact of culture shock. I had a friend who won a year-long graduate internship in Mexico City. She didn't speak Spanish but was confident she could pick it up. After four weeks they had to send her home. It was so much more difficult that she imagined--not the coursework, the shock of everything being new--the food, the language, the customs, the surroundings. It's harder than most people imagine. Thanks for stopping by! :)
Wow, anoth great hub, pgrundy. Love, love, love it! Wish so much I could be pack' too.
WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS: Wow, another great hub, pgrundy. Love, love, love it! Wish so much I could be packin', too. I got in kind of a hurry, answering my emails.
Thanks Paradise 7! :)
It's a "dry heat"... humidity! I think you could have easily have just made this 10 reasons to move to Costa Rica! Sounds like a vacation paradise as well.
I like the American expats pic. But Costa Rica might be too sexy for me!
i think costa rica has fullfill all the retirement requirements that normally people looking at....seems like a cool place for retirement...thanks....for inspiring me with this great place which before that i never think of it before....and now im starts thinking of planning for a trip to costa rica:)
I about spit my wine out after reading your first several paragraphs, you are good. It was a very enlightening hub. Costa Rica is on my list of places I want to visit. Don't think I would retire there as I like Tex Mex food since I live in Texas. I look forward to reading more of your hubs.
i can personally vouch for CR's awesomeness. a few years back during the summer after i got out of high school i backpacked around the place for a few weeks. it's righteous. super safe, cheap as hell, great coffee and fresh food. nice folks. really have nothing bad to say about the place. a ton of americans go down there to get retirement places and whatnot. you run into a lot of cool europeans too
Costa Rica sounds like a beautiful place that I would like to visit... nice articles!
But are there any nice young men to run the errands?
nice travel next summer.
I love it, you can choose to live in the vallys, mountains, rain forest or beach, all are wonder. Tons of stuff to do.
I think I am sold.
I have travelled quite a lot but never given it a second thought. Now I am hooked! Not quite ready to retire yet but certainly ready for a holiday. Your writing is great - so funny. Nice when people can have a bit of a laugh at their own cultures.
Thank you for the informative article. Exciting, as I am leading a tour to Costa Rica in June (I teach high school)
Excellent, and very helpful. Great comments too. Thanks!
Wow, that sounds awesome!!
I'm nowhere close to retirement, but after reading your article, I'm ready to pack my bags and go to Costa Rica now!
I would suggest that everyone not run off to Costa Rica and any other foreign country to live unless they have had experience living overseas. I work for the government for over 20 years (I retired in July,2008) and have lived in many countries and have many foreign contacts. Most people can't blend with the locals when times get bad and they will as the world economy tanks. When things get bad in a country the first thing locals do is blame foreigners for their problems. Costa Rica will be no different. All the people that want you to go to Costa Rica will be make money by you coming there. I know many americans who have gone to foreign countries. A lot of the are back home with a lot less in their bank account. I couple I know didn't come back at all. No one knows what happened to them. Think carefully before you deside to move to a foreign country.You are much better off here in the hard times ahead. E-mail me if you have a question: meanjoegreen59@gmail.
Thanks meanjoegreen for presenting that warning so clearly. What you say makes sense.
This does sound like a paradise. My sister and I are planning for our golden years now instead of later and will definitely put this one on our list. Thank you for sharing a great hub!
I'm nowhere near retirement, but you've made such a good case that I'm certainly considering Costa Rica as a nice place to spend a year or two living! (Once I've brushed up on my Spanish, of course, as those classes are quite a ways behind me.)
Being from Canada I cannot wait for the day I retire somewhere warm and comfortable. I have considered costa quite a few times. For now it is still long cold winters, but one day....
Useful Hub!!!
Nice to meet you
welcome to hubpages. thanks for share. Keep on writing. See you on my hub also...take care!
I have always wanted to visit, but never considered it As a retirement destination. You sure did make it sound like paradise.
I wanna go! I just turned 55 and would like to retire working articles on HubPages! I love this place! So exciting! Thank you for your great article!!!
J
I must be a real Canuck because, although your post increased my desire to vacation in CR, I would miss that cold, white stuff we call snow too much to live in such a climate on a permanent basis. Yep, I need my White Christmas. Great Hub!
Well, if I live long enough and have enough money this sounds like the ideal place!
sweeet
I was a Spanish major in college and got to stay with one of my friends who,at the time, was living working in Costa Rica during the final semester of my senior year. I loved it and can't wait to go back!
The people are really friendly and diverse (where my friend lived, there were a large number of black and Asian Latinos, and my of them assumed I was Dominican. They said "You talk you like Dominican." I then would explain that I was from the States. It was so cool. It was also really refreshing to see the full spectrum of what it is to be "Latino" or "Hispanic" rather than just all the mixed-raced Latinos you see on both American and Spanish-language tv.
The exchange rate when I went some years ago was awesome. 1 USD was equal to 365 Colones. It was hot like fire down there when I went. Even though I spent what seems like forever walking in the hot sun for a week, I still couldn't hold a tan (I'm a black American). :-) I just wanted a tan when I went back to school. Silly, I know.
The food is freaking awesome! I love Yucca, fried plantans, and red Granizado! My friend and I used to go to this restaurant called "La Carribanea de Mama." I know I misspelled that. Sorry. The food was freaking good.
If I had one piece of advice, it would be to hang with the locals and avoid the turisty places. I think you will have a much more enjoyable experience and get a real since of what it is to be a "tico." That's what the natives call themseleves.
Costa Rica aint nothing but "pura vida," and without a doubt was one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of my life.
Thank you for all your great comments!
SEOguy--Thank you for that first hand account! Now I really want to go too. :)
I have been thinking of retiring somewhere on a beautiful beach making my native jewelry and living off that..well am going to look into Costa Rica..as long as I can take my six cats with me lol
Read my hub A Mad Retirement in Costa Rica on hubpages..read all six and then if you want the rest of the story, I will continue telling you what it is REALLY like to retire in Costa Rica.
I've had experience with building, hospitals, dentists, banks, language, living 10 years with the Ticos. Soccer, gallo pinto, Imperial beer, and HEY, I'm still there!!
nice hubpage..love to visit Costa Rica and consider one place to have retirement home..how's crime rate down their compare to US(middle class area)? and what is the best place(town name) to live down there?
As winter is galloping towards us, I now know where to escape too, England in the winter? Nah! What did I do with my passport?....Great Hub nice pics Nell
costa rica is beautiful place to visit
All that can happen especially with a great plan in place like with this one: http://hubpages.com/hub/Retirement-Plan-Options
Great hub! Costa Rica is one of the most-beautiful and most-fun places I've ever been. I'll definitely be going there if and when I retire!
Man if the Ex-Pat pic is true and they are in there sixty's I would hate to see what the 20 year old girls look like there. I'm ready Take me to Costa Rica Now!
Wow! I would love to go there...
Sounds great overall. CR is frequently featured on House Hunters International. How would the health care and taxes work if you retain your US citizenship?
Retirement is all about removing the stress from your life and taking time to relax. Mexico's environment is far from fast paced, as a retiree you can be active, but still enjoy a low stress lifestyle.
Please take off the rose-coloured glasses long enough to read this. http://hubpages.com/hub/Retiring-in-Costa-Rica-10-
What language do they speak in Costa Rica, Spanish?
Yeah, Spanish. English is widely spoken as well. :)
I would love to retire in Costa Rica! I would be torn between doing some deep water fishing and exploring the mountains of the interior.
Count me in too! Thanks for this hub and the humor as well.
I'm packing! too!!!!!
loved it.........
On my way! Meet you there!
It's very tempting to retire somewhere like Costa Rica! The cost of living would be a major factor for me.
Loved your hub!! What a nice place Costa Rica sounds like for retirement, would really like to enjoy a vacation there in the near future as well
Fun Hub to Read! We visited Costa Rica for a day off a cruise we took in the Western Caribbean. The scenery is wonderful, the people are friendly and the food is delicious.
Would be a great place to retire but I think we may eventually head to Arizona! :)
My goodness...I need to plan a trip to Costa Rica! Thanks for the break down.
I really enjoyed your humor in this hub, too. A friend of mine originally turned me on to CR. It's absolutely beautiful! I'm nearly bilingual and a vegetarian (not by choice). So, I've seriously looked into real estate there. One thing my friend (resident of CR) said is that vehicle prices are 150-200% of those in the US. Bringing your own vehicle can be taxed at up to 80%. Here's a current article I found about the subject: http://www.costarica.com/index2.php?option=com_con Overall, I'm with you and some of the others for meeting there in 2012. Hey, maybe we can all actually live off our Hubpages revenue there. ha ha
Awesome article. I'm on my way there in January...maybe I'll just stick around for longer than planned!
Steve Rensch says:
3 months ago
Drool!